[SP-F5] Earning a Living (Artisan) [Complete]

[Zerva 0]

Zerva had been starting to get stronger and stronger, proudly puffing out his chest as he considered how best to spend his col. He knew he was going to need weapons and armor, and there were PLENTY of smiths and weavers out there to get the job done. As he walked through the desert town, rather enjoying the feeling of the sun despite the intense heat. It probably helped that he stuck to shadows quite often. At one point he raised a brow and looked to his side, seeing a merchant shop with a "help wanted" sign. He thought it was an odd way to advertise a quest but he wasn't going to stress on it too much. Quests meant more money and Exp. He shrugs to himself and turns on his heel to head inside of the surprisingly cool feeling building to inquire about the quest in question.

[Zerva 0]

Once inside the shop he could tell it was a jewelry shop, one that seemed to be oddly busy. He could tell all the people around him were NPC, but they were acting like there was a huge sale going on. As he approaches the store's counter he hears a male voice say to him "You seem like a man who could use some pretty jewels to offer a special lady." In response to this Zerva quickly turned his eyes to the counter, seeing a large older man with a long white beard. He clearly had been living well given his belly and clothing. "Uh, no, I am here for the quest!" He tries to skirt around the issue of him not yet having a special someone. If nothing else he supposed that the creators taught the NPCs how to barter if he was being told that of all things.

[Zerva 0]

The old male NPC looked at the boy and laughed in a surprisingly jolly way, saying to him while shaking his head "No quests here, boy. That's an employment sign." He leans in and says "Well, if you don't have a woman yet, how about earning yourself a trade? Surely someone would fall into your lap if they found out your pockets were gilded." The NPC smiled at the player, silently letting the idea settle in. It took a minute before he returned to reality but he said "... I suppose a trade would be a good idea... only gives me more Col with which to use I suppose." He shyly nods to the NPC, accepting his offer.

[Zerva 0]

With the player's answer the NPC nodded and stood, gesturing for Zerva to follow. At first Zerva glanced back to see if they should actually leave with all the customers, but then he remembered they were NPC. Might as well could have been decoration. With that settled he moved after the NPC to a room on the side, a workshop of sorts it seemed. "Very good, first put this on." Says the NPC before throwing an apron and some leather crafting gloves at him. "This is a workshop, not a cave. You need to worry about any messes you make." says the NPC while Zerva raised his brow in silent acceptance while putting on the pieces of clothing meant to protect his clothes and hands.

[Zerva 0]

Zerva listened to the NPC speak to him. It sounded like his job was to first cut jewels into acceptable shapes. "I... don't know the first thing about gem cutting though." At that the NPC laughs in his face again and says "That's why we're teaching you!" Zerva groans softly and strokes his temples a moment before feeling some tools being forced into his hands. A chisel and a hammer. The NPC had placed a rough jewel atop a anvil of sorts, seeming to be the crafting station or something to Zerva. "Just tap away at this pretty emerald and see if you can bring out her true beauty." says the NPC to the hesitant player who steps forward and begins his first job.

[Zerva 0]

Zerva was sure the NPC was just using pretty words to make him think of it as more than it was, putting the chisel in place on the gem and tapping with the hammer to try and chip away the excess. A few taps in he raised a brow as the item seemed to shift shape and color, even glowing slightly. He keeps going, watching the gem take the shape of a beautiful square cut. "Not bad for your first I'd reckon." says the NPC as he snatches up the gem, blowing on it despite the lack of any gemdust before looking it over.

[Zerva 0]

Zerva looked at the merchant NPC and asks while he observes the gem "... Is this all there is to it?" The NPC turns to look towards Zerva and shakes his head. "Not at all. Now you need to make something that we can place this little gem into now." He pockets the jewel for now and takes some silver from another part of the work shop. Once he had the metal the NPC pointed him to the tongs and the furnace "Heat the metal into an ingot first. No point trying to make something with unrefined metal." states the NPC while leaving Zerva to his next task.

[Zerva 0]

Having his directions Zerva moved to the furnace and while using the tongs in order to hold the metal he started heating it within the furnace. Before his eyes the metal began to glow and much like the gem from earlier it changed shape until a metal ingot was in his grip more or less. He withdrew the metal, still hot, and looked to the merchant for his next directions on what it was he needed to do.

[Zerva 0]

Before long he was being called back to the anvil. "Hurry, boy. Before the metal cools." In response to that Zerva nods and heads over with the heated metal, carefully setting it down onto the anvil while looking up at the NPC. The old merchant takes the tongs from him, sets them aside, and returns the hammer from before which he used on the chisel. "Now I need you to tap at this metal, just focus on making a wonderful necklace, alright?" He crosses his arms in wait for him to begin.

