This is a placeholder for the new thread of Magnus, GMed by Tadeusz.  :)

In reply to Tadeusz (msg # 1):

Your trainer has been pointing out the use of being always aware of your surroundings in your dojo.  And you got a gift of a new cel phone, with Scriff Inside!

So, when  you walked into the dojo in your street clothes, you weren't totally surprised when a couple of your fellow students ambushed you.  You ducked the first attack as they leapt out screaming "Kiai!!", but the second punch to your chest landed.

You were dismayed as they were when they heard a 'Crunch' from your chest as your new cel phone bit the dust.

"Ah, sorry, man, ahhhh...."

You were surprised. Really shocked one might say, when arcs of lightning jumped from your jacket pocket, and then exploded all about you so that you stood in a wall of white...

==============

A rock is digging in your back.  A bird is chirping.  The sun is on your face.  You feel fine.

Edit. OOC: Sorry it took so long to get started, Magnus. My bad.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:37, Tue 01 Nov 2016.

I'll get up and look around.

Great,there goes a lot of money down the drain. It's going to take me another month or two to save enough for another one

OOC: No problem.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:59, Tue 01 Nov 2016.

You're in a half acre, high mountain meadow with peaks to your left, and a descent to a jungle to your right.  Three peaks over to your left is a truly grand mountain, snow-capped and shiny beautifully in the clear air under the faintly green-tinged light of the yellow sun.

The mountain you're on is perhaps four thousand feet high, and you're halfway up it.  A pair of hawks spiral in the air in the distance.

My thought process temporally ceases as I take In the Sight of the Mountains.

What.

After a bit It restarts.

What is going on here? I was knocked out by the electricity in my phone... But there shouldn't be enough power in my phone to do that... Even if that is the Case, The people at my Dojo would have taken me to a hospitable instead of taking me to the middle of nowhere with only the cloths on me back. Maybe I can see some thing from the top of this mountain. Wait Jungle? Then That means I'm nowhere near home.

I'll take my surroundings in. Then Climb the mountain I am on to get a better look around.
Do I see any signs of civilization?

Its a challenging climb.  While it requires no face against the rock time, it does have a fair bit of sixty degree twenty foot or so slopes so its an hour and a half later, you guess by the time you're up on top.  And your fingers are nicked in a few places.

+@1 Climbing.

Once atop, you look.  This and the next mountain over, on the far side is a wooden trestle bridge over a thousand foot deep valley.  Rails shine in the sun, glinting back at you.

Far across the jungle, toward the horizon, you see what could be city buildings.

From behind you, a great way off you hear 'Raghugklicraguh!!!" It is a roar of such volume, and peculiar nature that your hair stands on end.  Spinning about you see nothing, but the sound seems to have come from a mountain farther away.

Yeah... I don't want to find out what that is.

I'll head as directly as I can to those buildings that I see.

Heading down the mountain is actually harder than going up, until you reach the last thousand feet where it becomes less steep.  Entering the jungle, you quickly find a path that seems to lead in the direction you want to go.

You've gone for an hour when a drenching rain forces you to find shelter under the leaves of a fern tree? which is all well and good, but there is another in the shelter.  He has a wooden spear, green cateyes, khaki pants, and cheetah spotted fur all over his body with odd shaped ears on the top of his head.

I can't help but stare at him.

Wait what...there is a guy With cheetah eyes, ears and fur. Ok. I am not drunk or dreaming because I'm thinking too clearly.  Virtual Reality... to advance. I actually feel like I am here. Ok maybe he just has extensive body modification...Well that is no reason to be rude.

"Hello sir."

Does he have a tail too?
This message was last edited by the player at 14:44, Mon 07 Nov 2016.

He stares at you.

His tail flicks.

He stares consideringly at you.

"Hello, Human. Not many of your kind in the Southern Jungle."  His voice is contrabass.

Ok. That tail moves too realistically. There is no way I can justify this with our current science. Something really weird is going on.

"I suspect that I was placed here. I was in my home city about to go to my martial arts class. Then my phone shocks me and knocks me out. When I wake up I'm on that mountain over there. I don't have a clue about what is going on and I don't have the tools or skills to survive in a jungle. "

"Strange words, even for a Human.  Perhaps magic.  When the rain ends, I will take you to my village, and let you speak to Old Tom." He pauses. "Or you can climb your mountain, and go find the railroad men."

He shrugs with a ripple, and then ignores you.  The rain comes down for a while.

"...I will go with you when the rain ends. Thank you for you help."

In reply to Magnus (msg # 13):

He ignores you.  Its not offensive seeming in the way with normal folk because you're starting to think he doesn't think like normal aka Humans do.  The rain stops, and you're startled to realize he's already moving.  There's no gathering himself to move, even a curt word, he's just up and going.

You scramble after him, and he leads you through the jungle by a path.  Several times he has to wait for you.  The second time, he's snoozing on a tree branch when you catch up to him.

He gives you a darkly inscrutable glance that makes you somehow feel inadequate.

An hour later, and you enter a maze of thickly intertwined trees dotted with small holes in the branches.  He calls out, and an old cat comes out of one of the holes.  There is some hissing and spitting, and then your guide wanders off and falls asleep on a rock laying on one of the branches.

Old Tom jumps down fifteen feet, looking kind of stiff.

"Human."

OOC: Yes, I have cats.

"Greetings Old Tom.
Apparently your friend there thought you should hear my story.

I was in my home city and when to my martial arts class. My classmates ambushed me at the door. They broke my cellphone in the struggle, which somehow shocked me enough to knock me out. I woke up in your jungle with no clue how I got here."

In reply to Magnus (msg # 15):

"Friend?" He sniffs.  "I tolerate the young rascal. But I am old and have seen many things, and talked to many races, and scented many trails."

He sniffs, and then comes closer, and well into your personal space, and sniffs several times.

"I have never smelled many of your smells." His tail lashes back and forth as he steps back.  "You are Human, not Orc, or Dwarf, and yet so strange.  I suspect the working of a man of wands.  Did you step upon a golden tinted rainbow?"

He's talking about orcs and dwarfs as if they are a real thing. I am not surprised, he looks like one of those cat people from Magic the Gathering.

"I guess not. But I'm not sure exactly what you are talking about. My phone did have something called scriff in it. Apparently it is a golden metallic liquid.

...What do you mean by 'Men of Wands'? Is there magic here or something? "

He pauses, and looks away, clearly thinking, and then turns to you. "No."

"The makers of wands.  The greater magicians who create firestaffs that lesser magicians can use."  He licks his nose.  "Magic? Yes.'

"... I have never seen magic. There is none where I come from. Only Technology. "

"We used to only have Magic, now we have both, and indeed some merge them, like with the Iron Dragons, railroad engines that are captured dragons transformed into railroad engines."

"Are the Dragons sentient? Otherwise that sounds unpleasant for them.

What could the Old Magic do?"

"No, the dragons are beasts. Voracious, angry, territorial to a degree.  They have learned to avoid concentrations of the Races as some can fight them off, and for others, well, we bring vengeance to the dragons.  The wandmakers can shoot fire, and turn dragons, but the Old Magic, ah, the Tower of the Wands is the tallest building in the world, and the Golden Bridge allows one to walk from the New World to the Old World in one day.  By ship it would take maybe four or seven days.  And far to the North near Blufeld is, I hear, the Square of Being. One steps there, and arrives in the Old World, or back.  But some say they have weird dark dreams from the step.  It is said that the dragons were made by the old magi, who wanted an intelligent race, but it failed."

"That sounds amazing. Do you know Old Magic?"
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 01:12, Tue 15 Nov 2016.

He stares at you for a long second.

"I do not know any magic, much less the magery which could allow such wonders.  That said, it occurs to me that I'm helping you.  There's a rod and reel down by the creek. Catch me a fish if you want more answers."

He points off with his tail in the direction, and leaps back up into the tree.  You realize you've astounded him with your question.

"Ok. I'm not very good at fishing. But I'll give it a shot."

I'll go where he indicated and fish for a while. I know the basics. Bait the line, cast it near the middle and wait while keeping the line still. Then when you feel a tug on the line, jerk it to set the hook and reel it in.

Let see how I do.

The path to the creek is a mud path that leads down to a clay bank of a ten foot wide creek.  It and you are overshadowed by dense vegetation so that its like being in a dimly lit room.  Tossing the line out, after you stick a beetle to the hook yields a three inch fish after four minutes.

Trying again is nothing for a good bit, and you wonder if you've used up your beginner's luck when you yank up and see a ten inch long gleaming purple and orange scaled fish get yanked from the water.  For a second you  think you've lost him, but then its on shore.

Old Tom tosses the three incher away and a young cat dives on it, but then he settles himself down with a smile to the other.  He will hear no questions until he's done, and then he burps, and nods.

"Ok, Human."

1@3 rod and reel fishing.

After he finishes eating
"You mentioned other races. What is your race called and what other races do you know of?"

"We are the Catmen, or Catfolk, or 'Riishhs' " and the last sounds like something a human voice would have difficulty with. "There are Humans, who are most common, and the Elves in their greenwoods, the Dwarves, and less common, the Orc, and the least common the Trolls here in the New World and the Olde World.  We have fought some with the Dwarves in the nearby mountains, but mostly not as we neither like the other's lands.  There are Orc Pirates at times who trouble our ports, when they are not being good merchants, but that little matters to us here, in the deep jungle.  Only city cats care for that.'

"Do the humans or other racing s have people who teach magic? "

"Some of the Humans, more in the Olde World, I hear, and the Elves."

"Ok, I am obviously not from here... Somehow. Is there anything I should know that we haven't discussed? Or any warnings I should know about?"

He licks his claws.

"Urrmmm. Well, there are a lot of poisonous snakes in the jungle.  We kill any near our villages, but there is a lot of jungle.  Do you have a snakekiller?"

After you answer, he gets up and climbs into a hollow tree, and comes back with a corked glass bottle which he gives you.

"If its got stripes or diamonds, drink this.  If its solid yellow. Don't."

"No, I don't have any weapons."

After he gives me the bottle.

"Thank you. Hopefully I'll get to the other humans before I get killed and eaten. Or poisoned. Or something ..."

If Old Tom and the Catfolk have nothing else to say, I'll start walking to where I seen the civilization before.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 34):

You walk out into the jungle, suspecting that the Catfolk were even now taking bets on how far you got before you were killed.  The jungle is thick, but there are a fair number of paths.  Some of the paths wind back upon each other, and you find that you need to have some way of staying on target in the deep jungle.

But you're making progress, and then about five hours later, after a ten minute drench, you feel a twinge on your right foot.  A gentle step, and you realize you're developing a blister.

In the wake of the rain, the ground steams, and a heavy fog winds between the trees and vines.

I'll continue though stubborn will. The sun should stay in relatively the same direction. So if I use that I should generally head in the right Direction.

Another couple hours and the blister pops.  You continue on, until nightfall which is quite sudden.  The small clear spot under the wide leaves with your back to the thick trunk is rocky, and nervously near the game path, but its very dark out....

... I could Try to sleep in a tree. but I don't have any rope to secure myself... and I don't have any tools to make a shelter.. . I guess I'll just have to sleep lightly.

I'll sit down and rest with my back to the tree. I'll sleep lightly with the proverbial one eye open. I'll keep my pocket knife open and in my hand.

You spend an uneasy night, and spot a half-dozen bites when the sun is up.  Weary, you stagger to your feet, stepping off to the side in an early morning stagger, when you feel your feet go out from under you.

Quicksand!

Just a few feet from the trail and from your 'hotel room', and you're up to your knees already.

I remain calm. Moving around will cause me to sink faster.

Do I spot any vines or limbs I could use to pull myself out?

The branches of the tree you rested on are right above you.  A careful stretch as you slowly sink, and a leaf is in hand.  You trace it back to the branch, and then pulling lightly to a larger branch, and then to the one that comes directly from the tree.  With that, you struggle to pull yourself free, as by that time you are halfway up the thighs.

Its struggle, and struggle, and grunt and pull, and all the time having to stay calm, and not let your fear or anger get the best of you.  Finally, a half hour later after the early morning start, and you're out.

Your legs are caked with light tan mud.

+@1 Willpower due to this and yesterday's struggles.

Before I start walking, I'll select a straight sapling and cut it down with my knife. I'll strip the branches off of it, cut it to be the size of a spear and sharpen the end into a point. I'll have the point slightly off center so that the tip is made of the hard structural wood instead of the soft wood in the center of the plant.

Once I have that made I'll continue walking. Using the unsharpened end as a walking stick.

The walking stick helps as you struggle onward through the steam bath of early morning in the jungle.  And when you spot a snake sunbathing, it drives the solid yellow thing off without too much hassle.

And then you come up on a lookout, not realizing you'd been gently climbing.  Another Catfolk village wide tree is in front of you, and one of them spots you, yawns, and ambles off.

You're able from the lookout over a brown dirt cliff face to get a good view of the jungle.  In the day and a half you've come about a third of the way from the mountains to the city.

I'll rest a little bit at the Catfolk lookout then go on my way. (I would only stay about a  minute or two to catch my breath.)

"This is going to be a long walk..."

On the way I'll look out for fruit that I could possibly eat. I'll keep an eye on what kind of animals are eating them.

A bright blue fruit in a tall green palm tree like frond is much appreciated by small monkeys.  A couple birds squabble over some red berries from a bush.  A black, sticky thing like an overgrown boysenberry hangs from trees.  It is guarded by sticky fronds hanging down past it.

You've travelled much of the day, found a water pool to refresh yourself, and find your feet toughening just a bit.

I'll try to get the fruit that the monkeys are working on down. First I'll consider how one would climb a palm tree. I climbed tree when I was a kid but there was branches to grab on to. I should be able to hold myself up with my legs and my boots should catch in the bark so I can push myself up.

I've climbed up a rope with my arms and legs before so I have enough strength to pull myself up.

Palm trees usually bend as they get taller. So I'll select the side that will end up on top to climb up on.

"I hope this is worth it."

If I live though that I would probably also shoo away the birds to get at the berries. By throwing my spear at the birds to try to hit one. If I hit one I got a Bird I need to cook and berries. If I missed I probably scared them off.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 46):

You clamber up the green stem, digging in, with your heels as the monkeys watch you curiously.  The berries are tart and juicy.

The red berries are tart and bitter, and you miss the bird by three inches, but succeed in frightening them off, but ten minutes later you throw up, tasting bitter fruit in your mouth.

How was the Bright blue fruit on the top of the tree that I have to scare the monkeys off of?

Well great. I hope I had enough time to digest the other fruit before I threw up.

I'll continue. Keeping an eye on my surroundings.

The bright, blue fruit was tart and juicy, and you had an hour in between them and the berries.

In the middle of the next night, shortly after hearing something like a woodpecker, something heavy jumps from a tree near yours to your tree, making the whole mass shiver, and for a moment you're looking up into wide spaced yellow eyes, and then its gone with another shake of the tree.  Waking up in the morning, you see some trees near you that have bite marks on them.  It seems whatever that thing was, it was a herbivore.

Another three hours, and you walk onto a wider path, and a few more miles, and you see a man working on railroad repair alongside the path.  The rail line just ends with no fuss.  Beyond this, say five miles away, you see white blocks of low buildings that is the city.

... I can't wait to get back to civilization.

I feel glad at being able to see the city. I'll walk along the railroad tracks and into the city. I'll look around the city to see what I can find.

The buildings are whitewashed blocks, and the air is very warm, but cooled by the salty sea breeze. The roadways are white sand, and wide.  You can see palm trees in the backyards of some buildings.

 Most of the buildings are one story, but some rise as high as three.  Most of them have little tripod towers with widely spaced hammock like steps which lead up to a crow's nest.  In some of the nests you see a lounging Catman peering down on the city, or you.

In the streets, you see Catmen pass each other, but very widely.  And then as you come around one corner, you see four Humans laughing as they walk with each other, all of them carrying sledgehammers.

OOC: Sorry about missing time.

I'll talk to the four humans.

"Excuse me. I'm new around here. Could you recommend any jobs around here?"

In reply to Magnus (msg # 52):

They take a long look at you, and shake their head in sympathy at you tattered and beaten appearance.  They are sailors on the Bounty and could use some Human help as Catfolk make poor sailors.  Or the railroad might be hiring.  Or you could hire to be the Mouse in the Nightly Fake Hunt.

