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Post by Admin on Nov 1, 2014 16:49:58 GMT -5
 (22:34:36 ) [PIC] |..Exavier of Minus..| -[within a market shop]- says to ALL: I wander in to the edge of the marketplace, having been some time since I'd visited. I make my way towards the same small forge that I used to use long ago. I find that there is the same owner, Ironsides, that had run it before. I ask him if he would still be agreeable to me renting it out now and then for my purposes, knowing that forging steel in a busy marketplace tended to bring in more customers than in the Exeter Metal Works in another part of the town. I was dressed simply, a grey tunic and grey linen pants, long black hair pulled into a leather tie at the nape of my neck. I carry my favorite hammer in my belt, but knew that Ironsides had some additional equipment available when I needed it. I payed him his customary fee to rent the shop for the next week and then I look around the place. It seemed that he had kept busy in the time that I was gone, but the two indentured servants he had before must have worked enough time to get themselves out of the service of the shop and two new ones were in the small bunk room in the back of the forge. I imagined to myself how uncomfortable it must be to live here all the time. (22:43:44 ) [PIC] |..Exavier of Minus..| -[within a market shop]- says to ALL: Once the transaction of business for the evening was complete I started looking through the different molds that were available here at the small forge. I had an idea of what I wanted to create but I was not quite sure exactly what form that would take. Either way I would need to find an appropriate handle for the blade once I had completed the project. I find an interesting mold among the piles of them, for a ceremonial blade, about 12 inches long once it had a hilt attached. The blade was somewhat wavy, and it seemed that the mold I found was of northern origin as there were flat sides where runes could either be engraved or enameled later. I considered using silver for those but that would be much later in the overall project. Clamping the mold down to the workbench I then strip off my tunic, baring my heavily scarred chest, selecting one of the aprons and sliding it over my head, tying it at my lower back. That complete I search around for the other raw materials I would need to make the steel for the blade. I find some of the coke, the leftover ash that had been burned all the way down, this would be used for the carbon in the steel and I find a iron ingot that looked incredibly pure. I would have to reimburse Ironsides for this later but it would certainly work. I called to the two servant boys in the back room and told them to prepare the forge's fires for me. They begin to fill the furnace with wood and work the billows to get it burning as hot as possible. (22:55:36 ) [PIC] |..Exavier of Minus..| -[within a market shop]- says to ALL: I get out an obsidian trough, that will be used to melt the component ingredients of the steel together. The iron ingot, the carbon base and a few other ingredients that I kept to myself, one of the reasons I'd been successful as a blacksmith on Gor for so long was my ability to make steel that was very strong but yet light and easy to use. In the case of a ceremonial dagger that was not quite as important, but I still went through all the same steps. Once I had everything mixed together I look to see if the fires are burning hot enough. I also pull on a pair of heavy leather gloves. I take hold of the long steel rod protruding from one end of the obsidian trough, it was about 4 feet long. This would give me enough space from the fire so that I would not singe myself too bad. I call to the thrall on the billows, telling him to work them faster, to get more heat coming from the fire. I then use a rake to move the coals around a bit, the air blowing over a certain section making it extremely hot. This is where I set the obsidian trough, which looked much like a ladle, once the steel was formed I could pour it into the mold and allow it to cool, creating the blank for what would be the final blade once everything was done. I slowly begin to rock the ladle back and forth, so that the materials would melt and mix together. The edges of the iron ingot starting to turn soft and then running in silver swirls over the rest of the ingredients. This had to be done very carefully as any imperfection would be borne out into the final product. (23:03:40 ) [PIC] |..Exavier of Minus..| -[within a market shop]- says to ALL: Once the steel has been melted into a slurry that is completely mixed I continue to watch it. I needed for the mix to be a perfect temperature before I started to pour it, it would actually turn from the normal silver color to a slightly orange cast to it. Once I see this I immediately pull the trough from the fires of the furnace and turn towards the mold. I could feel the heat baking from the fires of the furnace and washing over my muscular form. This causes beads of sweat to stand out and drip down over my torso. I very carefully line the spout of the ladle with the hole in the side of the mold. Pouring slowly I fill the mold to the very top, well to where it needs to be filled anyway. I had made just enough steel for this purpose. I then quench the obsidian trough in a bucket of brine next to the furnace, steam billows out and coats my form in a fine mist leaving droplets of salt behind. The steel left over on the obsidian trough would flake off into the brine and would make the cleaning process much easier later. I then just needed to wait for the steel to cool to see how the blank for the dagger came out. (23:18:26 ) [PIC] |..Exavier of Minus..