[table][row][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/csaNbDM.png[/img][/center][/row] [cell] As Relica entered the barracks after a fey warrior, she was immediately whumped upside the head by the guard. The HUD wobbled about, emphasizing the dizziness that Devon was feeling through the neuro-link. [color=#c4aead]"Agh!"[/color] she shouted. [color=#c4aead]"I'll.. beat you up! Nobody attacks Devon Doralt and... lives to..."[/color] The heavily armored guard eventually picked up Relica and the fey and tossed them unceremoniously outside. She landed on her ass and cursed internally. [i]I'll get them for this,[/i] she thought. [i]They don't know what's coming.[/i] Relica began to plan her revenge. The first thing she needed was better gear. Relica picked herself up and strode away from the barracks in a huff, ignoring the pointed stares and stifled laughter. She pulled up the minimap and made a beeline for the shopping district of Bellview. [hr] The marketing district of town was the busiest area, more so than the slime-occupied grasslands and the beach close by. It was so congested that some of the fae and dwarf players would often get swept up by the tides of people shoving through the paths between buildings, kiosks, and merchant stalls. One squeaky voice would stand out over the roar of new players dazzled by the sights and smells. [color=lightblue]“Get your fresh hot bread! Ignore the scummy armor merchants! Get your fresh hot bread! My mom is young and she bakes well! The white stall next to the bakery, or look for me! Fresh hot bread!”[/color] Angie was quite the popular figure in the district, though for exactly what reason was uncertain. Near the center of the district was a large hollowed out dome made of brick, mud, and stone, overpowering heat and the smell of coal plumed out from every opening. Two brave players would approach the denizen within, the dwarf inside scarred on every inch of his body, slamming away at a strip of steel on his anvil. “Sir, are you a blacksmith?” One of the two asked, a dark elf player that was definitely helmed by a timid player. [color=orange]“Wh’ it loo’ like y’dark’n — qu’ starin’or y’ wann’ b’ somethin’?”[/color] The dwarf’s broken speech was really prominent, players would likely pray to whatever deity existed in this world that not all dwarves spoke in such a way. Relica was still seething from the earlier loss. [color=#c4aead]“I need to get better stuff. It’s because my gear wasn’t good enough that I lost to those guards,”[/color] she muttered to herself. [color=c4aead]“I guess I can go back to killing things…”[/color] She came upon the smoky dome. [color=c4aead]“Ah! That’s one of those… um… ‘smith’ things! Maybe I can get better gear there!”[/color] Relica strolled in with the confidence that only a completely self-unaware person could give off. [color=c4aead]“Hello! I am looking to buy a really good armor piece!”[/color] The fireborn dwarf snapped his beady brown sights over to Relica, a scowl painted plainly across his face. He dropped his hammer and stood from the small stool he sat upon turning to face the player all the while maintaining his expression. [color=orange]“Wh’ th’ do ya’ think I am? M’not gun’ just gif’ye arma f’free. Y’ think I ca’ afford t’ jus’ waste mater’ on ye’?”[/color] The dwarf was missing most of his teeth, many of those remaining were in the back of his mouth. Relica was unfazed by the dwarf’s speech impediment. Devon was used to odd speech. Foreign college students, North Dakotans, and plenty of people with missing teeth for various reasons. [color=c4aead]“I’ll pay.”[/color] She reached into her money pouch and held out 2 copper. [color=c4aead]“Is this enough?”[/color] [color=orange]“Y’ f’saken ******* **** y’ think I a’ y’ th’ **** ********.”[/color] The fireborn dwarf’s profanity painted the one break of immersion in the game, profanity censorship. Of all things, why would they implement such a system? Yeah, kids would be playing this game but the stuff said by live streamers and even media was probably worse right? Nonetheless, the dwarf shook his head and pointed to the anvil and spat out at the girl. [color=orange]“Make’r y’self!”[/color] [code]<>[/code] Relica jumped back in surprise. She still wasn’t used to the game notifications just appearing. [color=c4aead]“Quest? Oh… like the slimes! Hell yeah! I accept!”[/color] The dwarf cut Relica’s excitement off with a disgruntled. [color=orange]“The h’ ye’ talki’ bout? Get’ta anvil!”[/color] His arm extended out to the structure, the blacksmithing hammer placed on the ground right next to it. [color=c4aead]“Alright,”[/color] Relica said. This was good. She could learn how to make armor and hopefully get something out of it too. She scurried over to the anvil and picked up the hammer. It felt rather unwieldy in her hands. [color=c4aead]“What next?”[/color] As Relica picked up the hammer a menu popped up before her eyes, it was a transparent grey with white text placed over it. The menu displayed as follows: [code]Rough Iron Armor Rough Iron Helmet Banded Shield[/code] Relica thought for a moment. [i]I already have a chestplate, even though it’s gross. I think I’ll get a helmet.[/i] She picked the second option. [color=c4aead]“Helmet time.”[/color] As the helm option was selected Relica would find a transparent schematic sitting atop the forge. Slightly above the design was a small list of the materials required to forge it. The dwarf would on cue glance back and state plainly. [color=orange]“Y’ can’ use t’er o’er in th’ sack.”[/color] And then raised his arm with an extended finger to point to the bags of ore behind the girl. [color=c4aead]“Alright. Ore in the sack…”[/color] She walked over and fished out what was identified as iron ore. [color=c4aead]“Got it.”[/color] [color=orange]“Th’wa er’tha waitin’ for? Make’en ye’armor! Slam’en th’metal till’er fits!”[/color] The dwarf again roughly spoke, clenching his fist and smacking it into the palm of his other hand a few times and nodding. Had Devon any workmanship experience, he would have known that the process of smithing was a far more complicated endeavor than hitting the metal into the shape of a helm. Unfortunately, he had taken his elective in percussion, not crafts. And so, with the delight of a child given free reign over bubble wrap, Relica began smacking the ore into the rough shape of a helmet. And what a rough shape it was. A four year-old’s rendition of a play-doh bucket would fit the description of headwear more effectively. When Relica finished, the completed product was akin to a metal pot shaped by a blind man given nothing more than a picture of a pot, a lump of iron, and a hammer. The bucket would quickly snap itself into the shape of a plain looking iron helmet with a visor and everything. It sat on the anvil waiting to be picked up by Relica, and the dwarf simply nodded in approval. [color=orange]“S’good’uf now g’the’el here.”[/color] the blacksmith waved his hand away from the forge, pressuring Relica to leave his hovel. [code]<>[/code] [color=c4aead]“Hold on. How do I make even better things?”[/color] Relica grabbed the helmet and equipped it. The dwarf would scowl once again, grabbing his hammer and throwing it to the girl before pointing at her almost tauntingly. [color=orange]“Git good.”[/color] He shook his head before turning on his bootheels and returning to work. [code]<>[/code] [color=c4aead]“Ahhh! Thank you!”[/color] Relica rushed out of the forge, practically dancing. It was going to be a good day. ...Except for the fact that she had forgotten to turn in the quest. [/cell] [cell][center][color=cyan]Online[/color] [sup][code]DevonDoralt132[/code][/sup] [color=DarkGray][b]Class:[/b] Mage Level: [b]3[/b][/color] [color=tomato]106[/color] // [color=aqua]111[/color] // [color=palegreen]103[/color] [hider=Stats & Info] Body: 3 (+3) Spirit: 10 (+1) Tech: 3 Armor: 3 [sub][u]Equipment[/u]:[/sub] >Basic Staff >Slime-covered Tunic >Rough Iron Helmet >Fireborn Smithing Hammer[/hider] [/center][/cell][/table]