"I'm not much for running. Do I need to just go to the docks to talk to the sailors or do I need to go talk to someone special? "

In reply to Magnus (msg # 54):

they tell you how to get to the docks.  once you arrive,, you can explore the area, But  the two closes ships  are  the  Bounty andthe smaller  one mast SeaSwallow.  the

...I am in another world. Those Catfolk prove that. I need to find a job and food... No one will look for me in my homeworld and no one can reach me here. I guess I should go to those mages to see if their magic is real...

I'll go to the Bounty. And talk to someone.
"I've heard that you are hiring. Is this true?"

A tough looking bewhiskered oldster takes you to a younger man with a muttonchop beard and a trim blue jacket.

"First mate Alderson" he peers at you. "Skills?"

Seagulls cry overhead as the wood two master jostles by the dock making t he rope creak.

"My name is Eli Bumbalough... I've never been a sailor before. But I am strong and willing to learn. I'm also good with math. What skills are you looking for?"

"Its hard and dangerous work.  You look fit enough, but how is your head for heights."  He nods toward the  addingrest fifty foot tall mast.  "If you can  gettto thecrows nest, i will check your addition angGeo'm etry."

"I don't care for heights. But as long as there is hand holds I should be fine."

There should be some rigging with cross bars of rope. Hopefully that will get me up to the crow's nest.
As I climb I do what I usually do when I am faced with heights. I put it out of my mind and do what I am up here to do so that I don't get too scared. I've used this method for years to deal with my fear of hights while I did my job on a ladder.

The wooden crossbars are not up to US safety regulations, and the mast sways back and forth, but with focus and cautien you get it done.  Up top, the clear blue of the harbor, the crashing waves far off at the breakline, the rainbow glimmers of fish in the waters, and the rim of beach backed by darker green jungle is astonishingly beautiful.

Getting down is a bit easier, and First Mate Alders nods.

"You're now an able-bodied sailor in training.  Pay is ten silver a month."  He turns to the older man.  "Johnny, get him a set of clothes, and assign him a hammock."

This is done, and you're told that the ship leaves early tommorrow morning on the tide.

Well at least I have a job and presumably food.

I'll follow johnny to get some new cloths. After that I'll ask him
"Can I get some food? I just walked out of the jungle."

"We will get you fixed up." He takes you to a nearby tavern that has a sign that says 'no fish', and inside it grows quiet, until Johnny introduces you as a new sailor.  Then you're welcomed by crowd of Men and Catfolk.

"You will be tired of fish, so..." He orders from the landlord a 'large bowl of stew, hot biscuits with jam, a smallbeer for the youngun, and a red wine for meself. Put it on the ship tab.'

Its roastbeef and dark gravy and veggie stew, and buttermilk biscuits fresh from the oven with a tart yellow jam.  While you eat, he nurses his wine.  "Eat hardy, but eat slow.  Let yer stomach get accustomed."

Off in the corner, a man starts playing the flute which gets feet stomping, and lines about all the different ways a sailor dies, including getting a 'hug from a kraken'.  Its morbid, but sang with laughter and gusto.

I'll follow his direction about eating slow, Enjoying the food at I go. I'll also listen to the song.

Afterward, I'll go to the hammock on the ship.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:12, Fri 20 Jan 2017.

The next day is full of new experiences, many of them bewildering as you get alternately cursed at for being in the way, or not doing something some sailor thought was obvious, and having the first and second mate patiently explain things.  You fall into your hammock way too late, and rise aching.

I'll endure through the training and learn what I need to know to be a sailor..

The days pass, and your sea legs.  Your hands get blistered, and then calloused.  You find yourself being pushed hard, and after a month, you end the day, and you're not that tired.

By now, you can climb a rigging quickly, spot a crying seagull in seconds, and tie four different knots in the middle of the night with no sleep in the rain.  You're lighter on your feet, your muscles are more sound, and your skin is tanned.

First Mate Alderson comes to you.
o
He hands you a bright green seashell on a necklace of leather as you've seen other sailors wear.

The crew gathers around.

I'll accept the sea shell and smile. Putting it on.

I would guess there is a ceremony or something. But I don't know or do I?

Anyway for now I'll go with the flow.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 68):

You don't.

They want you to climb the mast with a rope, and jump for the water.

I see. A test of bravery. Assuming that the rope is long enough this probably wont kill me. And assuming that I make the dive out to the water. Because hitting the wood deck would kill me. Hitting the water wrong might also kill me. Heh I've always craved adventure and excitement. Let's get used to it.

I'll climb up the mast with an appropriate amount of rope. Then I'll dive into the ocean. Making sure I jump out enough to miss the deck.

Your stomach churns as you climb, and your hands tremble as you stand, and the world spins as you stiffly clamber out to outside of the low wall of the crow's nest.  Once here, you see the  helmsman has put the ship sideways to the waves so that the mast goes back and forth quite a bit, and out over the water.

Not thinking, you jump, and take a deep breath.  The water smacks you hard, driving the air from your lu,ngs, and stinging despite your clothes.  You startTto swim up,pulling on the rope, when  two sailors come alongside you to carry you up, and to the ship.

nd The Captain gives you a new set of clothing, and the first mate a small knife.   The rest of the crew gives you small gifts or carved trinkets of wood, or fish hooks made of fish bone and such.

Plus @1 to Willpower.

I'll celebrate with them and go with the flow. I am a bit proud of myself for doing that jump. I'll be listening for stories about the world I am in.

Most of the stories start as tales of their own Monthjumps, with many like yours, but you hear of one man who as he dove, saw a kraken surfacing.

"Luckily, he thought of me as too small a bite for him, and e'en more, that he didna seize on the ship, which was the Marie of Yonder Island."  This brings up talk of good ships, unlucky ships, and harsh masters, and fair and generous captains.

There is talk of pirates, and of kraken and sea snakes, and the Mages of the Ancient Times who could do most anything, and that brings up the Mage of the Southern Seas which the men swear has a mobile island hidden in the fogs.

"He's the last of his kind, not elf, not dwarf, not Man, nor catfolk, nor orc, nor troll.  He can call up a typhoon by snapping his fingers, and ride the lightning.  But I've never seen him, few do these days."

"I wonder what it would be like to meet the Mage of the Southern Seas... Are there other mages that you know about?

In reply to Magnus (msg # 74):

There araest  stories.

In reply to Tadeusz (msg # 75):

??? Was there meant to be more?
Do I need to add more to my previous post?

My old computer is dead-ish, and my Kindle is malfing.  Happily, late this week, I get another computer.  Right now, I'm using a son's computer, which is a bit finicky for typing.

So....

There are stories, but they are vague legends of the Ancient Times of the High Age of Magic when Humans clustered in coastal villages, and tried not to offend the Elflords, or the Earthmasters, whether Orc or Dwarf.  But the Scholars in the College of Magic might know more, and since you were headed there, to the Guild of Mages, the Wand Tower, its something you might want to check out.

Three days later, and you arrive in Ourian, a large, and old, stone city thyt has been ruled by several different empires over the past two millenia.  The stone pier you stand on has the faces of its statues worn off by wind and rain.

OOC: Sorry to hear about your computer. It sucks when your computer dies on you.

Was this the city they where referring to woth the Guild of Mages and the College of Magic?

If so, I would go and explore the city ato see if I can find the College of Magic. As I explore I would keep an eye out for Mages doing their thing. If I found the College, I would check to see if there is a Public Library. Of there is I would look through the books to see if there is are history books or books on basic magic.

Near the city center, you see a ten story circular tower of stone piercing a five acre span grass with flower beds and benches.  Walking past the relaxing people you get close to the Wand Tower, and see a low wall with a gate, and a pair of guards with halberds crossed barring the way into the inner court of paved marble, dotted with dark cloaked figures.

I'll walk up to the guards and ask.
"How does one join the Mages Guild and get into the College? "

With a bored look one of opens a case, hands you a thick pencil and a paper full of questions, and directs you to a nearby bench.  You take it, a bit worried, and sit down.  But the problems are easy for you, and you quickly finish.

The first guard smirks slightly when you come back.  He checks your responses, and his eyebrows start rising as he keeps marking them correct.

"Um, wait right here, sir."  The other guard gives him a weird look.  Five minutes later, he comes back with a young mage with a harrassed look.

The mage asks you some similar questions, and you them.

"Sorry, I had to check if you were cheating some how.  Every year or so, some clever thief thinks to get himself invited in. Come in."  And it feels as if a pressure you had not noticed is gone from in front of you, and you walk into the paved area around the Wand Tower.

"My name is Sid."

"We need to test you for magic potential."

With a bored look one of opens a case, hands you a thick pencil and a paper full of questions, and directs you to a nearby bench.  You take it, a bit worried, and sit down.  But the problems are easy for you, and you quickly finish.

The first guard smirks slightly when you come back.  He checks your responses, and his eyebrows start rising as he keeps marking them correct.

"Um, wait right here, sir."  The other guard gives him a weird look.  Five minutes later, he comes back with a young mage with a harrassed look.

The mage asks you some similar questions, and you them.

"Sorry, I had to check if you were cheating some how.  Every year or so, some clever thief thinks to get himself invited in. Come in."  And it feels as if a pressure you had not noticed is gone from in front of you, and you walk into the paved area around the Wand Tower.

"My name is Sid."

"We need to test you for magic potential."

Out of curiosity. What kind of questions where they? I assume some simple algebra problems.

I'll ask Sid
"How do you test for magical potential? "

In reply to Magnus (msg # 83):

Algebra, basic science, percentages in word problems, simple logic problems, and such.

"Inside the Testing Chamber."  He leads you into a marble lined hallway guarded metaphorically by two large stone dragons, and four guards less metaphorically.  He gets keys from one of them, and takes you down the right hallway.  Its clean, but dimly lit, and then to a locked chamber on the right.

Inside is worked gold leaf walls with dozens of pictures in them.  In the middle of the room is a small wooden table with a stone on it.

"Lift the stone."  He says after locking the door behind him.

I'll go over and pick up the stone. I assume it is small enought that I think I can do it.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 85):

Its about fist sized, so yes.  It hums when you touch it, and it hums louder as you strain to move it.  But no movement happens.

Does it sound like an electrical hum? Does the table look like it could contain a electromagnet?

I'll try holding it with cloth st that I am not touching it directly.

Can I push it to change it's orientation?

Hmmm... There has to be some trick to that. A fist sized rock shouldn't be too heavy for me to lift.

Yes, kinda.

The table is too thin and small for that.

You're able to move it around, and flip it over as long as one part touches the table.  It moves stiffly.

Do I feel anything odd when I touch the rock? Can I roll it on to a cloth?
Can I roll it onto my hand? Can I roll it off the Table?

Wait a minute. Can I just lift everything, table and stone?"

If that doesn't work, I'll ask Sid
"Is there anything you can tell me about this rock?"

You lift table and stone into the air, and feel a moment of swelling triumph.

Sid walks in.

"The thing is, anyone can learn magic.
We want the educated, disciplined, and creative thinkers.  You and everyone else has the potential for magic, and that is why we think the Old Mages went away because they saw the world getting soaked in High Magik, and what happens when everyone can command storms?"

He waits for you to answer.

"At least that is our working theory.  You are admitted to the Wand of Towers as a student.  As such, we will provide two robes.  One silver piece a week. Food and board.  You will work four hours each day on maintenance.  Learn to love your scrub brush.  After that, you will work for a mage as a Holder of Things.  At first, they won't even trust you to pour water.  Then four hours of General Studies.  Then an hour of Magical Theory.  You will have two hours free each day, but most students use them to catch up on what they missed doing in other areas, or on lucky days with sleep."

He raises an eyebrow which looks funny on someone a number of years younger than you.
"Still interested, or has a burst of common sense overtaken you, and you are ready to flee screaming?"

I put my hand to my chin and think a moment apout his first question. I remember all my years of roleplaying and what usually happens when I play some variety of mage. My thought process naturally looks for the quickest, simplest and most direct solution to all problems it is presented with. Magic short circuits this process because Magic generally IS the quickest, simplest and most direct solution to all problems. I would argue that it is elegant in its simplicity but most games and GMs dislike that way of thinking. Calling it Hubris or somesuch. I also think of how bad the fighting would be if everyone can impose their will on reality like that.

I answer him
"Everyone would become lazy with that power and use it like a hammer to smash all of their problems. And they would fight each other constantly, trying to impose their will onto reality."

I listen to what I'll have to do.

"That doesn't sound too bad. When can I start?"

He nods thoughtfully.

"That is what we think."

And after your second reply, he just shakes his head.

At the end of your first week, you're fingers are blistered from scrubbing the floor, and holding water buckets for hours without moving your fingers.  And your robes don't fit that well. Instead of going down to the ankle, they go down to the knee.

The Mage Albertius, whom you assist, along with four other Holders, and two Trainees, and one Apprentice is a fascinating guy with a wagging, pointed beard, and a sharp,pointed explanation of why he was doing something that he occassionally tosses out.  He is very precisely inscribing with purple chalk, certain circles that cross at mathematically precise locations with other circles with penmanship that is flawless.

Your previous studies serve you well in the classes on Fauna, Botany, Geometry, and Penmanship which last is a bit harder.  It seems Magic requires beautiful handwriting so as there to be no mistake made in the casting.

The Magic Theory teacher drones, and uses big words, and most of the students are as baffled as you are.

As the new guy, with the mis-sorted robes, you find yourself the object of pranks a couple times.  These are not magical, but a whoopee cushion does not endear you to the MT theory teacher.

I assume that I saw Albertius complete the spell that he was working on casting. So I don't mind scrubbing and holding water to learn actual magic.

I assume that I am a head taller than most students since I would assume that the robes are made for the average student.

How much money do I have from my work as a sailor? They said I got 10 silver per month. How much would a blank book be?

I take the pranks in good humor. Laughing if they are clever. Although I will note who us doing them along with their habits.

I am a bit surprised that they had a whoopee cushion and they managed to get it under me with out me noticing. When that occurs, I'll smile and say
"Excuse me. I had salad last night and it gives me gas something fierce. "

I am somewhat annoyed at the magical theory teacher with him using unnecessarily flowery language to describe magic. I have experience with people using Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness. In fact I use to do it myself. I'll take notes in class and look up what I can in the library if they have one so that I can decode his shop talk. Basically I'm building a vocabulary to help figure out what he is talking about. Who know. Maybe I'll be familiar woth a similar concept in fiction.  These guys sound like the Order of Hermes in Mage the Ascension. Maybe there is some parallels. Maybe they have their magical energy that is like quintessence or it has flavors like Resonance.

You saw, but didn't really understand.  At least not yet.

You are a  head taller than almost all the students except for one guy from the Southern Mountains, who is regarded as backward and barbaric.

13 silver is what you earned for that wage.

Books are not as expensive as 'in my grandpa's time, a book would go for four gold, but now, its three silver.  Course, I can make a lot more than grandpa with my new winesqueeze press instead of using a knife and an ink pen."

The pranks start to fade as you take them in good humor.  Although you get told to 'avoid the salad' way past the time its actually funny.

Magic seems mostly Hermetic with geometry and precise penmanship favored.  All magic seems to be ritual.

So, while the system seems jargon heavy, the MT teach takes it to an extreme.

How much is a blank book? I assume that the three silver is for a book with things printed in it. What ever the cost I'll get one and then use it to take notes in. If they have a printing press then they should have enough books on hand to have a library. In my free time I'll hit the books to try to figure out what the Magical Theory instructor is talking about.

Is there anyone in class that seems to understand the instructor?

In reply to Magnus (msg # 95):

Three silver is the blank book.

Some further research reveals that in the more technological backward regions, that in living memory, there was hand-written illuminated manuscripts.  You're early in the Printing Press Revolution.  The presses are hand-powered devices descended from grape squeezing machines.

They do have a library.  And you do notice one lady that seems to have a grasp on the MT theory prof's work.  Later, you see her in the library doing just what you're planning on doing.  She looks up with a smile when the librarian brings you over to her table which is piled with a half-dozen works on MT.

What does she look like? About how tall is she?

I'll approach her table and say
"Greetings. My name is Eli. It looks like you had the right idea to decode the Magic Theory instructor's speech. Do you mind if I sit with you and study these books? Maybe we could compare notes later To help us figure the Theory out... Well, Once I have notes to compare. I just got a blank book to write notes in."

