Touch of Fate

Chapter 173: The Art of Artifice

By the time Mike got back to the dorm, Sera and Tal had gone to bed, leaving him alone in the study. Brenden was still out from the looks of it, but he figured that the beastman might not come back for the rest of the night, at the very least.

[Alright, let's see what I can do in the meantime.]

He broke out the book on Artifice, and began reading through it. The skill seemed like his best bet of creating potent magic items for both himself and his friends. Unfortunately, he could already tell that it was going to be time consuming and expensive to master.

Artifice worked by encoding arcane runes into an object in such a way that they create a magical effect by drawing in ambient mana. As powerful as that sounded, there were several limitations that needed to be overcome before he could really make use of it. The most difficult was, once again, the quality of materials.

Apparently, virtually all forms of matter on Ea had some level of mana conductivity, but only a few substances were usable from a crafting standpoint. Mana cores pulled from dungeon monsters were the most prevalent, with higher grades being more useful than lower. Their involvement in the item crafting industry was the major reason why dungeon delving was such a profitable occupation, despite its dangers.

However, mana cores alone were not enough to create magic items with Artifice. They also required special materials that would assist the runes in forming the intended effect. These could come from a number of sources including monsters, particularly magical plants, mined minerals, and even alchemically crafted goods. The type of material needed depended a great deal on the kind of magic item the user is looking to create. Attempting to use materials that weren't well suited could lead to an unusable item or even a complete failure, wasting the ingredients.

For instance, the Mosswood Deer hide he'd collected as part of a guild request would work well in the creation of items designed to improve stealth skills, but it would be ineffective if used to enhance strength or resist fire.

So it seemed like he would need to first identify what items he wanted to make, research the required materials, acquire them, and finally craft the thing.

[This might be tough.]

However, he was getting ahead of himself. First he needed to acquire the skill itself.

He pulled out a few strips of troll hide he'd pocketed the night after the Tennundian attack. According to Appraise, they could be used in the creation of minor magic items related to healing. He wasn't expecting anything really impressive, but it might be a good place to start. Using a careful application of Fire Magic, he cut the untreated skin into three long strips.

"Now let's see here. It looks like I need to use one of several methods to embed the runes into the object..The most effective is through mana carving, an ability gained by Tier 3 Artificerswell that's not an option for me."

Mike had stated talking to himself unconsciously, and the sound of his voice evidently woke Audra. In a rare act of independence, she flopped out onto the table, sniffed the strange leather strips, and started chewing on one.

Sighing, Mike pulled the troll hide away from the little dragon and then picked her up. "That's not for you."

He set her down on another part of the desk, and figuring that she was hungry, placed a peach-like fruit he'd picked up the market next to her. It didn't take much effort to encourage her to start eating, and the fruit swiftly disappeared into her black hole of a stomach, pit and all. Of course, it wasn't long before she started eyeing the strip of hide again.

With another sigh, Mike passed her the piece she'd already been chewing on, figuring that it would buy him a few minutes of concentration at the very least. Although, watching Audra gnaw on the tough strip of skin was distracting in a different way.

Making himself focus, he continued his reading. The other usable methods involved painting the runes on with a mana infused ink in a manner similar to Scrivening, or carving them in by hand. These options only worked well if the material itself was durable enough to hold the symbols without warping them, which was why most junior artificers working primarily in wood and stone.

Frowning, Mike looked down at the leathery skin he was planning on using. Figuring that this was merely an attempt at acquiring the skill, he decided to roll with it. Taking out a brick of charcoal and a fresh low-grade mana core, he used his alchemy mortar and pestle to grind them into a fine, black powder. Mixing in a little mana-infused water, he broke out his Scrivening pen and prepared to try his hand at Artifice.

According to the book, it was recommended to use a brush when painting runes, which gave expert artificers a finer level of control on the thickness, width, and intensity of certain runes as they related to the finished spell matrix. Frowning once more, he put the pen away, and after scrounging through the study for a while, he came across a neglected calligraphy brush at the back of one of the desk's drawers.

Dipping his newfound writing utensil in the ink, he began painting runes related to healing on the first scrap of troll hide with the aid of his Communication Magic as a translator for his intentions. It was proving to quite difficult. The hide itself refused to remain still long enough for him to make much headway, the brush was hard to control properly, and he was having a tough time maintaining a steady flow of mana to the project.

[Maybe I should go find some kind of stone to work on. At the rate its going, this is going to end up a failure.]

After nearly an hour of painstaking effort, he finished the crude work. A dim flash of mana ran along the painted lines, signaling the item's completion. He'd evidently succeeded despite the difficulties he'd encountered up to this point. However, a quick Appraise showed him the disappointing results.

--------------------------------------------

{Flawed Trollhide Bandage}

Magic Item (Tier 1, Rank 0)

A shoddy creation of an amateur Artificer using the most rudimentary materials. Ordinarily, such an item would assist in the passive healing rate of injuries wrapped by them. However, the poor craftsmanship has drastically reduced the intended effect, making this item effectively useless.

--------------------------------------------

This was just further evidence that the System had a twisted sense of humor. If he ever met its creators, he was going to have a long chat with them about taking their job seriously.

[Hardly an auspicious start. Let's see if I at least unlocked the skill.]