| -[within a market shop]- says to ALL: The steel having cooled I unclamp the mold from the work bench and then pry it open, the blank of the steel ceremonial dagger falls out onto the wooden surface of the table, I look it over, running my hands against it. This would work perfect for my purposes. I now needed to take care of the next few steps, I would save the final sharpening and buffing for when I was done with every part of the blade but I would want to refine the edges and put the hole in it where I would attach the handle at some point with a rivet. I look over the tools I have available and select a pair of steel tongs and a steel punch, setting them within easy reach. I then select one hammer lighter than the one I am carrying for the finer work. Setting the dagger blade into the fires with the tongs I allow it to begin to heat up. Holding the tongs in my right hand and drawing my 10 pound hammer into my left hand. I would need to let the steel heat up for quite some time to get it to the point where I could work with it. The trick was getting it hot enough to make it malleable but not so hot that it started to lose its shape. The steel would actually turn a yellowish orange color when it was just right. I first have heated up the end of the blade that would be inserted into the eventual hilt. I turn back towards the anvil and set the dagger against it, then line up the steel punch and with one resounding blow I knock a hole in the steel of the blade, where the rivet would be placed at some point. I then set the steel back into the fires again, getting the other end heated up to the right temperature. The entire time beads of sweat are rising on my skin and leaving little runnels in the soot that is there. I keep yelling out to the thralls, telling them to keep the fires hot. (23:28:26 ) [PIC] |..Exavier of Minus..| -[within a market shop]- says to ALL: Once the steel is hot enough I pull it back out of the fire, starting with the heavy hammer I begin to refine the edge. I work the hammer back and forth, smoothing out any imperfections or burrs on the surface of the blade from the molding process. Each time the hammer comes down it rings out inside of the small shop, sparks flying everywhere, a rhythmic beating of the hammer against the steel on top of the anvil. It takes me quite a while to finish the work with the heavier hammer. I then look over the blade, it was easy to see where the lighter hammer would come in to play, now the edges were smoothed out but one could still see where the individual hammer strikes had happened. Once finished with this step I quench the steel into the brine, causing another cloud of steam to come up off it. This would harden and reinforce the blade, the quenching process was a very delicate step in making a weapon though and had to be done just right. Once I have finished cooling the blade I put it back into the fires, leaving it there to heat up once again. (23:32:45 ) [PIC] |..Exavier of Minus..| -[within a market shop]- says to ALL: I then repeat the process with the lighter hammer, driving it down against the steel over and over again. In this case, there were many more blows than before, much closer together. I would not want any of the hammer marks left in the final product and though the honing and buffing of the blade would take out minor imperfections it would not work on something like a hammer print. After what would have seemed to the outside observer to be hundreds if not thousands of blows down against the steel I can see that it is finished for now. I quench it a second time, hardening the steel yet again. I then tell the two thralls that I am done for the night and that they can prepare the fires for the rest of the evening. I take the steel out of the quenching vat and look it over. I was happy with the product thus far. I wrap it in a piece of soft leather and place it into my pack. I then take off the apron and gloves, sliding back on my tunic and exiting the forge. |
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Post by Admin on Nov 1, 2014 16:50:18 GMT -5
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Post by Admin on Nov 1, 2014 17:33:31 GMT -5
(17:04:17 )
[PIC]
|..Exavier of Minus..|
==within the Great Hall==
says to ALL: Having been hiding out and relaxing a bit at the cabin that Aviana lent me I was rested and refreshed. I wandered back towards the direction of the Great Hall. I knew the grounds of the Isle well and had no trouble finding it. I was wearing my kurii hide cloak as it was quite cold out tonight. I wondered if anyone would see me and think I was an undersized kurii. I'd taken the pelt from a kurii that nearly killed me when I was saving Ruby's village. I wondered if she was still around, the last I saw of her was when I came for her companionship ceremony and had given her the deed to my cabin out in the wilderness near Scagnar Mountain. It was possible that she had never used it I supposed, the place would have to be nearly falling down by now. I would have to hike out in that direction during my visit to take a look at the old place, so many memories there. As I push the heavy doors of the Great Hall open I find it deserted for the moment which was a bit odd. I push the heavy cloak off my shoulders and slide it over my arm, my huge great axe Vengeance becoming visible strapped across my back. The rune encrusted handle sticking out over my left hip. Well, Jonas did say I was welcome as long as I wanted, I supposed that meant welcome to an empty Great Hall as well.