Blue-eyed, freckled, and with her long, auburn hair in a ponytail she stands a bit flustered when you introduce yourself.  She's almost six foot.

"Um, yes.  Well, of course.  Please sit." after a bit where she fumbles with the books, she adds.  "You know, you're the first one to ask about this.  Last year, I took him in another class, and he was just as bad.  I passed when many didn't, but did anyone go 'hey, um, new girl, help me out.'?"

My eyebrows raise a bit when I note how tall she is. Even back at home, very few women are nearly as tall as I am. Does she have a willowy build or is she muscular?

I smile and take a seat somewhat near her.
"That is odd. I guess they had a very high opinion of their intellect. I'm fairly smart but I can't understand someone's deliberate obfuscation of their meaning with Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness."
I smirk.
"I.E. someone hiding their meaning with overly large and unwieldy words. If you are willing to explain Magic Theory in plain language I would be eternally grateful and willing to help you in what ways I can."

In reply to Magnus (msg # 99):

She tends toward willowy.

"I don't understand either.  My people may be considered barbarians, but we speak plainly.  I, um, will take your offer."

And with that you two become study partners.

"Thank you Miss... I don't believe I caught your name before ..
What have you figured out so far?"

"Lunette.  I'm from the Southern Mountains."

She starts to explain, and she's very precise.  After a bit, its clear that she's not so much translating the MT teacher, as learning the class on her own.

As you continue in class, you realize there are really only two spells they know.  'Enchant a Wand' which produces a variable amount of fire in intensity and broadness of effect (thin line, line, gout, cone), and 'Transform a Dragon into an Iron Dragon rail engine'.  Arguably, there are a few more, such as 'Use Wand' but other than that, that's it.

However, in this world to have the equivalent of a safe flamethrower where others are limited to crossbows,  and to have the fastest, strongest railroad engines around is valuable.  Especially as the Tower of Wands is the monopoly supplier.

My eyebrows raise when I figure out that Lunette is learning the class on her own.

Once she is done explaining Magical Theory I'll comment
"You are much better at explaining this than the Instructor. "

Have Lunette and I figured out how to do those spells?
During our research, have we figured out why they limit themselves to just those few spells?

How are Lunette and I doing in class?

Are the wands that the Mage Guild sells limited use like DnD wands? How involved is the Ritual to make one? Do they have their own wands that have unlimited uses?
This message was last edited by the player at 19:01, Sun 26 Mar 2017.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 103):

She giggles. "Hard to be worse." And then she quiets herself.

No, you haven't.  You're a long, long way from learning them.  For some reason, the Old Mages left those two spells not blocked.  Some people theorize that they did not know of the idea of RRs (true), and so therefore did not think to block Iron Dragon magic.  But that does not explain the Wands of Fire.

OOC: In this world, you're jumping from Zero Magic Skill to a fairly high level skill, and then to a very high level skill.  In order to do this, they use ritual, and a lot of time, and effort.  Technologically, its similar to 'now we've built a wheel, now lets build a house, and then a jet fighter' with nothing between.  Its possible, but its the dedicated labor of  years.

"Yeah. I would have to actively try to be worse. "

I will just go with the flow for now to learn those complex spells.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 105):

She laughs again, and mentions a few ways of being worse.

The schedule is brutal, and you find yourself struggling not to yawn as you watch the mage draw lines on the floor, or fight not to faceplant as you learn a beautiful cursive.  Students start dropping out from classes, some from their own volition, and a couple who just don't have what it takes who are more gently led to another profession.  One of them takes on the Tower Guard training, and quickly seems happier to be out practice fighting in the daylight then standing holding a bucket of sand or water.

Months pass...

I've put all this effort into learning those spells. I'm not going to stop now until I learn them.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 107):

The effort just gets harder, and you find yourself sometimes wondering what day it is.

So, it is with some surprise when your Mage turns to you with a small smile, and a look of trepidation mixed in, and hands you a piece of chalk at the beginning of your class.  Around you, the few remaining students nod.  Once this room held a dozen attendants on the mage, now it holds four.

By now, you know this backwards and forwards, but your hand still trembles.  Magic is perilous, as you well know from listening to stories of certain disasters, and from visiting the Old Site, where the Tower of Wands first was.

Now, its a ghost-haunted blasted pit where nothing grows, not even two centuries later.

"Don't mess up." The Mage says dryly as he hands you a wand that needs to be enchanted.  The other students prepare their chalks to aid in your ritual, and the Mage takes your place in the outer circle.

Its been close to two years.
1@7 Iron Dragon Cursive English Penmanship
1@8 Hermetic Magical Theory
+@1 Intelligence

I take a few deep breaths to calm my nervesand do short meditative exercise to clear my mind. Whith my hand a lot steadier, I start the ritual to enchant the wand. I carefully draw the ritual circle in chalk. Then continue with the ritual until I am done.

OOC: Is Lunette one of the ones that made it this far with me? I would expect so since she has the drive to learn on her own.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 109):

As you draw, you sense a gathering of forces.  As one of the holders of water, you'd felt nothing.  As one of the outer ring, an occasional flicker, but now, its like you're wading in colors and syrups of different flavors as they wash about your knees.  Starbursts explode across your vision, and now you start to understand why you had to know this backwards and forwards.

At each of the first measures you find more distraction, and the second you feel a rising heat as if your face were feverish, and then as if you had been sunburned, and then the Fire wants to leap out of your control.

Its not an intelligent thing, not even animalistic, but Fire seeks to burn, and you can feel it almost as if it is wanting to rage out of Somewhere not meant for humans, some place where the Beings who cast their eyes at you in casual disinterest are born of Fire.  Holding your teeth closed, you feel it swell out of control.

Through a tiny prick in Reality, a gush of flame that could melt stone at a touch is going to bellow out, and rip the heart out of the town, and....You slam it down, and hold it with panicked strength.

With that, you bind it in the red cherry tree wand, and loop it back on itself so that it can't do just what it almost did.

And then you're falling sideways.

The Mage scurries forward, with a box in hand, and quickly examines the wand.

He turns to you with a smile, and extends the wand to you as you lay panting on the ground.

Lunnette is not there to share your triumph as a fellow mage, but she has taken a job in the scribe's hall of the Tower.  A year ago, she found she did not have the stamina for the work.  And indeed, your muscles feel like melting ice cream.

"Its good. You did it, Mage Magnus."

"haa...haa... That was Exhausting... I like that Name... The Large Mage...hehe...

What do I do now?"

In reply to Magnus (msg # 111):

"Take your wand. We will teach you how to use it.  But tomorrow is free, and you should take some water, perhaps a cracker, and sleep."  He helps you to your feet, and ...

I'll let him help me to my feet. Then I'll pick up my wand.
"Yes... Sleep Does sound amazing now."
I'll get a Bit of water, wander to my room then go to sleep.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 113):

You wake up twice in the night with a nightmare of the city being burnt by Flame, but you're so tired that despite it, you fall asleep right away again.

The next day is free, except for a meeting with the Dean for dinner.

I'll relax for most of the day then go to eat with the Dean.

He has you visit his penthouse at the top of the Tower. Inside, the room is understated luxury, and very comfortable.  It is the abode of a man alone, although you see a painting of an attractive woman on the wall.

He brings out a potato soup, followed by a pea soup.

"I'm afraid my teeth are no longer up to eating the fine meals of my youth."  For you, he adds a small steak.  He's balding, thin, white-haired, and a bit bent over, but he moves quickly, and he watches you closely with his dark brown eyes.

"Now, feel free to ask questions, m'boy.  And well done.  The first time is almost always the hardest."

After a bit of conversation he asks you what you want to do next.

"We can keep you learning more about wands of fire.  We have Wandmasters, and we have Battlemasters who are very good with wandfighting.  Or you can continue on to learn how to transform a dragon, which is as hard, or harder than the path thus far.  Or if you have other thoughts, I'd be pleased to hear them."

I eat slowly. Gathering my thoughts.

"My first question is why don't we take the aspiring mage far outside the city when they first make a firewand. You train them well but there is still a risk that they will make a mistake and end up destroying the city we are in.

When you transform a dragon, you bind it so that it heats water quickly to form pressurized steam. Them you use a mechanism to move pistons back and forth. With another mechanism to transform that into rotational energy. Is that correct? If that is the case, why do you only use these dragon engines with locomotives? I can think of a half dozen uses for an engine like that off the top of my head."

In reply to Magnus (msg # 117):

He pauses.  "There is a man, hidden by a secret door with a heavy crossbow, whenever a mage casts that spell.  He can put an iron bolt through the mage's skull in an instant.

Also, the Tower aids the spell.  But, I can't say you're wrong. The rest is politics." He frowns.

"The Iron Dragon provides all those functions, and they are rare.  But, what would we use them for...?" He looks mildly surprised.

"I see...

A lot will depend on exactly how the Iron Dragons work and how small one can make them. The first use is to power a boat attach the iron dragon to gears so that it has better torque the attach those to paddle wheels on each side of the boat. They can push the boat forward or help it turn. You could also attach it to a water screw atcto back of the ship, but that would be harder to figure out how to prevent water from coming in.

Second use is to make a tractor. Which is sort of like the Iron Dragon on rails. But is made to go most anywhere on land. A farmer is limited by the strength of his draft animals to determine how much ground he can break up and plow. And a Iron Dragon is stronger than any team of draft animals.

Third use is attaching a small Iron Dragon to a cart or carriage to drive it forward with its wheels. It's endurance will be greater than any horse and will possibly move faster too.

Forth use involves powering machines with a Iron Dragon. Lathes, milling machines, mills for grinding flour, and automatic looms to make cloth. The limit is human creativity.

The fith thing is generating electricity.  Tamed lightning that travels along copper wires. This allows you to have a central iron dragon generating power. Distributing the power along copper wires then use the electricity to power other machines.

...huh. guess I didn't make it to half a dozen. Oh well. That will advance your technology quite a bit.  "

"The smallest is twenty-five feet, but these are not as effective as their lengthier brethren so we don't use them." The Dean replies, studying you with interest.

"I can see how a paddle wheel could work.  I am not sure a tractor would work.  I am not sure..."  He looks a bit lost. "E-Leck-Tricki-City? What is this?  Besides, copper is expensive."

"It is well for my head is swimming already."

"hmmm... That is too big for a tractor or cart to work... Ah I see. You use rivets to bolt the boiler plates together. I wonder if I could control the output of the firewand well enough to weld with it...

As for electricity. The full explanation involves quite a bit of underlining science. But the basic definition is, Electricity is the movement of electrons. I'll get back to you later with the full explanation. I guess I should draft the designs...

Anyway, We where talking about my future path. I would like to learn at least the basic of using the firewand and them move on to learning how to make the Iron Dragons. "

You go back to working on the wands, and make progress learning how to shoot out flames of varying heat and width.  And yes, you think that with sufficient training you could weld with this.

They give you an hour a day to work on  your own designs.

I'll spend that hour drawing out the designs for the machines I mentioned. Starting with the boat and focusing detail on the gearing to transfer rotational force from the Iron Dragon to the paddle wheels. And the gearing needed to control whether it turns and which way it turns. The principles of gear systems are simple. I just have to work on how to use them. When I was taking Industrial maintenance. I learned how to read Technical drawings. I But that knowledge to use making these drawings. Furthermore I have just spent two years practicing calligraphy. My hand should be steadier than it has ever been. Once I am satisfied that the design would work if it was implemented. I then draw designs for Lathes and Milling machines. And then write a book explaining electricity and how to make it. Along with a few simple applications of Electricity. Such as a light bulb, Electric motor and a electric heater.

I'll practice with the wand as much as I can. With an eye towards being able to weld with it. Once I am confidant that I can do it. I'll get some thick leather gloves and a blacksmith's apron or a thick leather jacket. I'll also need to get goggles that are Extremely tinted. Welding produces really bright light. I'll burn my retinas of I don't protect my eyes. Along with two pieces of scrap Iron and a long thin iron rod.
The way the Wand works lends it two methods. One, I can just attempt to melt the two pieces together like they used to do with a oxyacetylene torch. The flame of the wand will push the air away and prevent air from getting into the weld. This is ok if I don't mind losing a bit of metal to melt the edges together.

The other method is that I pretend this is a TIG welder. There is no arc of electricity heating the metal. But the wand will work for that. I'll hold the wand a bit away from the pieces that I'm welding together heating them until they are a cherry red. Then I feed the Iron rod into the hottest part of the flame. It being a much smaller piece heats up much quicker. I hold it there until it is yellow and about to melt. then I put it next to the cherry red of the piece I am working on. All together they should be hot enough to weld together using the iron rod as filler material.

After I get a good bead on it. I'll make the flame of the wand spread out and burn at a muck cooler temperature. That way oxygen won't get to my weld. I'll back the flame off more and more and let the piece cool down. After it is cool enough that the oxygen wont affect it. I'll turn the wand's fire off.

Even though I haven't done it in a while. It's like riding a bike. And I was good enough at welding to get a job as a welder.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:27, Thu 06 Apr 2017.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 123):

You draw some elegant, and clear blueprints.  It impresses you a little bit, even.  And  yes, your hands were rock steady during the whole thing.

1@3 Technical Drawing which can be bonused with a Penmanship skill check.

Your book is near flawless in its penmanship, and its quite clear on explaining electricity.  The Dean asks if you want to sell it to the printers under the title "Electricity for Beginners."

This is a new mark for the skill of Penmanship, writing a book, and so 1@8.
1@3 Writing Instructions for Technological Skill.

You're struggling with the wand, falling behind the others, but your persistence eventually pays off.  The first method works, and with the second, you end up melting the whole small piece of metal so much that you have to drop it.  Next time, it works tho'.

2@4 Welding with arc, TIG, or wand.

And you now own a welder's facemask.

I'll go ahead and sell it to the printers.

I facepalm when I drop the small piece of metal. I need to get some pliers to hold it.

I'll work on the process a bit to perfect it before I show the dean the welds. And how I am doing it.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 125):

The printer gives you a gold piece for the book, and promises to give you one silver piece for each one sold.

Your classes are helping you with greater control of the wand as well.  You've learned how to do orange sized balls of fire, and how to do a full scale cone that is three yards wide and ten yards deep of seven hundred degree flame, but that is very tiring.  You're the most advanced in your class in focused, short flame...which is what you're using for the weld.

The teacher promises that next week you're going to move onto shooting down aerial targets with the miniball.

Using your pliers solves that problem, and you get better with your tools until you're able to do a solid weld reliably. The Dean comes, and examines you at work when you invite him.

"I enjoyed your book." He says as he walks into the welding room.

Before I invited him, I would have gotten him a pair of tinted glasses so that he would be able to watch the weld.

"I'm glad you liked the book. The question is will you have the Mage Guild put it into use.

Anyway I call you here today to show you a new process to weld two pieces of metal together.

The Iron Dragons are too big for you to forge weld the pieces together. Therefore you use rivets to put the pieces together.

My process can weld nearly any sized pieces of iron together. Making a air tight seal that can resist pressure as well as the metal it is welding.

With this you could operate the Iron Dragons at a higher pressure therefore getting more power out of them. Or you can make them smaller and get the same amount of power out of them.

Here some tinted glasses. The process products light strong enough to hurt you unprotected eyes.

Put them on and watch me do this."

Then I'll show him the welding process.

"If I understand right, it would require a lot of preparation.  Now, we are good at that, but I'd like to see how some of your other less challenging projects work before I push this one." The Dean replies.  He seems to have thought about this already, and has a prepared answer.

"I'm not sure what would happen if we welded, strange word, an Iron Dragon.  After all, its alive."

He takes the glasses, and watches with interest as you weld metal pieces together.

"This is very good.  I'm not sure what we can use it for yet, but I'm positive we can find a use for it."  He claps you on the shoulder in approval.  After that, he asks for a sample to show to some of the other mages.

I nod in response to his answer about implementing electricity.

In response to his comment that the Iron Dragon is still alive.

"Wait, What? It's still alive?... I might need to see an Iron Dragon. I might be operating under incorrect assumptions."

After the demonstration I'll say
"Using a process like this will allow you to make bigger things out of iron. Like a boat. You could also make buildings much bigger. Using a frame of iron... but that is a long ways off."

I'll go ahead and give him some of my best welds.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 129):

https://www.bing.com/images/se...dex=1&ajaxhist=0

You are sent on a field trip to the Trainyard, and see one of the Iron Dragons there.

