Rencesvals

Crafting rolls: R3 Blacksmith (T3 gear max, 4 crafts/day) Ambition Tool (+1 EXP) ID 213017 | CD 2 | Failure (+2 EXP) ID 213018 | CD 2 | Failure (+2 EXP) ID 213019 | CD 2 | Failure (+2 EXP) ID 213020 | CD 5 | Salvage (LD 9 | Lose mat, +3 EXP) Cost: 4 materials Rank 4 Blackmith reached.

"I still don't know how you did it." Mauz has peppered Ren with questions for the entire duration of their descent and return to Athenaia, struggling to comprehend what he'd seen. "You're looking for the wrong solution, Mauz. Everyone who sees him sees only broken and discarded misery. I chose to see potential." Biting down upon a crisp, fresh apple from the market, Ren savored its sweet, cool juicy nectar. "Hephaestus isn't a broken god, you see? He's the unshaped, unrefined material from which all craftmanship is born. It is his nature to invent and make anew. God of the Forge?

Mauz came running in, expecting to find some morbid, tragic scene of failure when the portcullis finally lifted. Seeing Ren standing over the god, a brand new hammer in his hands and thanking Hephaestus for his friendship and tutelage had not been in the realm of possibilities floating through his mind. The workshop itself have been completely remodeled with countless new devices, pipes and wires spread in a web-like lattice from the lame god's throne to every nook and cranny. "It's a steampunk thing," Ren offered, without any further explanation as he grabbed a fresh lantern from atop

The newly minted boiler system churned and bubbled as heat within generated the life-giving vapours that soon filled the network of pipes and valves now sprawled all over the room and connected to every key workstation. Pneumatic and hydraulic controls all linked back to a central core adapted for use by the god's unique physiology. They were ready for their test. "I'm sorry, Hephaestus." The god burbled his confusion. "I'd hoped to find a way to repair your body, but that's a skill beyond my understanding and familiarity. This is all I could think of to try to help you reach for wha

Ren wasn't sure how long it took. In another world, someone might have made a video montage of the whole thing set to a motivational soundtrack with lots of percussion and lens flares. He'd already come up with a plan the moment he walked into the workshop and noticed that absence of a key element to the trade: water. What could easily have been dismissed as the pumping of bellows turned out to be a series of small waterfalls cascading through a secondary cavern nearby. Even Olympus needed a drain. Setting himself to work, Ren gathered his wits and stamina to set about the most ambitious

A deep, wheezing laughter came from the divine mass. "Interesting, but that's not usually how this works. I'm supposed to give you some sort of impossible task to perform, then set you on your merry way with my blessing, should you somehow manage to achieve it." "Then might I make a suggestion: give me a challenge that restores your ability to use your forge and smithy." More pensive wheezing followed. "Huh... not technically against the rules. And Zeus was always about using technicalities to his own benefit. I don't see what we couldn't do the same." A quiver of anticip

"No one special. Just the son of a man with great appreciation for the treasures of the earth and friend to others with a love of history. Does that mean I was correct?" Another low grumble, though Ren couldn't tell whether it implied approval or disappointment. "You are correct," came the reply. He could see the fleshy mass pumping rhythmically - breathing. The lumpy thing that was its head turned and twisted, perhaps to better listen or try to line whatever sight it might possess upon him. "Now, tell me why Zeus has summoned you to my derelict workshop. What tortures has my b

Composing himself, Ren took the advice and stepped forward into the god's workshop, marveling at the fine quality and detailed works on display. "Magnificent..." he mumbled to himself. There was no sign of any occupant, so he permitted himself to wander over to one of several forges and explore. This one was dedicated primarily to smelting, based on the surrounding ores and neat stacks of metal ingots in dozens of varieties. Quite a few were alloys of other metals, produced to the most refined states that he had ever witnessed. "Is that orichalcum? It would make sense by the golden c