[Zerva 0]

Zerva nodded softly to the NPC, a nervous look on his face as he did not fully understand. Was him just thinking of something a enough? He decides to just trial-by-fire it and stars hammering the metal, lighter than a smith would to make a sword. Before long at all the metal changed shape with each tap, making it reform into a silver necklace. It was simple, nothing particularly amazing about it. "Very good." States the NPC who then return the jewel from earlier to him. "Now place this jewel to finish the item up, and you have learned the basics!"

[Zerva 0]

Zerva nodded, having felt that there was a pattern to things, he placed the jewel atop the necklace and started tapping at it as before, watching the metal seem to wrap around the jewel and accept it into its being. When he finished the necklace itself seemed to have become more ornate and special, as well as having the jewel within it. The NPC was swift to snag it and examine the completed work. Zerva watched with wide eyes in wait for his judgement.

[Zerva 0]

The NPC took its time, as if it intentionally held him in suspense. Before long he grinned and closed his hand around the necklace. "I suppose it's passable. Very well, I hereby declare you an Artisan" Zerva practically jumped because just then a pop-up appeared telling him about him being an artisan. It listed a few things like what he could make and work with as well as giving him some city maps that showed available shops on the various floors. Zerva took a moment just to let it sink in.

[Zerva 0]

With the moment passed now he said "Is... that everything I need to know?" He looks to the merchant curiously who shakes his head and appears to go through some NPC windows. A moment later he finds that he has several items added to his inventory. "These are the tools you will be using to make your items, take care of them and they will take care of you." The NPC laughed and said to him while holding out his hand "I'll be taking the clothing and such back now, you can get your own crafted." It took a second for it to click but he supposed the items made him craft better, which is why he had not failed. He nods softly and returns the items, not wanting to risk the system cracking down on him for stealing them.

[Zerva 0]

With his items returned the NPC nods and gestures for him to follow, heading into a box nearby and rustling around with the contents. The NPC takes it's time doing so and then stands up, holding out a package of some kind. "Open this and you will get some starting materials, just to get you going and on your way to being a proper artisan, newbie." The NPC grinned while the words struck deep on Zerva, who took the package and opened it.

Loot Roll

1-9: The package contains three materials.

10-17: The package contains four materials.

18-20: The package contains five materials.

[Zerva 0]

Zerva smiles happily at the five gemstones he found in the package, three rubies, an emerald, and a sapphire. He places them into his inventory without hesitation, happy to accept the little donation. With his materials in hand he said to the NPC, despite it not truly being a person "Thank you very much for the training and items" He smiles to the NPC happily who starts leading him back towards the front of the store.

[Zerva 0]

Once he makes it back to the front with the NPC, he looks to him as if wondering if he had more to say. Right on cue the NPC says to him "I suppose at this point you need to figure out where you are going to set up your shop. Sure, you could always get a new one but you don't want to be too flaky either." He nods and continues "You could start on a low floor and focus on helping the weak, or you could go up as high as you can and supply the stronger players directly. The ones who had more experience and income, if you get my meaning." The NPC winks to him while waiting for Zerva to process that.

[Zerva 0]

After considering the NPC's words he sighs and says "Well, there is a saying... Go big or go home." He nods and says while pointing up. "I guess I am going to the top!" He grins, certain that in a strange way him having a shop on the highest current floor would show he was serious about only going higher.

[Zerva 0]

The NPC nodded to him and said "Right, well you now the way to the teleporter up there. Best of luck to you, hopefully you can gild your pockets enough for what we talked about." The NPC gave him a sly wink and laughs while then being 'distracted' by a NPC who pretended to be buying something, ending the conversation there and leaving Zerva with little other choice than to leave.

[Zerva 0]

As Zerva steps out into the scorching heat of the sun and air once again, he goes through his inventory and checks out his profession pages, getting the research done before he reaches the teleporter. Once there, for the first time in a while, he heads up to the eight floor. For the moment it was the highest one anybody had managed to reach. He walks around the high up village that was Florenthia, still somewhat amazed at how it was all in tree branches. It was now he started scouting around for a new place for him to set up shop!

[Zerva 0]

He spent a few hours exploring the village to see what places he could pick with the help of the maps he had gained. After some time he had managed to find a nice enough building which suited his tastes. With all the shops being in the trunks this made it very easy for him to tag an inn as the one he would regularly visit when not working. He went through the process of claiming the land and then happily muttered to himself "Now it just needs a name..."

QUEST COMPLETE

Col Reward: 1 page = 400 Col

Material Reward: 3 Rubies, 1 Sapphire, 1 Emerald