It stares at you with contempt.  You see that it tolerates the human engineer, and that regular humans are even beneath contempt.  So, as a mage you merit contempt, but not toleration.

It blinks its large yellow eyes at you, and then turns its attention away.

The engineer has to soothe it to get it to accept coal and water from the resupply crew.

My eyebrows raise with how the Iron Dragon looks. It is certainly as arrogant as a Dragon.
I slowly walk around the Iron Dragon, mentally dissecting it to get a rough idea of how it works based on what I can see... I consider ways to adapt them to a boat. this will be more difficult than I thought.

After a while, I'll head back and talk to the Dean.
"My drawings wouldn't work as they are now. I would have to study the Iron Dragons and how they are made before I can adapt them to other roles. Could you tell me an overview of how you make the Iron Dragons?"

"We capture dragons, young dragons usually, and confine them in caves to allow them to grow to full size.  This is primarily at the Farm which is several hours by rail east.

Then we gather as many magi as we can, at least ten, and cast the conversion spell.  After that, the new Iron Dragon is trained, which takes about a year.  It is then put into service.

We have one mage who can transform a full grown Dragon, and we'd like to be able to hatch dragon eggs because capturing a young dragon is very dangerous.  They are tricky, vicious, and incredibly strong."

He pauses, and gets himself some whisky.

"I was a young mage, walking along a trail with the rest of our hunting party.  My friend, Seaton, was in front of me.  He was joking that it was a good thing young dragons can't breathe steam.  And then a young dragon leaned around a curve of the trail, and threw a stone the size of my desk.  He killed Seaton, and the three men behind me.  I'd be dead too, but I had stooped to tie my shoe."

"I see the conversion is done by the spell. Therefore to change the product you would have to modify the spell... Too dangerous. And dragons are too rare and valuable to waste on experiments...

Ok, The Iron Dragons are still technically alive. Therefore they should eventually die of old age. What do you do with them when they die?"

In reply to Magnus (msg # 133):

"We've only had two die from old age."  You realize this is the Dawn of the Age of Railroading in this world.  A full net from all the cities to all the cities is not done yet.  "But we've had, oh, eight or ten die from derailments and head on collisions.  An Iron Dragon, if it spots another one on its track, will NOT stop.  They will ram into each other at full speed."

He thinks, and pulls out a map of the local rail net.

Then stabbing a finger at a bridge an hour north of your city, he points to Tyrlan Canyon.

"Five years back, a derailment. Still not sure why.  Left the Iron Dragon broken over the mountainside under the bridge.  We buried it shallowly, but it was too hard to move."

"Hmmm. I should probably go to that Canyon and dig up that Iron Dragon. I need to dissect it to learn how they work. I might be able to take the parts from it and build a purely mechanical engine.

Next time one of those head on collusions happen or one dies from old age, let me know about it.

You developed the spell to turn dragons into Iron Dragons recently.  Who made the spell. And is there still notes about how he made it?"

In reply to Magnus (msg # 135):

He scribbles out a note on a piece of official college paper and using his fire wand melts a bit of wax.  This he puts on the sheet, and uses his ring to press in a seal.

"This gives you permission to do what you want with the remains in the Canyon.  As to the second, you will have to wait six months, and pass your classes before we let you see those notes.  The original circle of mages is mostly dead from dangers, and normal accidents, and for a few, old age, but two are still alive."

"I'll go right to the one in the canyon to see what I can find out. Then I'll start on those classes. I want to talk to those two old mages before they die of old age or danger."

The next day you're able to catch a ride north with an Iron Dragon with twenty cars behind it heading north.  The chief engineer offers to let you ride up front with him and the second engineer and the two coalmen.

"Just don't touch anything, except to hang onto that railing.  She won't like it if you do decide to ride with us.  Or you can take a first class seat.  Privilege of the Tower."  He shrugs, and pats the Dragon then leaps back up into the cab which is a clean five foot leap.

Once you get to canyon, he slows down, and you can see the new growth on the forty five degree slope several hundred feet below the two hundred yard long wooden trestlework bridge.  A small river glints from the bottom of the canyon.

He stops on the far side of the canyon to let you get off on a bit of cleared flat space.  Before he leaves, he shouts from the cab.

"North comes in the morning.  Near night, the South train runs through here." He tosses you a bright green flag with a small flagpole.  "Stand on the south side of the bridge so he has plenty of time to see you and stop."

Before I go I would get a tent, backpack sleeping bag,50 feet of rope, a new blank book to take notes in and food and water for a few days. I would also get a shovel, pickaxe and axe(to get wood for a fire)

On the ride there I would have watch the conductor work.


Once I get there I'll set up camp on a flat area near the top. Set it up so that animals can't get my food by using the rope to lift the backpack under a tree branch.

Then I'll start digging in the area with the new growth. Because that is where the Iron dragon is most likely to be.

Getting down is hard as the slope has many loose rocks.  However, once you're down there, this makes it easier to toss aside the top cover, and then start digging.  Two feet down, you find some rusted blue metal.

A bit more search, and you find a bent five inch thick iron wheel.  Knowing where you're at now, you set to getting the whole thing out.

You're a third of the way done by the time night falls, and your arms complain as does your back.  But the Mage training did some good.

The next day, you excavate the rest of the big, blue beast.  Its rusted, and bent, and some pieces are broken loose, but you can see the left side of it.

Now, if you want to fully excavate it, that's more work, but now you have full acess to one side of it.

Wearily, you climb the hill again, seeing some claw marks on your tree, but your food is still there.

The next morning you...?

How big where the claw marks?

The next morning I'll scetch an over view of the body of the Iron Dragon. Using what I learned drawing technical drawings  to draw this.

Then I am going to systematically cut the Dragon apart and draw the part and the areas I opened up.

I'm not trying to strain myself so I'll limit myself to cutting out fifty to a hundred pound slabs of metal. I'll put the metal further down the slope when I am done with it.

Does the Iron dragon have claws?

In reply to Magnus (msg # 141):

Three talons, total width two inches, and the foot long scratch was through the bark that were three feet up on the trunk.  Your close look reveals a five pointed back foot depressed in the dirt that is about half as long as a human foot, and a bit wider.

Its not a bear or wolf, not as you understand them anyways.

+@1 to Technical Drawing.

No claws.

You chop, and cut metal, and nick  your hands, and burn your thumbs, and in general have a fine old time under the clear sky.  Halfway through the day, you spot something like a falcon that seems to be watching you from the top of a nearby tree.

I'll stop and take a look at that thing that looks like a Falcon.
If I don't see anything odd,I'll continue working. But I'll keep an eye on the Falcon to see if it does something odd.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 143):

It watches you for a time, and then leaves.  It was clearly curious.

The day passes, and when you get back to the top, you see a black leather bag tied shut on the flat space with the Tower symbol on the side of it.

Opening it, you discover fresh clothes, and a loaf of bread, and some strongly cured beef called Hentzen Beef for some reason (you've had it before) and a bar of white cheese.  There is also a letter.

"Magi, how goes the research? Report please.
Put the letter on a stick in the bag near the tracks so the grabbing hook can get it as they zip by.
The Dean."

I'll Eat the food then write a letter to the Dean.

'Dear Dean
I Finished excavating the Iron Dragon and I am now taking it apart to record how it is put together. I might be able to build a steam engine out of the parts of a dead Iron Dragon. I would need help to use the parts from this one. Mainly to get them to the top of the canyon and onto a train. As it currently stands I'm just going to take it apart to get all the information I can out of it.'

Then I'll place the letter in the bag and put it where the hook from the train can get it.

Then I'll go back to work dissecting the Iron Dragon with my cutting torch wand.

Two days later....

+@1 to Welding

You get another bag.  This one is stuffed with rope and pulleys.

Ok. I am the one man team.

Now I'm going to focus on taking it apart in a way that I can put it back together again later. I'll use the ropes and pulleys to get the parts I'll need to the top of the canyon where the train could stop and load them up.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 147):

You've gotten a good pulley system set up in the first hour.  Its steady effort, and you've banged your hands and arms enough to leave bruises.  The pile of metal parts grows up top.

You're dragging one ninety pound chunk of the boiler up when it shakes loose from the ropes, starts off a small avalanche, takes down one tree, and half buries the Iron Dragon again.

Sigh...
"At least no one was there to get hurt."

I'll get to work uncovering the Iron Dragon. Again.

Once I'm finished with that, I'll get bach to work getting parts up the hill.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 149):

It takes you the rest of the week to get all of the salvageable pieces up to the top.  After stopping the morning train to leave a message, the nightly south train stops with a flatcar, and a crew of strong guys to toss the pieces on the flat car.

Its done, and they get strapped down.

An hour later, and you arrive back at the Tower, bruised, bloodied, hungry, and the proud owner of ninety percent of a junked Iron Dragon.  The other mages look at you differently now, with shocked respect.

+@1 Willpower and Welding and Charisma.

I'll take a day to rest and explain my notes to the Dean. And then I'll get to work putting a steam engine together out of the parts.

Edit: Obviously, I am going to clean the parts before I put them together.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:17, Wed 19 Apr 2017.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 151):

A mild acid wash serves as a cleaner, and you start welding.  You cut pieces to fit, and weld.

How big did  you want to make this steam engine?

I really can't compress the moving parts down that much. So any adjustment I do to the size of the engine, would be an adjustment to the size of the boiler.

I'll make the engine about the same size with a slightly smaller boiler. I'll keep an eye to arranging the engine so that I could build a boat around it.

In reply to Tadeusz (msg # 152):

Within four days, you have a steam engine. You check it over, and it seems fine.  So, you start it up, and its going well.  You add some more coals, and the release valve for steam gets stuck.

Memories of reading of steam disasters on the Mighty Mo run through your brain as the boiler starts to turn a faint pink...

I'll drill a hole into the boiler with my wand. I'll focus all my will and being into making the most intense flame I can to melt a hole into the boiler.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 155):

You burn into it, melting, but its stout, as you well know.  And then it suddenly fails around your burn point, opening a grapefruit sized hole.

Steam bursts out in a whistling scream that rockets past you as you were aiming from the side.  It hits the ceiling, and bounces off with a clatter.  And then the room is filled with a warm sauna so that you can't see your hand in front of your face.

Dripping wet, you stumble off to the exit door, and open it, letting in cool, fresh air.  Mages are tumbling down the stairs to you, shouting what is the problem.

I am shaking from the adrenaline and the effort of using my wand.

I'll reply to the mages
"The pressure release valve on the boiler got stuck. The boiler was going to explode from the pressure and send shrapnel everywhere. Which would have killed me and damaged the building.

Luckily I managed to drill a hole into the boiler with my wand and release the pressure. I'm lucky to be alive."

I'll let the room air out then examine that release valve.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 157):

The mages take you to the medic, and get you some drink and food.  They talk to you, telling you jokes to get you calmed down.

Meanwhile, the room is checked out for structural damage.

Your protests at needing to see what went wrong get you back in, and as near as you can figure, the release valve was fine at cold and normal low temps, but at high temps, it warped and expanded slightly, blocking it from freely swinging open.

You have to write up a report, and the upper mages discuss it with you.

You're cleared of any wrongdoing, and permitted to continue your experiment.  This seems like all very much a semi-regular procedure.

Well... Now I have a grapefruit sized hole in my boiler... I Will work on designing an automated release valve to fit over the hole. If I weld a short pipe around the hole then have a cap that is attached to a long lever. I'll have a really strong spring holding the cap onto the pipe. If the pressure gets to much, it'll push the cap off and release the steam. Then the spring pushes it back. If the operator thing the boiler is under too much pressure, He'll push down on the long lever and release the pressure.

Now I'll just...I need a black smith to make the spring. I'm not skilled enough with metallurgy to make the spring right.

I'll go to the dean.
"I'll need the help of a black Smith to help me finish rebuilding the steam engine. Is there one you would recommend?"

In reply to Magnus (msg # 159):

He gives you instructions on a  reputable and skilled blacksmith in town.

You walk into the forge, and a short, and very broad man laughs from between the piles of scrap iron, and the glowing ingots.

"A Wandsman!  What do you want me to make now?" He shouts.  Then he picks up a red hot ingot, and examines it before tossing it back into the fire.

He would make it better than I could. Let's see how much it would cost.

I'll show him the drawing I did of the design.
"I was wondering how much it would cost for you to make this design?"

In reply to Magnus (msg # 161):

His  head is just below your elbow.  A finger as thick around as three of yours traces out the design, making sure he knows what you're asking for.  He pulls at his beard.

"Two gold for me, and the Dwarf's guarantee of if it breaks, I'll fix it free, and your item.  You mind telling me what you're planning on?  This looks interesting."

Barehanded, out of the flames, he picks up another red-hot ingot, examines it, and tosses it back quickly for another one, which he puts on a nearby anvil.

Do I have enough money? OOC I assume it is about ten silver for one gold.
I've been at the Mages guild for a two years at a silver a month. And I've not been spending much.

"...Basically I'm using the parts of a dead Iron Dragon to build an entirely mechanical engine. I discovered a way to use the wand to melt iron in a controlled manner so that the two pieces of Iron fuse together. In a bond that is as strong as the base metal.

I nearly got killed with my experiments when a pressure release valve got stuck from the heat.
That is a pressure release valve that automatically releases the steam pressure when it get to be too much for the boiler to handle. It can also be used manually to release the steam.

I saved myself by melting a grapefruit size hole in my boiler. I decided to fix the hole by installing another safety valve on top of it. But I decided that the metal work was too presice for me to handle building the valve."

In reply to Magnus (msg # 163):

Yes, you definitely have enough money.  You've also earned four gold pieces from your book, although sales are pretty flat now.  Most everyone interested in such a book has bought it by now, your printer told you.

He blinks at your explanation.  Then he grins wide. And then hollers with full volume which is much louder than his normal shout-talk.

"You have to show me this."

"I suppose that since I'm hiring you to make a part for my project, I could take you into the Mage's Tower to see my project. Come with me."

If he does come, I'll take him to my project in the tower. If stopped, I'll claim that I am hiring him to help with my project therefore he needs to see what he is working on.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 165):

He catches a few glances, but they see he's with you, and continue on.  Meanwhile, he's occasionally hopping, he's so excited.

Once he gets to the design, he examines it, sketches it, and begins to ask question after question as he climbs all over it.

"This is remarkable.  I could make one of these without Iron Dragon skin."

"I know. I used the parts because they already fit together. The parts need to fit together just so. There isn't much room for error. I don't have the tools I would need to make the parts fit together. And I don't have the skill with black smithing To get them right.
What I have is Ideas. So many idea. Tools to make things accurate to within a few thousandths of an inch. Building a boat with a steam engine in it set up to drive it forward in the water.There is so many things that I need to build but I don't know if I have the skill or time.

Would You Help me make the ideas a reality? I'm sure that if we sold the machines we make that it would make quite the some of money."


I have a feeling that this is probably going to make the Mage Guild mad. What is the Guild's policy for mages that go off and invent things on their own independent of the guild?

oh, When I went to the printers, Where they carving out wooden plates to use to make the book or did they have a movable type printing press?

In reply to Magnus (msg # 167):

He jumps down from atop the engine. Spits in his hand.

"Fifty fifty" He holds out his hand.

The Mage Guild doesn't have a policy on that.

I spit into the complimentary hand but modify the offer.

"Fifty fifty. But you have to teach me everything you know about black smithing. In exchance I'll teach you everything I know about Mechanical Engineering. "

I'll shake on it if he takes the offer.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 169):

"Human wizard, my first teething thing was an iron rod, and I got my first hammer when I was but two.  I am now 125.  I cannot teach you everything I know.  But tell me, how did you get the metals to join so....I could put them together with rivets which It'd work, but this...so much better."  He sighs with desire as he looks at your work.

"Ok. Maybe not everything. But I would still like to learn what I can from you. Blacksmithing has always interested me."

I smile at him admiring my work.
"I agree and there is something aesthetically pleasing about two pieces welded together with a clean line. When you melt metal you set it up in such a way so that air doesn't get to your molten metal. Otherwise it'll produce slag and other impurities that we wouldn't want.

The flame from a Mage's wand can serve the same purpose with keeping air from where I am melting two pieces of metal together. I guess I can show you."

I'll go ahead and show him welding with my wand.