(17:10:04 )
[PIC]
|..Exavier of Minus..|
==within the Great Hall==
says to ALL: I wander through the hall, thinking of all the times I'd been here in the past, my eyes shift to the chair at the head of the table, owned by Jonas now that Donor was gone. I wondered if he kept the original chair that was there or not. I throw my heavy cloak over one of the chairs next to the long table in the center of the room and then dump my heavy pack onto the surface of the table, it clunks down from the items that are contained within. I unstrap the huge axe from my back and let that settle to the floor at my left side and then hang my helm upon the end of its handle. Undoing the draw strings of my pack I begin to take out a few items. A temwood box that contained all of my carving tools, and a long hunk of sea sleen tusk. The tusk was still rough in shape but it had been cured and was ready to carve into an ivory handle for a dagger that I'd been working on for a few days. I wondered if anyone else would come in, keeping myself somewhat facing the door so that they would not see a stranger sitting at one of the tables when they entered.
(17:18:07 )
[PIC]
|..Exavier of Minus..|
==within the Great Hall==
says to ALL: I begin to search through the different tools that I had available, rubbing the length of ivory between my strong and calloused fingertips. One of the tricks to a good carving was allowing the design to literally form itself out of the piece that you were working with. I started to think about what I wanted this ceremonial dagger to represent, strength and freedom, and I came upon an idea. I would carve my runic animal, the tarn onto the handle of this dagger. I take out a charcoal pencil and begin to slowly draw some designs on the surface of the ivory. I would leave the end where I was going to carve the bird's head for last and would instead focus on the crosshatching that would make up the grip of the handle. Having marked out the general way that the carving would take place I begin to get out tools, a carving knife, small hammer and chisel, a planer and sander. I was very orderly when I was working on a project, setting each tool out in the order in which I would be using it. I was able to put the charcoal pencil down for now, setting it back into the temwood box.
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Post by Admin on Nov 15, 2014 20:42:33 GMT -5
(19:06:47 )
[PIC]
|..Exavier Exeter..|
|..Minus..|
[ Exavier's Villa ]
-At the main villa, guest villa or expansive grounds encircled by a stone wall...-
says to ALL: I was settled in front of the huge fireplace in the villa. It still smelled sweet from last night's dinner preparations and I knew that Synneva was out taking care of other chores around the grounds of the villa. I had the ivory piece that I was working on for the ceremonial dagger that would at some point become the property of Tzi, if I ever saw her again that was. I'd had a bit of inspiration with the whole thing, having sketched out the initial design on the ivory handle and I had begun the process of carving cross hatching into the handle itself. The hilt would end in the head of a tarn, which would be incredibly difficult but not impossible. I also wanted to add some runic inscriptions to the hilt. The blade had already been completed and was sitting on the table as well, it only awaited some acid etching, which was a fun and delicate process, then sharpening and buffing. I could do both at the small forge I rented in the market, or in the much larger forge that I own in the town of Minus. I also had an expansive carving kit set out on the table in front of me. Inside were varying rows of implements used to carve both wood and ivory. Any different shape or sharpness that one could imagine. The tools themselves were made of steel with ivory handles on them, this would allow me to keep a light grip for the delicate work that lay ahead. I'd spent several hours the other day starting to shape the hilt itself, creating a bulb on the end where the tarn's head would be.
