It was after mid day when I finally roused from my slumber. I stood and stretched, loosening my stiffend muscles. As I glanced out the small window, looking at the position of the sun, I only had a few hours of the day left. I really needed to start moving, as my few copper pieces were not going to last vary long. My first priority was to ensure I could maintain my lodging and meals.
As I headed downstairs, I can see the same bar maid from last night busy working. I chased her down and asked, "Excuse me, but I would like to know if I can possibly rent that room for a week?"
The bar maid looks at me for a long moment, as if trying to remember who I am. Finally she replied, "Rooms are 5 copper a night. if prolonging your stay, you get a small discount of 2 copper a night. Making the room 3 copper a night. If you want to add food and drink. That will be 5 copper a night to include one meal and 2 tankerds of ale each day."
I sat to ponder it for a moment while she continues rushing around me to tend to the other patrons with refills. After paying for the room and meal last night, I currently only had 24 copper pieces.
This pultry sum would only allow me to pay for 4 days of room and board, leaving 4 copper to spare. I made the decision to pay for the extension, then head out to the smithy to look for work.
I wave over the bar maid, and promptly pay for the 4 days, offering up the 20 copper pieces. After my coin pouch substantially lightened, I left the inn in a gloomy state.
After asking a few locals for directions, I slowly made my way to the smithy. Approaching the mouth of the forge, I could see an old dwarf wearing a well weathered leather apron and white cotton shirt. His large beard grayed with age and scorched by flames, making his profession apparent.
I approached the man and greeted him, my smithing guild badge in my hand, "Greetings sir, my name is Matthew. I was hoping to find work at your smithy."
The old dwarf answered with a chuckle, "Ah well met young man, I could use a good hand to help me. I see you are a novice smith, and what better way to get better then by doing? am I right! I'm Andron by the way, but you can call me Andy."
I smile and nod before asking, "where do I start Andy?" I equip my smithing hammer, and it appears in my hand as if being constructed from dim light particles. Seeing this, Andron takes a small step back. while watching in amazement he said, "That is one heck of a trick young man!"
I smile and reply, "It really is! although I don't quite understand it myself, but it definitely has several perks." I unequip my armour, shield and axe. As they slowly disolved in the same light, reappearing in my inventory, leaving me in cotton clothing. "It makes organizing my possessions a lot easier and away from would be thieves." I said after my gear vanished back into my inventory.
Andy didn't question it any further, and ushered me inside to the forging area at the back of his shop. "This is your new work space, and that is the current stack of orders needing to be filled!" Andy said while pointing, a list of items that hung on an oak beam. That beam was used to support the roof of the smithy.
On this list were around 30 items, from daggers and swords, to shields and armour. Each of these items had a quantity beside it. "I do not have enough resources to make even half of that stuff!" I managed to squeak out in shock.
Andy laughed, a deep belly jiggling laugh and then said with a huge smile visible even through his thick beard, "Don't worry about that, there are plenty of extra materials all over this shop to fill all of these orders. That being said, I would recommend you start with the bronze items first. Those items would be easier to smith at your level and if you mess up it's cheaper to replace" he said with a joking tone, pointing to the workbench, "You'll find bronze bars under there"
I nod in understanding, trying to hide my laughter. Before I looked at the list, and taking note of the bronze item to start first. After a brief moment I see the first item I want to forge, a bronze dagger. I grab a bronze bar from under the workbench and place it in the furnace.
Andy, watching me get to work, nods to nobody in particular, then heads up front to a man at the counter. Left to my own devices, I don't delay in starting the process, seeing the bar was already to a workable temperature.
I pull it from the forge with a pair of tongs and start to hammer it into shape. To my amazement after hitting the bar three times it forms a rough dagger like form, but it got to cold to be worked. I use the tongs again, placing the half complete dagger in the furnace then continue the process.
After a couple cycles of heating and hammering, the dagger is complete.
I take the dagger to the workbench, and fashion a fine oak handle. Following the handle I sharpen the blade to have a razors edge. Once it is sharped to my satisfaction, I begin polishing the entire piece to a mirror finish. Once it was completed, I inspected my work.
My system screen appeared with the details and stats of the dagger and over the top of it was a notification "you have successfully crafted a fine bronze dagger (uncommon) (masterwork)"
My eyes bulged in absolute shock. Was this my skill in effect? Was uncommon the highest rarity I could make as a novice? And what about the masterwork? My head was spinning with so many questions.
After a few moments of staring at the notification screen, I finally dismissed it to have a more indepth look at the stats of my dagger I had just made.
Fine bronze dagger (uncommon) (masterwork)
This dagger was hand crafted by a master crafter. It is unlike any bronze dagger on the market, currently.
Damage: 30
Speed: 5
Attributes: Dexterity +5
Special effect: painless. (This blade has been sharped to the point the a slash from this blade will be completely painless)
After seeing the states of this dagger, I actually felt sorry for the poor bastard that would get cut by it. They would not even know what hit them.