"There are ways to do the same thing without magic. But all of them require building things that don't exist yet. I can build some of them. But others require things that I can't build or get."

In reply to Magnus (msg # 171):

"That I can agree on." He holds out his hand, and you two shake.

"Wonderful, just wonderful." He grins after you finish your demo weld.  He hesitates, stomps toward the door, turns back, and grimaces.

"I am going to make you your spring and valve release.  But you must show me more, later.  Oh, you can come with me...." And he's out the door, heading toward his forge.  A yell of 'hey, Dwarf, what are...' is followed by a sound of wood striking wood.  And footsteps retreating.

"Hold on! I am supposed to be with you while you are in the tower!"

I'll rush after him and try to to catch up.

Afterward I'll go to my printer and get a few sheets of paper and something to write with.

I'll ask to see his printing press. Does it use moveable type? I would expect that it uses a carved plate.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 173):

You rush out and see a fellow mage that has been knocked down, and is holding his head.

I'll help him up.
"Are you ok. Do you need a medic?"

In reply to Magnus (msg # 175):

"Stupid Dwarf punched me." He complains as you help him to his feet. "No, I'll be fine, but once I found out who let that idiot in here, they are going to be in trouble."

Well, they are going to find out anyway ...

"I'm sorry. I was going to hire him for a project I am working on. So I showed him the project and he got excited and left in a rush. I wonder why he punched you..
"

Then it hits me why. Bloody clever dwarf is going to get me expelled from the Mages Guild.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 177):

"I told him to stop. He said 'no time'." The mage groans.  "Dwarves...can be excitable."  He shrugs irritably, and wobbles off.  He's not exactly happy with you, but it looks like he's just going to drop the issue.

...well. That when better than I thought.

I'll go though the tower to see if the Dwarf punched more people.

After I am done with that I'll swing by my room to get some papers and writing utensils.

Then I'll go to my printer and ask him if I can take a look at his printing press.
Does it use moveable type or does he have to carve a page out of a wood block? I would expect them to use the wood block

In reply to Magnus (msg # 179):

There is a few annoyed looking people, but no one laying on the ground.

Your printer shows you his carving tools and the large chunks of wood he uses to carve a page into a one page block.  He goes on about how this is marvelous new technology.

OOC: I'm teaching one of my kids about Johannes Gutenberg's movable type press now.  :)

"... I can build something better. At least for Pages with only text on them. You would still have to carve out pictures. I can build a block with lots of holes in it a the same spacing as the text in a average book. You will have a lot of letters that you can slot in in any order to make the text of a book. Then there is something to secure them and then you can use this block in your machine you currently have there... Think about it. How much faster could you print out a book if you didn't have to carve the text out of a wooden block. That would be worth quite a lot as a advantage over your competition. How Much is it worth to you?"

He scratches the short bristles on his chin, looks away, grunts.

"Fifty percent of the sale of a book I make that way."

He looks at you, doing his best poker face, even tho' the locals don't have poker that you're aware of anyways.

"That does sound generous if you meant 50 percent of the sale of every book you made that way. I'll talk to my business partner about making it and then we'll get back to you on price."

I'll sketch how he attaches the wood block to the machine for reference to use later then I'll go to the Dwarf's shop.

"I got an Idea for how we can make some money now and keep an inflow of cash."

I'll show him the sketch of the printing mechanism.

"Here is the Idea. Instead of having printers carve out a page from a wood block. We have a bunch of letters attached to short rods. The block replacement will have lots of holes arranged so that you can put a whole page of text using the letters.

Then we'll have a mechanism inside the block replacement to lock the letters in place. Then they can use that to print the page much faster than carving it out of a wooden block."

I'll sketch the Idea while I explain it.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:37, Mon 01 May 2017.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 183):

He does.

You go back to the Dwarf, and he's busy making a steam machine.  And when you try to talk to him about the printing press, he throws a hammer at you from across the forge.  Happily he misses, and he's back to rooting in his pile of scrap iron.

"Ok. don't talk about other projects when you are working on one.

How can I help make the steam engine?"

I'm ready to Dodge in case he throws another hammer at me.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 185):

He grunts, but he does not throw anything. After a bit, he sends you out back to another scrap iron pile to get anything vaguely panel-like.

After you both have gathered a hundred and fifty some pounds of scrap from the piles, he has you start working the bellows all over the forge while he tosses in a lot of extra charcoal, and then you both toss in fifty pounds of iron.

Soon its good and hot, and you're holding pieces with tongs while he hammers.  And then you're dashing back to the bellows to keep the fire hot as he pounds more.  Its hot, exhausting, and continuous labor.  But its a rush as well to play with fire, and bend metal, and see the shape of a small steam engine start to be born.

He points at two panels, and shows you how they should fit together with his bare hands as they glow red.

"Weld."

I knew I was going to be working with that dwarf, so I probably brought my welding supplies. And I would have worn them when working with hot iron.

I'll put my welding goggles over my glasses and the get something I can use as a filler rod. Melting the rod between the two pieces he wants welded together.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 187):

He watches closely as you do it, asks a couple sharp questions, and you're both back to work.

After a couple hours, you're swaying on your feet.  He makes you sit down, drink some juice, and eat some pork rinds that are covered in salt.  After that you finish with him, and...

You have a working, for a few seconds, steam engine.  It requires continual repair, and messing with just to keep running.  It produces about 1/10th of a HP, you guess. and its of a size to be very bulky, but you could carry it, if it were cold.

OOC: Make Steam Engine 1@3 from previous attempt and add @1 for this.

The roll was '1' which is a minimal success, just barely succeeded.

I smile at the success

"Well this is great. Now all we need to do is refine it until we have something useable. "

In reply to Magnus (msg # 189):

He looks at you for a bit, nods to himself.

"First we drink, then we draw, and eat, and draw more, and then you sleep.  You humans are so fragile.  You are my golden goose.  I do not want to kill you off with overwork."  He bites his lip.  "My treat. We go to the Hammer's Smash.  Good music."

Provided you go, you find they have rock music.  Course its not Elvis.  Its more smashing granite into marble.  But the ale is thick and dark, and the mead sweet, and the pork roast fall of the bone, and half the customers are Dwarves, and they are happy, and that means everyone is happy.  Its hard to be down or sad in this infectiously cheerful atmosphere.

"...We are sort of squishy. Especially when compared to some of the tougher things out there. You are actually the first Dwarf I met. So the fact you can pick up red hot iron with your bare hands is amazing to me."

----------

I would go to eat and drink with him.
I can feel my thoughts get less clear as I drink alcohol.  So I would pace myself so that my body has time to process the alcohol. Because I don't like feeling stupid.

Although I would enjoy the rock music.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 191):

"Yeah,  most of us like the mountains, but in the Human cities you can get a lot of work.  Tain't nothing.  My grandsire, he would take a bath, once a year in molten iron.  The Great Maker built humans out of dust, but dwarves were built  out of iron.  My bones are iron, not like a Human."  He's pleased at your compliment.

The dwarves don't bother you about drinking less.  Its a well-accepted notion that Humans don't drink as much.  And you find that the dwarves drink a lot of water as well when you accidentally take another's cup.

He just grins, half-drunk.

"Got to get up in the morning, and work.  Don't need a banging head when banging iron. Oh, name's Amak."  He shakes your hand, and moves off to join the other dwarves.

You meet a half-dozen other dwarves, and a few Humans as well.  One of them introduces himself as 'the guy who gets the iron for most of these maniacs' which he says loudly, and the nearby dwarves throw pork bones at him.

After each set, maids come out, and sweep up the chunks of rock broken off by the music.

I'll shake Amak's hand.
"My name is Eli. Sorry about drinking your water."

I'll relax and enjoy the atmosphere.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 193):

Later, you make your way, a bit unsteady, back to the Tower.  The night guards chuckle as they see you pass through the outer gate.

In the morning, your hangover is not that bad.

You make your way back to the forge, and find the Dwarf hard at work making a new, larger steam engine.  He's torn the other one apart.

I'll drink water in the morning to help with the hangover. Hangovers are partially caused by dehydration and the nasty bits of alcohol that don't play nice with our metabolism.

Once I get to the forge I'll comment.
"I see that you have been busy this morning. I'll go ahead and help.
But I also have an Idea for another project that we could work on after we build this engine."

Again, I am prepared to dodge what he throws at me.

I'll help him build this larger engine.

====By nightfall, you and he have a 1/2 HP steam engine the size of a shopping cart that needs an attendant, but not constant attention.

As it chugs away, and you two stand a few feet from it, he turns to you.

"You had some other idea?"

I'll show him the sketch of the printing mechanism.

"Here is the Idea. Instead of having printers carve out a page from a wood block. We have a bunch of letters attached to short rods. The block replacement will have lots of holes arranged so that you can put a whole page of text using the letters.

Then we'll have a mechanism inside the block replacement to lock the letters in place. Then they can use that to print the page much faster than carving it out of a wooden block."

I'll sketch the Idea while I explain it.

"I talked to my printer about how much he would give to have this advantage. He offered half of what he makes on each book printed with this method. "

In reply to Magnus (msg # 197):

"I can make the short rods easily, but for the wood, you really need a carver.  There are some good Human ones, but the best is S'Tauquan, the only Elf in the City.  The mechanism will be a bit more difficult..."  He traces the lines of your drawing with a thick finger, asking you questions, and then nods.  "Yeah, we can do this."  Then he grins, and it makes the room seem to light up with the ferocity of it.  "It will be awesome."

"I was actually thinking of having you cast the letters in brass or bronze. But having someone carve the master set in wood then we press that into clay... bake the clay then cast from that.

That way the letters will last much longer than wood."

In reply to Magnus (msg # 199):

 He agrees to your plan with enthusiasm.  He sets to making the bars.

"...I guess I'll go and get the master set of letters."

I'll go back to my printer.

"We have started working on it. Could you carve us a wood block with the font you want to use on it? Basically I just need one with all the Upper and lower case letters and numbers 0 through 9. And I need to get an Idea of approximately how many of each letter you will need."

In reply to Magnus (msg # 201):

He thinks for a second, and then goes and gets an inked up block with lots of words on it.

"This is a throwaway since I've already used it.  Love poetry.  Always a popular seller among the ladies."  He hands you the ink sloppy chunk of wood.

He then searches through his other discards, and shrugs, and quickly carves out the numbers for you.  An hour later, and he's done.  He gives this to you as well.

He introduces you to his young apprentice that he's taken on. You suspect because of what you've told him.

"Tam, my printer's devil. This is Magnus, one of my authors, and a Wizard, and a man of learning."  The young teenager gives you a wide-eyed look from out of his ink-covered face.

"I'm middling curious to see how this works, Wandsman." He says to you as he takes up his wineskin for a drink before waving goodbye to you.

I smirk at the young man.
"You are going to get to see something new. It's going revolutionized how printing."

I'll reply to the printer
"It's going to work."

I'll take the wood blocks back to the Dwarf's blacksmith shop.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 203):

You hear Tam excitedly questioning the printer as you walk away.

The Dwarf nods at your items.  "Aye, it'll do." He chips the blocks apart, and shows you to make sand molds.  Within a day, you have your  machine.  It required a bit of sanding and oiling to work smoothly, but for now it does.

+@1 Blacksmithing

I'll take it to the printer and then show him how to set it up.

Once I am done with that I'll go back to the dwarf and ask him.
"How fine can you make gears? I have another Idea to help us out."

In reply to Magnus (msg # 205):

He takes a bit of charcoal, and does a rough drawing.  With some more explanation you and he finally get clarity.  He can make gears with the fineness of 1/15th an inch, but its a lot of work to make them that fine.  One -fourth and inch is common.

"Hmmmm. That is good. It is fine enough for us to make two different machines that will help us make more Machines. One is called a lathe and the other is called a Milling Machine.

I'll draw a sketch of them from memory.
"A Milling machine is sort of like a drill press. Except that the bench on it is replaced with a vice that is mounted on a carriage that can move with precision in the x, y and z axis. And where it hold the bit can also be set for a certain precise height. The Milling bit is sort of like a drill bit, but it cuts flat surfaces on it's bottom and sides."

I'll draw a close up of a milling bit.
"It has this helix that goes around it. It is fluted with a sharp hard edge. So that it cuts off a little bit at a time of the material we are working on. We are going to want to make that edge as hard and sharp as we can. Tungsten Carbide would be ideal. But I don't think we can get tungsten. So we'll have to use Iron Carbide. Which is the stuff that causes Steel to be harder than Iron. We'll probably need work on getting the milling bit right. Because I'm not sure what the most optimal angle is.

Let's see, we can use the steam engine to power it. just need pulleys and gearing to get the rotational energy up there and spinning in the right direction.

With The milling Machine we can make parts cut to precision along the three main axis. if we get the gearing right we should be able to cut with precision to within a few hundredths of a inch... And now I need to build something to measure something that fine. Man I wish I still had my calipers.

As for the lathe. We would need a chuck to hold the piece we are working on. We need gearing  to move the holders in and out at the same rate. The chuck is attached to a steam engine via a gearing system so we can control how fast it is spinning.  There is a tailstock that we'll use to help hold the piece we are working on. There is a movable carriage with a replaceable bit that we use to cut the rotating piece. There was a mechanism to make the carriage go down the track at a steady rate. But I need to figure out how to do that. Once I do we can make precision screws quickly.

With the lathe we can quickly make precision round things. Get an exact diameter for a piston and bore out the thing it goes into quickly."

====Its a solid week of work, and you have your devices.

"Tungsten is a very heavy metal. About the same weight to volume radio as gold. When alloyed with Iron. It makes a very hard alloy that retains it's ability to be shaped by beating and hammering. It is also very hard to melt. Iron melts a long time before Tungsten. All in all it is a very useful metal. But I am not exactly sure how to smelt it. I know the ore is a very heavy type of rock. but I didn't study it before so...I can't really positively id it."

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

How is the printer doing after the week with the Movable type printing press?

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

I'll do some research. Is there something equivalent to cotton in this world?
do they have a machine to help separate the seeds from the cotton?
If not, I might have to remake Eli Whitney's Cotton Gin.

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

I smirk at having the Milling Machine and the Lathe. These are tools I know. I was trained as a Industrial Maintenance Technician. and Machine shop was one of the things I had to learn. I was good enough to get a job in a Machine shop.

"This is good. Let's make another steam engine. We'll use this engine to show off to the Mage's Guild. I'm hoping to get a commission to Build a powered Boat. "

I'll help produce another steam engine with the improved tools. This I am going to take to the Mages Guild Dean to show my progress.
"I have successfully miniaturized the steam engine. I can build them any size. I am sertain that I could build a powered boat or a tractor."

====The Dean loves it.  He takes you to the whole faculty.  Some are interested, some are cautious about the large expenditure and hope you can foot most of the bill, and a few seem oddly close-minded to the notion.

"I think we should go to visit your home tunnels someday. Maybe I'll find something that we can use."

---------

I'll talk to the Dwarf.( What was his name? It seems we'll be around each other for a while.)

"My printer is having a hard time keeping supplied with paper. I need to make a machine to help make paper. I need to go and look at how they make paper now."

I'll go ask my printer where is his main supplier of paper is.

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

"Well, if I foot the bill then I am going to put it to work for myself. I'm sure the fastest vessel on the ocean would get plenty of business. Now I've already advanced the printing industry. So much so that my printer can't keep paper in stock. "

The closed minded frown even more, and you get the feeling something is going on because those looks are not reasonable considering what you've done, and how you've behaved.

The vote is called, and with the Dean's strong approval supporting you, and your mild threat, the vote is won.  The College will fund you.

+@1 Persuasion.

I'll reply to Tol
"Of course you'll get to help. I Promise. We'll probably need to make a rotating saw blade."

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

I Smile as I talk to the Paper maker and his son
"Well, I was hoping to sell you a few machines to help you make paper more efficiently.
I can sell you Steam Engines to run that stone crusher there. Or Build a machine out of metal to crush the chips. I could also make a more efficient chipper powered by a steam engine. Or a machine with a rotating saw blade to help debark the logs."

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

I'll talk to the dean privately after the vote.
"Well that when well. Although I have no clue how much a boat costs to build.
I noted that a few guild members where vehemently opposed to my steam engine and the idea of using it in a boat. I'm guessing that they have been opposing advancing your technology... They know that the Mage Guild has a monopoly on transportation with your Iron Dragons. They realize that I am a treat to that. I built a mundane engine that anyone could build.