"My lord Hephaestus!" Mauz has slipped back into exaggerated pageantry. "I present you with the candidate summoned at Zeus' request for your evaluation: Rencesvals. May he prove worthy of your craft." Ren's eyes were still adjusting to the glow about the chamber, orange and red in hue and stemming from a dozen pools and workstations filled with molten lava. The heat struck like a hammer as soon as they had entered the space. It was both hellish and magnificent all at once. Every corner of the broad, oppressive cavern was filled to the brim with tools, half-finished works, equipment and r

Time lost all meaning as they descended into the labyrinthine tangle of tunnels beneath the mons. Fortunately, Mauz appeared to know where he was going. Ren would have been lost after the first turn, and was already distracting himself by studying the surrounding geology. Notably, patterns and increasing density of mineral ore were growing as they descended. It as like tracing a network of metal veins gradually back to their heart and source. "This is remarkable," Ren observed aloud. "Oh, you noticed! Good for you. Not everyone picks up on that. No one really knows the cause, b

"Who knows the thoughts and dreams of a god, Ren? Especially a broken one. My task is merely to serve as messenger and escort." Mauz' limitations as an NPC were starting to show. This level of compassion and understanding was beyond him. As much as Cardinal's creations had developed nuance and a growing sense of believable identity in the time since the game began, it was still just a sophisticated veneer. This challenge, too, was just another facet of the same system. "Alright," Ren decided. "Let's go in. I think I have an idea." Shrugging, Mauz grabbed a torch from among se

The satyr noted his companion's hesitation. "There is nothing to... okay, well, there is relatively little to fear," he corrected, trying to assuage Ren's perceived concerns. "What? No, that's not the issue. How do I address someone who's been treated so badly by his peers?" Thinking back to the dynamics between his own friends group, there was no true outsider. Everyone had always been encouraged to participate and belong. It was what had made the social circle work, at least to the extent that it did. Things weren't always perfect, but people worked out their issues and found

The recklessness and danger of their trek only grew as they reached closer to the peak. Much like the acropolis in Athenaia, visible below, the upper portions of Olympus had been stepped and leveled to make room for the broad assortments of temples and other structures that filled every available square inch of space. Some buildings even looked like they were stacked one on top of the other, just to accentuate the effect. From what Ren knew of Greek architecture and iconography, it had been mimicked here, but subtle details changed. You couldn't quite tell whether it was deliberate or if t

Walking among the fog titans was a breathtaking and terrifying experience hardly suitable for the fainthearted. Ren wondered at least once or twice whether some giant appendage was about to come swinging their way to step on or otherwise flatten them with pulverizing power. Mauz, meanwhile, knew where to go and called out warnings about the broken terrain well enough in advance that Ren was able to navigate around the perils. A few would have sent him careening off the mountainside where the final impact would have been no better than running afoul of the gods' guardians. "Not exactly

The foot of Mount Olympus was wreathed in banks of thick fog that fit the common portrayal of its pristine structures as sitting atop the clouds. Shadows of massive shapes could be seen prowling in the mists, some humanoid and others decidedly not. "So how do we get up there?" There was no visible path or trail leading up the mountain's sheer cliffs. It looked, quite appropriately, like some impenetrable fortress looming larger than life over the rest of the mortal realm. "There's a hidden path." Reaching into a brown leather satchel wrapped around his chest, he pulled out a la

"What's your name, anyway? You never told me." They'd already cleared the city walls and were crossing a steep valley on their way towards a range of distant peaks. Everything around here was arid and mountainous. Ren had already spotted a series of marble nodes, as well as a few for copper and tin. Bronze would be readily available at local smithies. "Mauz, and thanks for asking," came the cheerful response. "Most people never bother. They just want to do their quest and get on with whatever else is on their agenda for the day." Pausing, he places a hairy hand on Ren's shoulder

"It's really just through Hera's good graces that these messages get out at all. Plus, blacksmiths still need training, or so we're told." Another kebab was prodded Ren's way as a peace offering. Taken aback by the casual dismissal of a supposed deity, he had to catch up a few steps to claim it and signal his thanks. "We all know that it's cruel and unfair, but no one is crazy enough to stick themselves in the line of fire for Zeus' mockery. Even in jest, that tends to be lethal." "Wasn't Hephaestus' only crime that he was born ugly or something?" The satyr shrugged. "Something