(19:12:06 )
[PIC]
|..Exavier Exeter..|
|..Minus..|
[ Exavier's Villa ]
-At the main villa, guest villa or expansive grounds encircled by a stone wall...-
says to ALL: I also had several leather bound tomes stacked along one edge of the table, the covers were written in a language that most of Gor would not even recognize. I'd bought the lot of them from a seer in the far north, he had intimated to me that they held magical powers, and I'd seen the mighty powers of Odin when living in the north so I did pay that comment some attention. In the end, the seer was in desperate need of a trip out of Torvaldsland, something about a bad reading of the runes with some random High Jarl had caused this same High Jarl to want to feed the seer to his sleens. Either way, for a offer of safe passage to anywhere on Gor and with the promise of some coin to help him get on his way he had reluctantly sold me the books. The leather that they were bound in was covered in runic forms as well. I'd learned how to read some of the materials that a shaman or seer would have used in Torvaldsland in all the years I'd been living there. I had one of the books open to a page about midway through it. There were strange inscriptions along the edges of the page and in the center was a rune that was considered to give long lasting future sight. I carefully select one of the tools and begin to carve this rune in the handle of the dagger. Taking great care to transfer the form completely and accurately.
(19:25:57 )
[PIC]
|..Exavier Exeter..|
|..Minus..|
[ Exavier's Villa ]
-At the main villa, guest villa or expansive grounds encircled by a stone wall...-
says to ALL: I set the tool to the side and blow against the ivory piece in my hands, bits of the ivory blow in the wind like little grains of sand, slowly descending down towards my lap and the floor. I could see that the rune was properly inscribed, I set the hilt to the side for a moment and begin to look through the intricate leather bound tome again. Finding the next rune that I wanted to carve, this one was for inner sight, to help the reader see beyond their own corporeal form and into the runes themselves. This knife would be used for ceremonial purposes, to see things that could not be foreseen otherwise. I trace the rune in the book with my fingertip, gazing at it for several long moments before taking up the carving instruments again and beginning with the carving of this particular rune. The runes would fit into the smooth parts of the handle created between the cross hatching that was used to make the handle something that would not slip out of the hand even if it was wet with some sort of fluid. I finish this one and blow on the piece of ivory again, clearing out the spot that I just carved. I drag my fingertip over the inscribed rune, making sure that it is an exact replica of the one in the book.
(19:35:51 )
[PIC]
|..Exavier Exeter..|
|..Minus..|
[ Exavier's Villa ]
-At the main villa, guest villa or expansive grounds encircled by a stone wall...-
says to ALL: I was impressed with how this was working out, I was not much of a carver but I'd learned on some pieces I did about a year ago. It seemed that the shape was becoming more and more apparent all the time. I wanted one more rune for now. I would add additional ones when I acid etched the blade itself. They would look incredible running up the center of the blade. I wanted the rune for wisdom. These runes in the particular esoteric tome that I was using were slightly different and more intricate than ones found in the runes carried by most Rune Priests in the north. More flourish and perhaps more meaning. I find the rune that I am interested in and leave the book open to that page. I select the right carving tools again and go back at it, carving this rune into the handle. This rune completed one side of the handle, I would do two runes on each side. I just needed to formulate what that final rune would be. Wisdom, foresight and inner sight. What would work perfectly as the final one. I begin to leaf through the book, taking extraordinary care with the worn and fragile pages, not wanting to rip them and ruin the power that the book held.
(19:41:59 )
[PIC]
|..Exavier Exeter..|
|..Minus..|
[ Exavier's Villa ]
-At the main villa, guest villa or expansive grounds encircled by a stone wall...-
says to .»«feather on the wind»«: I suddenly come upon the last rune that I want to use, it was apparent to me immediately that this would be the best one. I knew that if Tzi ever took ownership of this dagger that it would bring to her visions that were unlike anything she had experienced before. As she was my ward, I had offered her protection. She was among a village that I had saved over a decade ago from a group of Kurii. My men, the Blood Pack, wandered Torvaldsland hunting and killing kurii. Unfortunately, we arrived to late at Tzi's village, only having the opportunity to save her instead of all of the members. I'd taken her to a safe place after so that she could be raised by Rune Priests. They had evidently taught her well. The last rune would be the one for life force, it would bring this blade to life once it was finished. I could almost feel the power crackling up from the pages as the ancient manuscript falls open to this page. I take in the rune very carefully, making sure that I was going to get it exact. I then begin to carve it into the handle of the dagger with infinite care. If one was watching me they might marvel at how my huge calloused hands could hold both the tools and the ivory handle with such precision. The tip of the carving tool seemed to work its way through the ivory in the same way that a knife would through the throat of a tabuk, slicing away the sections that I did not want. I marveled at how the finished section of the handle looked, it was perfect. I now would need to carve in the head of the tarn that was going to go on the other end. I thought that may be a project for another night though.
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