I wouldn't be surprised if they try to assassinate me because of that. Since in their view I would be cutting into their money.

Honestly. I think I can make the world a better place for most people by advancing your technology."

In reply to Magnus (msg # 213):

"Father?" One son speaks, and several others nod.  Its an unspoken plea.  The papermaker leans back, takes out some odd stick, chews on it, leans one way, then the other.

"All right, boys." They cheer, and he turns to you.  "Never get any peace if I don't let  you make the debarker, or try anyhoo.  Pay you half up front, rest if it works. Final offer."

Several of the boys roll up their leg pants to the knees to show you some savage scars on their legs. Scars that look like a debarker's of theirs with its rippled blade.

=================

The Dean shakes his head 'no', and sighs.  "Its not that, although I would watch my back."

I'll tell the paper maker
"That sounds reasonable. I'm going to have to work on the design a bit. My current thought is sort of dangerous. Could lose a few fingers or a hand if you do something stupid with it. ideally We wouldn't let fingers or hands get near the spinning blade. Give me a few days to think about it and draw up the plans and then I'll get a price to you."

How big are the logs they debark?

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

"Ok, I'll watch by back. But what is the reason they are acting that way?"

In reply to Magnus (msg # 215):

8-10 inches across, thirty feet long, pretty straight.

"I think they'd rather steal this idea, and use it for boats.  Then they'd have a lock down on both forms of transport.    Right now, the sailors are independent of us.  And since they think they know enough already, they want you out of the way to make sure you can't compete with them."


"Years ago, I was pressured.  Let some young nobles in.  Well, I kicked out the craziest, but that just left the half-smart crooks.  I did my best to teach them patience, and they absorbed enough to get by, but their need to cheat, even when they did not have too, never left them.  I feel sometimes like I've failed the Deans who came before me."

"I see... I going to have to prepare something to spite them in case I die. If they kill me, the entire world will learn how to make steam engines. Along with everything I can write down.

Do you have an idea of their methods that I should look out for?"

In reply to Magnus (msg # 217):

"Stay out of dark alleys, lock your doors, if any really lovely lass out of nowhere just decides to be your friend....nets tossed off rooftops are good weapons against Wandsmen."

"Thank you for your advice. I'll keep it in mind."

I'll return to my room and start working on plans for the automated debarker.
I'll Also write a detailed description on how to make a steam engine. with drawn plans

Then I sleep. In the morning I'll Go talk to Tol the Dwarf.

"Well I got a commission to make a automated debarker. and I convinced the Dean to fun us making a steam boat...
But I did make some enemies. There are some old Aristocrats that are Wandsmen. They think to knock me off and Build the boat for themselves. I'll Just need to prepare some defenses for myself. And something to spite them if they do kill me."

In reply to Magnus (msg # 219):

"Hunh. Well if some jumped up Human nobles need a thwacking, I'm ye'er dwarf.  I think I know the group your Dean is talking about.  They come around, acting like they're doing me a favor to underpay for MY work.  Expecting me to care about their stupid Human titles.  Sorry, Magnus, I know ye'er a Human, but some of your race be dumber than rocks."

"... It is the same in every era, every age and every place. Some men grow full of themselves because they where born to wealth and power. Or simply let the wealth and power go to their heads. Those with wealth and power play their games to get more wealth and power, uncaring of who they crush to get it.

Well. I plan to have a nasty surprise for them. I can't act openly against them just yet. But I can prepare.

I'll need armor made... A chain shirt would be good... Bracers with a leather inner layer. put a sheath for my wand in the left one.. . maybe put something clever in the right one. perhaps trigger a spring loaded blade with a palm trust..."

I get distracted with thinking about what I need to build.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 221):

"Aye, Dwarves be not so.  You get a stuck-up, he gets exiled." He pauses.  "I may have been encouraged to find work elsewhere once upon a time.  Now I enjoy being the one Dwarf in a Human town, and I could go back, but I don't want to."

"I can help you make armor.  We dwarves love our armor.  Do you want heavy plate, which is what I wear..."

He goes and gets out a breastplate that looks beautiful, and suited to stopping a 9mm bullet.  Its at least fifty pounds.

I can't help but chuckle a bit at that.

"I see."

I examine his breastplate.
"This is nice. Something like this might be a bit heavy for me to wear all the time. I'm strong for a human. but still just a human.

I would love plate armor. I've dreamed of wearing it with a good sword. But we need to make something I can wear everyday under my mage robes. A mail shirt with the proper padding. Bracers and greaves. With a sheath in my left bracer. although I might want to keep that hidden. So I might need to make another wand..."

In reply to Magnus (msg # 223):

"Ah well,  that is a problem.  And this is only the breastplate, ye'd have the helmet, the gauntlets, the vambraces....hit about 250 pounds plus thirty-five for the shield."

He takes back the armor, and totes it one-handed back to its rest.

"Let's get started then."  And he takes measurements.  And soon, you're making a fairly heavy-duty chainmail.  He's making the pop-out knife.  He's whistling while he works, and its in tune with the hammer blows.

"Two hundred and eighty five pounds. That is about as much as my weight. I could only carry that for a little bit if I could carry it at all... And that is normal armor for a dwarf. Or at least the equivalent to plate. Humans can generally handle eighty to a hundred pounds of armor. Maybe more if they are particularly strong. Made from Iron indeed. "

I'll continue making the chainmail until I am done.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 225):

He grins back at you.

"No one like meeting Dwarves on dry ground in the open.  Elves have their longbows, what good they do.  And Orcs be stronger, but they can't even make good steel.  Catfolk, pah.  Not that any self-respecting Dwarf would want their muggy jungles.  Only Humans come close to matching us on the field of battle, and that's cause there's ten of you to every one of us.  And you guys do make good steel."

It takes you four days, and by the end Tol is helping you.  Its mind-numbing repetitive work as you heat a wire, clip it, bend it, seal it, and do it all over again about ten thousand times.

+@1 to Blacksmithing.

With tired hands,  you slip on the chainmail.  It fits, and a simple twist of the wrist, and 'snikt'...

After one day of doing it as the dwarf says, I probably would have build something to make rings faster that night. Since I need so many. Using barstock with a diameter equal to the inner diameter of the rings I want to make. I'll use my lathe to cut groves near both ends of the barstock. I'll drill a small hole across the diameter of the barstock near one of the groves. I'll weld a crank handle on the other end.

Then I'll make a stand to mount it on with two u's that the groves fit in. So that I can turn it and still pull it out.

I'll insert a length of iron wire through the small hole. then use my wand to heat it as I turn the crank and wind the wire tightly around the barstock. Once I am done I'll pull it off and use the clippers to snip the wire at the hole then slide the coil off the barstock. Then I'll use the clippers to clip the rings out in the proper size.

As an experiment I'll try to weld a few rings closed with my wand. to see if I have enough fine control over the heat to do that.

I'll get some padding to go under the chain mail and start wearing it all the time. along with keeping the Assassin's Creed wrist blade on. I'll make the other bracer for the left arm and put a sheath for my wand on the inner wrist.

After that I'll schedule for myself to make another wand with the Mages guild.

Then I'll restart makeing the plans for the boat and the debarker.
I came here on a ship correct? So there are docks. I'll go and see if there are ship builders at the docks.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 227):

It is a sufficient incentive to get your inventive juices flowing.  You make your device, and it saves considerable time, and aggravation.

The wand work requires you to bear down, and focus, but after an hour, you've got it.

+@1 to Wand Skill (whatever that's called.)

You go down to the docks, and indeed there are two boats being built at that very moment. There are no free berths for building.  Its a major port, and you have not really been in this part of the city before.

The High part of the City is where you've spent your time, and now you're in the Slope, which slopes down to the harbor.  At the harbor, you see working men, bars, screaming seagulls, and fishing boats along with four larger boats.

One officer is passing your way in front of the smelly line of fishmongers, and he nods.

"Do you need a ride, Wandsman.  We are leaving on the tide in the morning if you want to head north along the coast.  Captain won't charge much for a Wandsman."

I guess the skill would be Use Wand or Use Fire Wand. I'm away from my book at the moment.


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

I smile at the Officer.
"Thank you for the offer, Officer. But I'm not traveling at the moment. I'm looking for the Shipwright that is building those two ships there. Do you know the Shipwright,Officer?"

In reply to Magnus (msg # 229):

"I know them both, Wandsman.The Mocking Laugh is being built by Kerry, a good stout Halfling, and Bluebird is being built by my second cousin, Martin. I can introduce you to Martin.  With Kerry, I can send one of my midshipmen with you.  Are you interested in buying a boat for the Tower?"  He eyes you keenly.

I smirk at him.
"Yes, The Tower needs a boat built. But I am adding a steam engine and paddle wheels to the boat to propell it. I need a skilles boat designer and builder to work around my additions. I'm sure this will make boats able to carry more cargo and take it to were it needs to go faster.

Do you think your Second Cousin Martin is up to the task?"

In reply to Magnus (msg # 231):

"A what...?" He looks skeptically.  "Well, magic. Ok. Perhaps you'd be better with the Halfling. They tend to be better boatsmen than us Humans.  And Kerry is the best if you have something really tricky.  Ordinarily, I'd say go with Martin as he'd get you a better deal.  Halfling's like their money."

"Well. This will be delicate work... Could you send your Midshipman with me to met Kerry?"

In reply to Magnus (msg # 233):

He asks you to wait, and ten minutes later a twelve year old in a dark blue jacket and white pants sprints up to you.

"Sir. Follow me. My name is Nick." He starts babbling, asking questions, and leading you.  He takes you into a roped off area, snapping at a sailor who tries to block him, and leads you to a small shed in the shade of the boat that is being put together.

"Master Kerry, a visitor, courtesy of the Gull."

A very short and round man ling with several pens in his curly hair sticks his head out of the shed.

"Yes, Wandsman. Thank you, boy."

"Thank you for seeing me Master Kerry. The Tower would like to have a ship build using one of my Steam Engines for propulsion. I can design the drive train and paddle wheels but I don't know how to design a boat around the engine and drive train. I don't wan't the boat to capsize because I didn't get the balance right or something.

...A Steam Engine is an artificial Iron Dragon made with purely mechanical methods. the Drive train will transfer the rotational energy of the engine to the paddle wheels which will push the ship through the ocean.

If we get this right, It will revolutionize shipping across the ocean.

... Now that I think about it. I should have brought my sketches to show you what I mean."

In reply to Magnus (msg # 235):

He stares at you with shock.

"Wandsman, you are a caution. Turn my hair white, I think."  He starts asking you questions, easy ones at first meant to check if you have a clue what you're talking about you realize as he shifts to harder questions.  A few times he is interrupted with questions from his workmen.

Finally, after thirty minutes of detailed interrogation, he stops and raises a hand, and pours from his silver teapot, tea for the both of you.

"Master Magnus, I don't think you're a madman, nor an idiot. But you are attempting something new.  I can give you no warranty.  And I will need half the money up front.  And I still have to finish this ship before we can get started building yours.  But, I admit, its a curious thing you've described. Many clever thoughts went into it.  I wouldn't mind giving it a go."

He sits in his low chair.

"Now, if you be having any questions of me, I'm at your disposal, sir."

I was on a ship as a sailor for a while in this world. So I do know a bit about boats.

I smile through out the interrogation. He will see that I know what I'm talking about.

"Thank you Master Kerry. You can complete your other boat first. I would like haven plans drawn up first as completely as possible. The Tower is paying for it, So I would also expect an estimation of how much it would cost to build.

Do you have a spare sheet of paper that I can sketch on?"
If he does give me a piece, I'll sketch out my ideas.

"The tower would probably want a cargo vessel. So how big can you reasonable build a wooden vessel? The Engine will be fairly heavy and we will probably want to mount it near the keel near the midpoint of the boat. That should reduce the need for ballast. Obviously can't get rid of them completely, still need them to balance out the ships load.

Steam Engines need coal and water just like Iron Dragons. So The Ship will have to carry coal and a reasonable amount of fresh water. I might be able to build something to boil salt water and collect the steam to condense it into fresh water. The salt would have to be cleaned out of the boiler all the time though...
Anyway the coal should be stored near the engine. With a way to dump the coal easily down there... a chute down through the decks?

We can work on the plans while you build the other boat. I have a few Ideas, But I'll need your experienced hand to implement them."

In reply to Magnus (msg # 237):

His eyes glitter with greed when you say the Tower is paying for it.

He has many such papers, and you draw the sketch.  He asks if you want just the steam engine, or steam engine and sails.

He points out that if you can do this 'turn seawater into fresh water' that you can use water as ballast.

He provides you with what he calls a conservative design because he fears unknowns so its not as large as he could make, but it is a two-master sized ship.

He takes your drawing and fleshes it out, adding details and such, until both your teas are drank and the second cup has gone cold.

He gives you a quote that makes you wince.

I realize my mistake when I see his greed.

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

"It should have sails in case it runs out of coal."

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

I'll try to keep my face calm.

"That is a bit expensive Master Kerry. The Tower might balk at that price.
I'll take this quote and drawing to the Tower and try to convince them it is worth it. ...others might want a design like this. I might be able to direct them to you. And currently I'm the only one able to make steam engines."

Afterwards I'll go to the Deen.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 239):

He nods abruptly, and you leave.  The Dean stares at the price, and turns pale, then red-faced, then goes gets something alcoholic to drink.  Finally, he jabs a hand at you...

"A fourth, maybe a third, but, but that, that thief, no that will not do."

"I figured that he is gouging us. But I didn't know by how much. I guess I'll go back tomorrow and offer him a fifth of that. Maybe I can haggle him to something reasonable. If not I'll go to the other Shipwright. With a better idea of my budget... what do you think?"

In reply to Magnus (msg # 241):

He nods, then breathes in deep.

"In for a penny, in for a pound.  You do realize, Magnus, that I just agreed to spend more than my annual budget?  I think this is a good idea, even a great one, but I don't want to go down in history as ...."

He flips open a book of pictures of intelligent looking men until he gets to one that looks demented.

"Kenneth the Crazed. Back in the days when this city had kings.  He was the last of his line. Its generally thought his private bodyguard threw him off the castle walls while he was plotting a way to start a war with a mountain."

I smirk a bit.

"I didn't agree to buy the ship for this price. I said that I would take this quote to tho tower. And try to convince them it it worth it... But I wasn't foolish enough to Say we would agree to that without even negotiating the price. I even stated that was a bit expensive and that the Tower might Balk at that price."

I motion to the quote.

"... This is the tower's money I'm spending. It might be a good idea for you to be present for the negotiations. We might get a better deal with you present. Since apparently he intended to gouge us because he thought I was a young fool."

In reply to Magnus (msg # 243):

"All right." He breathes out, a bit shakily.

The next day you and he go back to Master Kerry who starts with a big smile.

"So you've agreed to the price, and...."
"No, I've come to tell you that no more wandsmen will work on your ships.  Any ship built by you.  None." The Dean is screaming.  Then he stomps out.

I'll try to hide my surprise and harden my face as I turn to Kerry.
I say in a cold tone.

"Your greed brought this about Shipwright. You thought that I was a fool that would agree to your ridiculous price. You will get no more business from me And I will use my influence to make sure you get no more business from the Tower."

With that I turn toward the door and walk out following the Deen.

That will ether get us out of buying the boat or make Kerry come to us from a much weaker position.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 245):

"Please, please, I'm sorry.  Half, half is reasonable."

I turn around and roar out
"Do You STILL Take Me For A Fool!
Half is still too much and you know it!"
Anger is evident on my face.

I wait a moment to calm and return to the cold tone.

"The only way I would consider doing business with you again is if you agree to build the ship for a sixth of the price you quoted. Then I'll consider talking to the Deen to get him to agree."

I imagine that I'm quite large for a mage. I'll use my size and the Mage's black robes to appear as scary as I can.

A sixth is probably going to be too little for him. I'm planning on letting him haggle his way to a fifth. A fourth at most. But he would have to fight really hard to get that far.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 247):

He shrinks back, turns kind of purple, and then yanks a wooden mallet off a nearby desk, and comes charging at you.  Seeing his belly bob might be kind of funny, but the look in his eyes is bloody murder....

OOC: Botch time.

I flow smoothly into a front stance similar to a boxers stance.
The robes will mess me up if I try my kicks. But what I'm planning doesn't require them.