A familiar buff spawned in his interface confirming his status as have the Favour of Olympus. The many faces of Charon controlled passage at the docks. Other guardians must perform a similar function to ward off unwanted visitors from Olympus itself. "No, nothing like that," replied his guide, snacking on some meat-laden skewer he'd picked up as they passed through a street market. Ren wondered how he'd possibly missed it, but decided it was easier to just let it drop. "And it's not really like Hephaestus is going anywhere." Derogatory disdain in his escort's voice riled Ren's hackle

"Are we not heading for the ferryman's dock?" Ren's sense of direction was still as fallible as ever, but he'd overheard some other candidates heading towards another gate upon their arrival in Athenaia. The ones carrying fishing poles had sealed his assumptions. "No, this particular invitation leads to Olympus itself. We must go to Hephaestus as he is not...easily movable." Large groups of toga-wearing individuals were visible lounging in alcoves and covered stoa all along the city's major plazas and connecting boulevards. Ren wondered how accurately this society mirrored its inspir

"Nevertheless, Zeus, the very king of the gods himself, demands your presence and attendance to face the trials of Olympus at once!" Ren nodded even as he was already setting away his tools and materials, swapping out gear in preparation for the journey. The page was still blabbering away when Ren lifted the proffered letter from his fingertips to scan its contents. "Okay, good, blacksmithing as expected. No special requirements, except. What's this about reporting to Hephaestus? It makes sense, but why not just issue the invitation in the forge-god's name?" He knew his mythology

"Which one are you from, then?" Ren grabbed a nearby rag and wiped his face to clear the soot and sweat of a day's work from his face. It was a futile exercise as the cloth was just a dirty as the rest of him, but it certainly smeared everything around for a nice, even consistency. He'd been expecting a letter or some form of visitor for some time. It hadn't quite taken as long for Demeter to get her invites out, but this might also explain why hers looked like incomplete form letters. "From Zeus himself, my lord!" The Satyr was a bit overzealous with his delivery. Given the sheer e

Crafting rolls: R3 Blacksmith (T3 gear max, 4 crafts/day) Ambition Tool (+1 EXP) ID 212994 | CD 11 | T2 Rare Heavy Armor (+6 EXP) ID 212995 | CD 4 | Failure (+2 EXP) ID 212996 | CD 1 | Critical Failure (+2 EXP) ID 212997 | CD 3 | Failure (+2 EXP) Cost: 4 materials

Ren stood, gob smacked by the other fellow's response, but honestly just glad that the chances of his imminent demise appeared to be dropping. Maybe. His mouth took odd shapes, but no words emerged. Instead, golden eyes swiveled to two other approaching players, both veterans judging by the mien of their gear and mannerisms. He was just here to pick rocks and crystals, still wearing the technical equivalent to his newbie pajamas. Interesting times. "Murder?" General confusion was apparent in his features, making it clear that he'd not heard the same news or received the same invites

Name: Durendal (v.II) ID: 212989 Roll: CD12 Item Type: 1H Straight Sword Tier: 2 Quality: Perfect Enhancements: Bleed | Taunt | Para Description: "The binding blade that endures all pain and cuts through stone like water, whether by time or pure force. Its will cannot be denied. Engraved upon the fuller are symbols representing the chivalric virtues on one face, and the tenets of bushido upon the other." Post Link: https://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/39174-f21r3-blacksmith-the-knight-shift-open/?do=findComment&comment=673167 Name: Black Regalia (V.II) ID: 212992 Roll: CD12 Item

"Hello, my little friend. Still here alone are you?" Ren gently nuzzled Nyanku's chin with his finger tip, setting his purring engine into overdrive. "I brought you a little something extra today, though I hope the shop owner doesn't mind. A friend of mine fancies herself a decent cook. She is, actually, but I rarely admit it to her. Turns out that she had a little extra tuna special leftover last night." Summoning the minor meal from his inventory, Ren set the black porcelain bowl on the counter with its miniature fish portion neatly set and decorated at the centre. While the fe