-----------------------------------------------

- Basic Artifice (Tier 2, Rank 1) -

Through a comprehensive mastery of one of the runic languages, the user of this skill is capable of creating rune-inscribed magic items. The effect and potency of these items are directly related to the quality of the composite materials, the skill of the crafter in question, and the synergy of all components working towards the intended effect. Higher levels of skill improve understanding and memorization of runes as they apply to crafting, enhance the potency and efficiency of crafted items, and reduces mana resistance in component materials.

-----------------------------------------------

[Alright, time for try number two.]

Repeating the same process proved simpler, as his understanding of each of the component steps improved dramatically with the successful acquisition of the skill. In a short span of time, he'd completed another of the bandages, and used Appraise in the hopes that his efforts had borne fruit.

-----------------------------------------------

{Trollhide Bandage}

Magic Item (Tier 1, Rank 2)

Created from strips of untreated troll hide, these bandages enhance the natural healing rate of injuries they are used to bind. Moderate increase to the healing rate of covered injury. Can be used for a total of three hours before being expended.

-----------------------------------------------

[Well that worked a little better.] Mike thought distractedly, as his familiar chose that moment to crawl up his arm and nestle into the hollow between his neck and shoulder, curling into a sleeping ball. Apparently, Audra had gotten tired of worrying the hide strip with her jaws, and left it a half-chewed and soggy mess.

Figuring that he would need another base material for his future work, he started brainstorming ideas, before hitting upon a decent one. If the only real requirement is mana conductive material that suited the intended item effect, then wouldn't a magically created material be enough. He now had two methods to achieve that, since Calling Magic could technically be used for this purpose, but he decided to keep it simple and make use of his handy new Earth Magic perk.

After dismissing a few outlandish ideas, he eventually settled on creating a mundane quartz crystal, based on the assumption that it should be relatively easy to make it with Earth Magic. However, he underestimated the mana cost of creation magic, as a single palm-sized stone nearly wiped out his reserves. Apparently, there was some sort of reciprocity involved in magically creating solid or complex structures without the aid of a custom-built chant, something he would have to rectify going forward.

Dismissing these thoughts, he concentrated on his next project. At this point, he just wanted to come up with something easy to improve on his skills. He would leave crafting of truly useful items till later, when he had a more comprehensive understanding of the process.

Settling in for a long night, he got to work.

By the time the sun had risen, he created a small pile of magic items and completely expended his ink making supplies. The fatigue had definitely built up despite his regeneration, leaving him with a pinched feeling between the temples. Mostly on impulse, he tried a quick application of healing magic, only to be surprised when the mild discomfort vanished entirely. In fact he felt refreshed, as if he'd had a restful night of sleep.

[Is this the result of Tier 4 Healing Magic? Regardless, it looks like sleep has now become optional for me. I suppose I should feel grateful for the extra time, but it still seems strange to contemplate a life without the need for rest. Oh well, I have more important things to worry about at the moment.]

He used a quick application of Lifestyle Magic to provide him the equivalent of a morning shower, before looking over his new creations. Three rune-painted crystals sat next to twelve rolled scrolls. Finally, there was his prize creation, the one that took the longest to create.

[A good start, but I'm going to need to do some serious practice to make something truly useful. Something to work towards tonight, I suppose.]

----------------------------

{Lantern Crystal} x 3

Magic Item (Tier 1, Rank 3)

A rune painted crystal which can emit a soft light on command. If broken, this item will unleash the encoded light spell in a burst, creating an intense flash of brilliance.

-----------------------------

{Scroll of Restoring Touch} x 3

Magic Item (Tier 2, Rank 1)

A scroll of the Restoring Touch spell. It can be used to heal the injuries of the targeted creature, and will cleanse them of any diseases or poisons. Due to the low quality of the materials used in its creation, the potency of the effect is reduced, lowering its rank from 3.

---------------------------

{Scroll of Earthen Barricade} x 3

Magic Item (Tier 1, Rank 3)

A scroll of the Earthen Barricade spell. It can be used to create permanent walls of hardened earth in the location of the caster's choosing.

----------------------------

{Scroll of Air Shield} x 3

Magic Item (Tier 1, Rank 3)

A scroll of the Air Shield spell. It can be used to create a protective sphere of hardened wind, that will defend the user from harmful forces. Attacks of sufficient strength can break through this protection, and attacks of a non-physical nature can bypass it completely.

----------------------------

{Scroll of Water Whip} x 3

Magic Item (Tier 1, Rank 4)

A scroll of the Water Whip spell. It can be used to create a pool of water that can serve as a blunt pseudopod like appendage that moves according to the caster's will.

---------------------------

The final item had been his attempt to create a one-time use magic item that functioned as a modified Calling Spell. He'd made a few attempts at using the spell itself it on objects, and the principle seemed sound. The only thing left to do was try it out when he got a chance, and when a wiling test subject.

His hope was that it could serve as a sort of emergency fail safe for his party members, but he hadn't quite worked out the details. Anyway, it seemed like he was on the right track.

---------------------------

{Blood Borne Sphere of Calling}

Magic Item (Tier 2, Rank 4)

This rune-marked glass sphere creates a calling bond with the first living creature whose blood is smeared upon in sufficient quantities. At any point from then on, the sphere may be smashed to trigger the spell effect, summoning the bonded creature to the site of its destruction. Once bonded for the first time, no other bond may be formed with this individual sphere. Creatures with sufficiently high Willpower can resist the effect. The spell will fail if the target is too far away from the point of destruction.

---------------------------

[Oh well. Worst case scenario, I can use it to bring Red into a fight when I need him..... Why do I have a strange sense of accomplishment about this idea?]