Long ago I trained with my martial arts to disarm those using weapons against me... not against hammers specifically, but the motions will be similar to disarming a knife.


I will sidestep the swing to the outside and then grab the wrist with the hammer. I will pull out to straighten the arm then use an elbow strike to ether hyper-extend or break his elbow.

While he is stunned from that, I'll grab the back of his head them perform an elbow strike to his face.

That should knock him out. But I will still move out of range for now.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 249):

There is not a lot of room in this office cabin on the docks, but you slip outside of his downward slam, yanking him forward, and snapping his elbow, causing him to drop the mallet.

Klunk. The large mallet head hits the floor, and the handle brushes your leg.

You elbow strike him to the face but you're not used to such a short target and so the strike is soft, and he groans, and kicks you in the shin, hurting you a bit.

I step back with my face impassive.

Crap. Halflings are not like dwarfs. So I just broke the arm of someone smaller and weaker than myself.

I speak in a calm tone.
"I would recommend that you stop. I Would rather not be forced to finish the kata. That would be unpleasant for you."

He breathes hard, panting, and the purple blush in his face fades, and his eyes turn less crazed.

He winces as he moves his arm, and then he pleads with you to not do your threats.  And then he tumbles to the ground where he sits.

"Sugar. Please. Need sugar."

"Do you have any suger in here?"

I ask calmly as I search his desk or any cabinets.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 253):

He tells you, and you find it, and after eating a handful, he seems better.

"The Curse of the Halflings.  We're fat because we have to eat so much sugar.  We have to eat even more than we need, just to have enough.  Its get fat, or die.  And the Rage, well, it really takes it out of you." Master Kerry says softly defeated.  "I will take your offer, if you get the Dean not to ban wandsmen from my ships."

I feel bad about breaking his elbow.

"I will agree to talk to the Deen if you agree to build the Tower's ship for a fifth of what you quoted before."

I offer my hand to shake on the deal.

Then I go and talk to the deen.

"I got a deal from him. We should go to your office to talk about it."
This message was last edited by the player at 16:21, Mon 17 July 2017.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 255):

"Excellent." The Dean grins. "You caught on quick.  Is everthing okay?"  You and he go back toward his office.  On the way back, you hear the roar of flame, wand flame, coming from the direction of the blacksmithery of Tol the Dwarf's.

"... I will tell you in your office."

I turn my head a second to listen to the sound of wand flame.

"That sounds like trouble. Must be those aristocrats attacking Tol."

I draw my wand from my bracer holster and rush to Tol's blacksmith shop. I'll look for a window I can peer in to locate them without them spotting me.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 257):

The Dean comes running after  you.  Well, he runs, pauses to catch his breath, and runs some more.  He's rather old.

But he has his wand out.

You come around the corner of the street, and see flames licking at the roof of the smithery.  Getting closer, you look in, and see three wandsmen who are taking turns piling flame on Tol.  You can't see all the room, but you do see a pair of legs laying on the ground next to spilled blood near the front of the shop.

He is in a corner, near his forge, and he has his shield up, a truly massive thing, and a sledgehammer in his right hand.  He can't attack, and they don't want to get in range of him.

I'll Smash open the window with my elbow. Then aim through the hole.

If they are close enough, I'll use a flame thrower like spread of fire to catch all three of them.

If they are out of range of the flamethrower, I'll fire a fireball on them and try to make it explode when it hits them.

After taking my shot, I'll move to a different position to view the results.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 259):

You think you can get them all, and so you aim.  And hit between A and B, melting some of Tol's scrap iron on a table. Your spread did not work.

You go to another window, and just in time because a gout of yellow flame passes through where you had just been standing.  In this corner, you can't see Tol, although you can see two of them still alternately blasting him.

A is standing, looking around for you.  You see D for Dead is on the ground in the entranceway with his skull caved in.  Next to him is one of the Faculty.  Lord Temerance, one of the closed-minded aristocrats.  He has a wand out as well, and a small smile on his lips.  If you'd gone in the front door, you'd have run right into him, which is probably why he's there.    He's older and better dressed than the rest, who are all well-dressed in nice robes.

"I'm going to kill you all!" You hear Tol roar out over the snarl and boom of the flamesj striking his shield.

Has thd Deen caught up with me?

Of course, I mess up with the flamethrower when I need it. I needed to practice more with the wand.

I'll smash another window open with my elbow.

My practice with the wand has focused on producing a focused stream of really hot fire. Since I can see the two hammering on Tol. I'll fire a narrow blue-white beam of fire at one of them. I'm hoping to burn through something vital. Or dump so much heat into him to knock him out of the fight.

After I fire I'll move again to the Deen.
"Those Aristocrats are attacking my friend Tol. Lord Temerance in in the front door as a guard. Two are hammering on Tol with their wands. Tol is behind his shield but I think he is about to press back. One is looking for me."

In reply to Magnus (msg # 261):

Not yet.  He's still down the street just turning the corner, reeling a bit.

You burn a hole through his chest somewhere, and he screams, and falls senseless to the ground.  You run over to the Dean who is walking down the road, and tell him.  He nods.

Inside the smithy there is a boom and a flash of light, and then nothing.

"Lord Temerance, I demand a duel."  The Dean shouts.  A few seconds later, Temerance with a quizzical smile on his face, walks out.  He is followed by a glowering, and hair burnt, clothing smoking Tol.

"I can take this one out.  The others are down or dead." Tol says.
"Not on your best day, Dwarf.  I admit you did much better than I expected, but the survivors will listen to me next time rather than scheme to attack you behind my back." Lord Temerance says.  "Dean, are  you sure you want this?"

+@1 to Wandwork for your successful attack.

I glare at the aristocrat. My anger is barely held in check.

I demand
"Why did you do this Temerance? Tell me now!"

In reply to Magnus (msg # 263):

"My great-grandfather started planning on how to become influential in the Tower.  My father finally secured a position for me and some others.  Foresight, Magnus, foresight.  And a willingness and let us not forget, an ability to work on generations long plans are the keys to power.

You have created a new source of power.  Marvelous.  A true work of genius.  Now some in my group, they just wanted to take it.  I told them to oppose the Dean, and a Dwarf blacksmith, and a genius so openly was foolhardy.  Did they listen?  The impatience of youth." He sighs dramatically.  "I think the survivors will listen to me now.  On the other hand, they may be so enraged as to attack more effectively next time.  Perhaps block the exits and burn the building from the outside."

He smiles.

"Surely, we can work together for the good of us all.  More money, and a free hand for you, Magnus.  And a great age of 'steam ships' with you as the father.  Dean, you continue, and once you retire, I become Dean.  Think of all the greatness we could do together.  We could found a dynasty.  Indeed, Magnus, I know several of my cousins and nieces who would just love to meet you.  Very pretty they are."

I have become so angry it has wrapped back around to calm. Right now I would like nothing more than to kill this man because he arranged for my friend to be hurt... but most civilizations frown at killing no matter how angry or justified you are.

"You know. I might have considered your offer if you didn't arrange for my friend to be attacked and his shop burnt.

As it stands, I can't trust you. I doubt that you have a shred of basic decency.
I bet wont even pay for the damage you and your friends caused.

Know this. Steam engines are just the beginning of what I know how to build.
Things you can't even imagine.

If I die. I have arranged for the knowledge to be distributed to the four corners of the world. That knowledge will break the aristocracies power and the Tower's monopoly on transportation. Leaving you and your children with nothing.

Do not test me. Now leave before I decide to burn you until not even ash remains. Consequences be damned. "

If he tries to attack with his wand. I'll try to redirect the fire with my wand. Bending the fire to flow around.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:48, Thu 20 July 2017.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 265):

His eyes flare just a bit, and then calm.

"Decency is for the stupid.  Its a useful tool to keep the sheep in line."  He shakes his head.  "I'm disappointed in you Magnus.  I thought you could be a great man."  He looks at the Dean.  "I'll send some servants to get the others." He walks backwards keeping his eyes on all of you until he is a good distance off.

"I will be great. But I don't need to be a sorry excuse for a human being to do it."

I let him leave.

Is Tol's smithy on fire or has it somehow not caught on fire from all the magic fire being thrown around?

If it is on fire. I'll gesture with my wand to move the fire to an area it can't burn.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 267):

You and the Dean put out the fires by tossing them into the open forge.  There is not much that is burning as there is a lot of stone and metal, and most of the wood is heavy timbers.  But there will need some repair, and Tol sends a message to the carpenters for a couple 'great hewn logs'.

Tol tells you that they came in and just started attacking. He only had time to grab his shield and he already had his hammer.  Out of the four that did the actual attacking,  one is dead, and two are gravely injured, and one is not badly hurt.  Lord Temerance of course got off scott free.

The town guard comes to question what has occurred.  Its four of them, well armed.

I'll tell the guards the truth. But I'll defend my use of lethal force by saying that I was defending my friend Tol. Who was being unlawfully attacked by the other mages.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 269):

They take your report, and the Dean's, which backs you up, and Tols, which does as well.

"Its not likely to result in any charges for either side." Their leader says. "We will talk to our captain, tho', to be sure."

I immediately think
No charges! NO CHARGES!!!
What is up with the legal system here?!? They Clearly attacked a man unprovoked with lethal force.

I force myself to calm down.I'll wait until the guards leave

Then I'll Talk to the Dean.
"I'm still sort of new here and I'm not familiar with the legal system. So can you explain to me why they are not getting charged with assault or something?"

In reply to Magnus (msg # 271):

He leans back, and sighs as he sits down on one of Tol's chairs.

"One, it is against Tol, a Dwarf.  And that's not as bad as you'd think.  Most people think Dwarves can take care of themselves."

"Aye, we can.  Them murdering scum is going to be begging before I squish em." Tol says darkly.

"Two, its aristocrats, and everyone knows they'd have a dozen witnesses swear to their innocence.  And three, is my fault.   I challenged Temerance to a duel.  Which, we're not supposed to do, but it again is something kind of winked on."

It seems the legal system here has a bit of corruption, and perhaps cowardice worked into it.

"When a wandsman goes bad, well, we sometimes deal with it ourselves at the Tower.  Another time, we hired an Elf.  One shot to the back of the head from two hundred yards.  M'boy, you and I are both very dangerous men.  Especially in a city.  We could do a lot of damage by spreading wildfire.  The town guards are just hoping the problem will go away."

"I see... I've made quite an enemy then."
I'll sit down in one of Tol's chairs.

"I guess I should tell you two about the deal I made with the Halfling Shipwright Kerry.
After you Left, I went on the offensive with the negotiations. Demanding the Boat be built for a sixth of the price he quoted before. I was hopping to haggle him to a fifth... but this sent him into some-sort of Halfling rage. Then he came at me with a large mallet. I wasn't exactly sure how halflings compared to humans... So I treated this a a threat. I redirected the hammer strike and ended up breaking Kerry's arm with an elbow strike. That stunned him and I told him that my next move would be really unpleasant for him if he continued. He then calmed down and asked for sugar. I found some for him and then he agrees to my terms if I convinced the Dean to allow Wandsmen back on his ships...

I felt so bad about breaking his arm that I made the deal for a fifth of wat he asked for before."

"Not just you.  In fact, you've just shown the rot that was hidden in the Tower.  I was surprised to hear the arrogant snot tell me of his plans to succeed me.  As if I would ever hand the Tower to someone like him."  He looks angry at that thought.

"Me too. And Master Kerry, well, they don't hold their anger as much as Dwarfs or some Humans do.  More like Cat People that way.  Now a Dwarf can hold a grudge for thirty years."

"I see. I guess I should get started making my threats into reality. I need to start writing instructions for the things I know how to build.

Do you know what black powder or gun powder is? We should be able to get the charcoal and sulfer easy enough. But the saltpeter is something else... if I had nitric acid, I could treat cellulose to make guncotton... do you know what saltpeter or nitric acid is?"
This message was last edited by the player at 02:34, Sat 05 Aug 2017.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 275):

They shake their head at black powder.  They do know what saltpeter is.

"Well assuming that we are talking about the same thing. Saltpeter or Potassium nitrite is one of the main ingredients of gunpowder. It serves as an oxidizer in the burning reaction with the charcoal and sulfur. Allowing them to burn even in a sealed container. Producing gasses.

This... has a few uses. Putting it in a sealed container of iron. The gasses will build up pressure until it bursts the container. Generally producing shrapnel. Which makes horrible wounds. Lots of little bits of metal entering the body at one making it hard to clean and heal.

One of the other uses is a gun. If you give all that pressure an outlet that is easier than the sealed container it will go down that path. if you set it up so that the path is a metal ball going out of a tube. It will launch that ball out at a speed faster than any arrow or sling stone. Out to a ok range, it will be devastating to whoever it hits."

You go back to the Tower after getting the forge fixed up.  The Dean has a bucket of saltpeter sent to you, and it looks like its what you want, except its not very pure.

OOC: Sorry for the delay. I've been exhausted for the past week.

Well. I've going to have several projects.
1: Purify the Salt Peter
To purify it. I first need to set up a still to distill water.
So I'll get a copper pot and make a conical lid for it out of copper. then I'll drill a hole in the tip and then braze a long copper tube on to it. Then I'll wind the tube into a curl without kinking it.

(These people haven't gone through a electrical revolution. So the copper shouldn't be as expensive as it is now in out modern world.)

I'll boil some water in the still. Any impurities in the water should remain in the pot while the water condenses in the copper tube and drips into another bucket I set up.

I'm going to make a wide funnel. I'll get a spare sheet of thick paper. Then I'll cover the end of the funnel with the paper and hold it in place with a metal band. Making a paper filter.

Then I'll dissolve as much salt peter as I can into the distilled water. Then I'll run it through the paper filter and into a metal bucket. The salt peter and water should go through since it is dissolved salt. And the Other particles within the salt peter should stop at the paper filter.

Then I'll let the water evaporate. Leaving the pure salt peter.

2: Work on the automatic log debarker.
I'll Draw up my plans to see what Tol Thinks and about how much it would cost to build.

The core of the machine is a saw blade that is rotating horizontally. There are two tracks of rollers To ether side of the Saw. The Saw is sat so that it is about an half inch above the rollers. There are walls set up to ether side so that the direction of the saws rotation will push the log into the wall.

The workers will push the log through the saw using a crossbar across the widest section of the log. So they wont have to get their limbs near the saw. They will push it through one way. Rotate it a bit and then push it through the other way. Repeat until you have the log debarked.

         -->Direction of rotation
   Wall  _  ________
_______ / \ Rollers
Rollers(Saw)--------
------- \_/ Wall

3: Write an 'Invention' journal
I'll Start writing down as many ideas and how to implement them as I can.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:39, Fri 18 Aug 2017.

The still is set up, and you try it.  Its not quite working right, and so you fiddle with it a bit.  It works better.  Some more fiddling, and its working decently.

You get your pure salt peter.

Later that day, visiting Tol at his now refurbished forge, you show him the plans.  He asks if you want to make the saw with a mold, or by chipping out the teeth.  He gives you a price, and while its not cheap, you think its bearable for the paper-maker who after all, does pretty well for himself, and more so now that you have started the Printing Press Revolution.

Speaking of which, you spot on the way, some other guy you've never met using a printing press through a door with printer's devils running out with freshly dried pamphlets to sell.

Your journal begins filling up with ideas.

+@1 to Design, and Writing.

I'll get a bit of charcoal and sulfur while I am out.

I'll also add a blade guard for the saw on the sides of the machine where the workers pass.

I'll reply to Tol
"I was thinking about cutting the blade out of a plate with my wand. Make it a circle and then cut the teeth. We'll have to harden the teeth a bit."

---------
"I was thinking about adding a bit as my fee for designing the machine. What do you think Tol?"
---------

Was the guy using a movable type printing press?

In reply to Magnus (msg # 281):

The first gear breaks in two right as you're almost done.  The second goes well.

The next is done and redone to the point where its lost too much material.  Sigh.  You hammer out another gear circle.  And you get it done.  Its been a long hot day, but ...

+@2 Skill to Wand Use.
+@1 Hand/Eye Coordination (an attribute, not a skill)

You have a new clarity of how the seeing and the action go together.  Its like your kinesthetic sense is more precise, and easier to use.  You know where you are just a bit more than you did, even with your eyes closed.

Tol smiles.  "Its what some folk don't realize.  Use your body every day, and you don't just get stronger, and tougher, but more flexible, and just more aware.  As to your fee. Oh,20-30%."

"I was aware of improving my coordination by working on it. I wonder how accurately I can aim now...
Thanks for your advice. "

I'll continue working on my projects.
I'll get a wooden mortar and pestle and start mixing small batches of gunpowder together. If I am remembering it correctly, it's  75% salt peter, 15% charcoal and 10% sulfur by weight. Grind them into finely mixed powder then bind it together by wetting it with water. That should cake the powder together. Then break the cakes up into grains. I'll test a bit by putting it on the floor in a small pile. Then hit it with a really small beam of fire.  If I did everything correctly it should burn up quickly and energetically. Since the gases are not contained, there is no way for it to build up pressure. So it can't explode.

The first couple times the percentage is off, and you get stinking smoke more than a spot of burning.  Working on that more, you get some, but then you have to go back, and get the grains a bit smaller.  Then the mortar spins off the table after a casual arm swipe, and you have to clean and dry it.  And about seven hours after you start, you get your successful burn.  Just to be sure, you test it again, and you've got a working project.

Its a bit delicate because your method is finicky, but it works when you pay close attention to it.

You have black powder.

1@2 Make Black Powder.

I'll roll a small tube of paper and stop one end up with clay.
Then I'll make a fuse with string. I'll grind in salt peter and sulfur into the string and bind it by wetting it a bit. (The string will provide the carbon for the reaction.
I'll test a short section of the fuse I made.

Then i'll put some black powder in the tube. i'll put some clay around the fuse and then stick it into the tube.

I'll go ahead and show it to the Deen and Tol. First lighting some free powder. Then showing them the firecracker that I made.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 285):

+@1 to Black Powder.

First its the whirr of flaming powder.

You make your little firecrackers, and demonstrate them with a bang.  It gets both of them to jump the first time you light them off.

Both of them are quickly speculating on uses.

"With one of these, I could startle Lord Temerance, and get the drop on him with a flame strike.  Maybe even hit him on the first attack." The Dean says, nerving himself up, and thinking at the same time.

"Interesting. You hold the power in for a bit, and then wham, out it goes." Tol says.  He wants to test how strong one is by holding it in his hands when it goes off.

"I specifically made that one weak as a demonstration. so that it only made a loud bang.
It's possible to make thing that can easily hurt and kill people with black powder.

I wouldn't recommend doing that Tol. The weaker firecracker's probably won't do anything to you. But the Stronger ones have been known to blow off the fingers of humans who hold them like that.

As I said before, When black powder burns It produces gases. Containing this gas and letting it build pressure. So containing the gasses with your fist is a bad idea. since the gases are going to escape some way. and it might be by going through your finger.

Where was I...
Oh right. Being able to make this... Open up a lot of things I could build.
For example, Let's say I take a sealed container of iron and intentionally put weak points all over it's structure. Then I fill it with my black powder. and set up a fuse to go into it.
What do you think would happen when that burning fuse reaches the Black powder?"

In reply to Magnus (msg # 287):

"Pah. I'm a Dwarf, not a weakling Human." Still, he doesn't try the experiment.  The Dean nods in understanding as you explain it, and Tol seems not to be listening, but when you ask your question he is quick to reply.

"It would be like a whip of nine tails.  All the metal slicing and burning all over. Could you crack rock with this? Use it in a mine?" Tol asks.

The Dean thinks and then asks, 'So, what about you doing this thing, but with no fuse.  I toss it, and then light it with a flamestrike....?"

"That is correct. The pressure would build up in the weakened container. Then It would burst, sending out shrapnel in every direction. Shrapnel is little pieces of metal moving fast enough to pierce flesh. So it is generally going to hurt and kill anyone on the blast radius. So it would be a good idea to take cover if one uses this.

One could crack rock and use this for mining.  If one can contain the expanding gasses in the rock... Which might be as simple as putting a bomb into a drilled hole.

As for not using a fuse... The ignition would be unreliable, I think. The flame strike would heat up the case. But there is no guarantee that you heat it enough to cause the black powder to spontaneously combustion. An open spark will set it off though.

But I can make a demonstration. I might be wrong. I just need a crucible and something to hold the crucible with."

If they do get me a Crucible, I'll put a bit of black powder in it.  And then Heat it without letting the flame get near the black powder. My thought is that it will eventually catch on fire after you heat the crucible up to the ignition temperature. But it would be much faster to let a spark set the black powder off.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 289):

It works, and reliably, but its a lot faster to use a spark.  The Dean thinks he could generate enough of a flame strike to light it, but he's open to better methods.

+@1

OOC: In the early days, heated iron rods were sometimes used to ignite black powder.

"Well, What do you know? I wasn't quite right. Still. It was a good demonstration of the scientific method. "

Let's see if they ask my what that is.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 291):

They don't.  Both are intelligent, and the Dean is scholarly, but the Scientific Method is not so ingrained into them.  Or it may be that they are just curiously waiting to see what new wonder you can show them.  Hanging out with you is better than going to a show.

"... oh well. I'll explain it later.

There is another use for black powder. Unfortunately I don't have a demonstration set up.
Imagine a long hollow tube with one end closed that is made strong so that it doesn't burst. with a really small hole drilled into it. Put a measure of black powder in and then shove a ball of lead down the tube so that the lead ball seals the black powder in the tube. Now get a spark of fire to go into the pin hole and ignite the black powder. What do you think would happen?"

Tol screws up his face.  "The barrel would explode, but why would you want to do that.  Oh, you could carry it easy, then set it up, and drop it, no, put it in some place by sticking it in the ground.  Might take out some attackers who walked by."

The Dean is clueless.

"It would explode if the lead bullet is too tightly lounged in the barrage. But if it was just barely longed in. just enough to keep the expanding gas on one side of it. Then. The Gases would push the bullet down the barrel and send it flying faster than any sling bullet or arrow. often with enough force to punch through most armor. make it big enough and it will even go through dwarf armor.

Deen. You mentioned a magic technique to shield against fire spells. How effective is it against things like arrows and Slings?"

In reply to Magnus (msg # 295):

"Not very.  But if you're quick, you can burn an arrow from the sky, or buffet it or a stone to go off course with a large gout of flame."
OOC: We can continue this convo.

=================

You've finished the paper maker's machine, and he's paid you for it, with joking grimaces.

The Halfling seems not to have taken offense, or at least let it go, and is proceeding quickly on the ship.  The keel, and the internal frame is up.  The side plankings are being put on.

Your steamwheel paddle is ready.

You are aware you're being followed, pretty much all the time.

Two new printers have taken up printing with your design in town.  There is a great deal more paper seen in the streets, and some arguments are afoot.

A Human named Ben comes to you with the idea of creating a Discussion and Invention Club to meet once a week.  The objective is to present new ideas, printed out, or a new invention, or phase of an invention, once a month.  It will cost a little to rent a place for it.

The Town Guard sends a message to you.  "We are aware of your recent unjust sufferings, and while we find ourselves unable to directly aid you, we do appreciate your discretion, and we hope to offer what small services we may.  Captain Curtis."

The season turns, and heat and humidity blast the town.

I'll Reply to the Dean.
"This bullet will come out of the barrel faster than anyone can react.
I guess I'll build one later. or maybe a pistol...to trigger the black powder...Hmmm
I wonder. Can I creat a spark at a point a few inches away from my wand?
I may need to get another wand to build this."

I'll pull out my wand and point it away from them.
Then i'll concentrate on macing a spark about a inch away from the wand.

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

I'll help With the installation of the paddle wheel. Making sure that it is installed right on the boat.

I'll take to wearing the Chainmail and my Bracers. So I have a spring loaded blade and a wand with me all the time. I'll work on keeping an eye out for danger.

I'll help Ben out with this Invention Club. How big of a fee is it to rent the place once a week?

I'll Send a letter to Captain Curtis Delivering it to the guard house myself.
"Thank you for your consideration. I've noticed people following me all the time. If you could spare a few guardsmen to follow me. I hope it will discourage hostile actions against me."

Feels like home in the summer. So I can probably mostly take it with a minimum slowdown.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 297):

The Dean raises an eyebrow at  your assertion.  Its clear that the notion of that level of speed is hard for him to get his mind around.

You have to struggle to make the spark as you want it.  Its easy to make  a line of sparks from your wand, but just one separate spark is hard.  Still after twenty minutes you have it.  The Dean does it as well.

"Always good to learn new things." He says.

======================

Spotting Hidden Followers 1@2.

Its a minor bit of cash to you.  Not pocket change, but a lunch.  Ben gets about eight others to join in, and you spot one of the papermakers kids, and one of the new printers, as well as several others you've seen.  One of them is a Wandsman who has to idea of using his wand to heat water in a barrel, and use that steam to push wagons out of really big mudholes.

Captain Curtis thinks for a second, weighing things out in his mind, and then nods slowly in agreement.  "Yes, I think that would be best.  It would help to keep the peace."  He calls in three men, and introduces you to them, and gives them the assignment of bodyguarding you.  They've done this before with other individuals they assure you.  Mostly rich merchants transporting stuff, or going to buy a load of something with a bag of gold with them.  They all are veterans.

I smirk when I get it.
"Well. That eliminates the need for a primer. At least for mages. I wounder if you have any books on alchemy...
Anyway, Now I have to figure out if I can incorporate a wand into the handle to serve as a triggering mechanism. I'll need to make two more wands."

hmmm. A half inch for the sides of the barrel should be plenty for safety. Tol. I need you to make a cylinder with a diameter of 1 and 3 quarters of and inch. Then bore out one end so that the bore has a diameter of 3 quarters of an inch. But don't go all the way through. Leave about half an in on one end.

----------

I'll step up to the front.

"Hello Everyone. I am called Magnus. You may have heard of me. I wrote a book or two and invented a few things.
And I am here to give you the secret of how to invent things.
To be an inventor, One must be lazy. But not the normal kind of lazy that people think of. One must be the kind of lazy that is willing to work his butt off in order to be lazy later.
One has to look at the way things have always been done and then say 'There must be a better way to do this.' Then go out and make it happen. For example. People have always striped bark by hand. But now there is a machine to do it for them. Progress.
Wandsman. You had an idea to use steam mad by heating water with your wand to move wagons out of mud. How do you plan to accomplish that?"

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

"Thank you for your assistance Captain. If you ever have a problem that you think my inventions can help with. Talk to me."

In reply to Magnus (msg # 299):

"We have some, I think.  Probably buried in a back room somewhere." The Dean says.

"We have some as well," Tol says. "But they would hold secrets of rocks and metals, and we dwarves would not eagerly spread them, without some compensation.  I, would, for I know you, but my brothers in the mountains don't, and they have the books."

Tol nods at your request.  "Never boring. Heh. I'm boring, but its not boring."

===================

The Club listens closely, and the Wandsman gets out a portfolio of loose papers.  He shows you many drawings.  Some with alternate ideas.  You're able to piece together a system that you think would work, and figure out th emissing parts needed pretty quickly.

The device involves a metal barrel as a reservoir, an anchor driven into the ground, and a hydraulic push bar.

A  Barrel PushBar WheelofWagon
N                 Mud Mud Mud Mud
C
H
O
R.

Side view.

"Well. I would like to take a look at them. If you could get someone to find them for me, that would help out a lot.

So the Dwarves would need compensation...Do you think the secret of the Steam Engine would be enough?"
-------------
I'll tell the Wands man.
"I see how it is meant to function. You might want to put in a safty valve to prevent the piston from exploding from the pressure. But otherwise you got most things to make it work. You just need an additional something here, here and here."

I'll then tell him about what he needs to make it work.

"You could also add in a boiler to make it usable to those without wands. Allowing you to sell it to more people. A system based on just hydraulics could also work."

In reply to Magnus (msg # 301):

Tol nods with a big smile.

The Wandsman goes off to make your changes.  Over the next month, you see a couple of them deployed.

There is a new Reading House where one can drink tea, and read pamphlets as part of the price of sitting there.  When you walk by the owner comes running out, and practically drags you in.  Inside, nearly everyone wants to shake your hand.

Several more printers are up.  You find copies of your book that are not made by the printer, and you're not getting paid for them.

The steamship is finished.  GE roll time....12.  It takes a week of modifications after its 'finished' to actually be finished.

The City declares a holiday, and about nine of ten of the people in the city come down to the waterfront to watch the launching of the ship.  There are speeches, which are repeated by heralds so that those in the back can hear.

Dignitaries from nearby cities have come.

You see  your wandsman enemy in the distance, and he looks depressed, and a bit scared as the cheers shake the ground.

The whole of the Tower has come, and you're presented with a very large metal key to the City by the Lord Mayor.  The Halfling is being feted as well, and he's nearly crying with joy.

Add other reasonable details....

GE roll of 9.

I'll see if the Reading House will let me give lectures there. I'll talk about inventing and science. Maybe the Reading House will give me free tea. I'm not going to ask for it. But I'd imagine that my lectures would draw business. I like tea anyway so I would probably buy some and sit down and relax.

I'll go to the my printer and tell him that that he doesn't have to pay me for my book or the printer anymore. Since he has enough competition now.

When I notice Lord Temerance looking worried, I can't help but flash him a feral grin, Radiating confidence.

They are probably going to have the ship make a tour around the bay using just the steam engine. I'm going to be on the ship to make sure nothing goes wrong with the steam engine.

After the holiday, I'll start making plans with Tol to go and visit the Dwarves. Along with a demonstration steam engine.

In reply to Magnus (msg # 303):

The Reading House is greatly enthused to have you give lectures.  Soon you're speaking to a packed house.

Your printer thanks you, and tells you he owes you a debt of gratitude.

Temerance looks like he's eaten a lemon.

Multiple tours around the bay.  You hear news that a new drydock is to be built.  And two different groups of investors approach you with a desire to have steam engine ships.

You leave with Tol, and an honor guard of eight men from the City.  You're able to give several lectures in small towns, and one in a barn on the way to the Dwarves.  Interest is high.

You come to the Dwarven Gate into Thunder Mount, an extinct volcano, and the Dwarf Captain of the guard is dressed in heavy armour, enammelled blue, and chaised with gold.

"Hail Tol, and friends."
"Hail, Berek, I see you've risen from a sprout who did not know what to do with a pike." Tol replies. "This is the great inventor Magnus of the City, and his honor guard, and he is my friend."

I'll work on being both entertaining and informative with my lectures. Hamming it up and gesturing wildly. I'll lecture about science and invention. About how any one can do it. All you need is Curiosity and Discipline for Science. And Vision and Imagination for Invention...along with an understanding of how the world works from Science. I want to spark their imagination.

----------

I assume the investors want a bigger ship than the one I had built before.

I'll tell them that I need to talk to the Shipwright before can talk to them about price.

I'll go talk to the Master Kerry the Halfling about the design changes they want. "Tell me how much it will actually cost to build this so we can discuss how much extra we are going to charge these investors."

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Has Tol told me about what to expect?

"Greetings Captain Berek.
I have a deal that I believe will interest the Leaders of the Dwarven Clans."

The tea is free to you, and after the lectures you often spend an hour or two exchanging ideas over scraps of paper with designs on them.  An excitement is gripping the town.

The Halfling agrees, and he shows you that one of the designs is doable, but the other requires a drydock even bigger than the one now being built.  And he's not sure the second one won't break in the middle from its huge size.

Tol has.

"Welcome, Magnus of the City, in Tol's name.  There will be a feast tonight to meet the elders, and tomorrow, if the elders like you well, you may meet the smiths."

I'll ask the halfling.
"What if we reinforce the keel with iron? That might make it where we could build the boat that big. The iron will rust though unless we put a sacrificial anode in a electrical circuit with the Iron. Zinc would work for this."

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"I look forward to speaking with the Elders."

I'll wait for the feast.

The Halfling blinks, and then has you explain this 'sacrificial node' stuff.  For a bit he was thinking you were talking about magic.

=================

You chat, answer questions, and eat a lot of food.  Finally, the oldest of the dwarves raises a hand, and looks at you.  The room quiets.

"What are you going to do to this world with your changes, Magnus of the City?"

"No it isn't magic. It's just a chemical and electrical process that will stop the iron from rusting while the anode holds out. Have you read my book on electricity?"

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"My machines will make the lives of the common folk easier and less full of toil. Nearly every task will have a machine that helps with it. Civilization will make wonders that you never dreamed of with my machines."