The first book and DVD set you find is labeled "Axe Making For Dummies." You are just compelled to read and watch them both several times.



The first thing you try to make is your axe head. The one you envisioned. It's a promising start, but you're gonna need More Practice.

1@1 blacksmithing.



You are, for the most part, compelled to make axe heads. You can stop here and there and work on a sword, but 80% of your work is just a mad compulsion to make axe heads.

That is what you asked to create, after all.

Edit. Working around the red-hot forge makes it abundantly clear why the Zippo said "FIREMAGE".

(Doing Therapy)
This message was last edited by the player at 06:06, Thu 16 Nov 2017.

Oh weird.

I make all the axes, or at least, axe heads.

Once I am sufficiently comfortable making axe heads, where I can make three without having to refer back to the book or video, I stop.

I then look around to see if there is anything to use for a haft/shaft for the axe. If so, I start attaching to complete the axes. If not, I stop.

"Stop creating axes." I'll chant it a few times if necessary.

If I go back to the forest I'll assess my surroundings and if I have a variety of axe heads, then I'll cut down some branches with the axe head and see about making a shaft for the axe.

You mean a few weeks from now? This isn't something you can knock out in a day. Even a skilled blacksmith might take a week to make a really quality weapon. I wanted to get you into a rut where you were skipping ahead. This is that rut.

So, four weeks later, Alice has visited twice. When she sees you're blacksmithing, she asks if you'd like her to ask Mister Magehammer to visit.

As far as food, you're not too far from a grocery store filled with canned goods, plentiful hunting grounds and what's left of a few vegetable gardens, now growing wild vegetables.



After a few weeks, sure.



When your axe head touches the tree, you have a vision. A pile of gravel, a burning bush, a glass of water and a kite soaring on the breeze.

The pile of gravel "Says" EARTHMAGE!!!!!!!

When you wake up, the branch you cut is in your hands. You are in a woodworkers shoppe. Instructional videos, books, tools.

And the best part is, after exploring for a bit, you find the steel mill is only a block away.

(Doing Therapy)

I look around the shop, see if there is a source of food, rice for example.


I look through the books to see what I'm making, assuming axe shafts but hoping for bows too.

Learn all the things, eat soup for days. While here I look around for the other shops that I'll presumably work at. If I can see it, cool, if not, cool.

"While I'm an earth mage, can I create rice to eat?"

If I get the feeling that I can, I will go to the vegetable gardens and try to create rice. If not, I try to create broccoli.

Bread required all four elements, sure, but broccoli and rice are crops. They grow from the ground, this should be purely earth magic. Maybe some water, but it should be feasible.


I'll use the soup jar as a medium - even if the magic that powers it only works once a day, I use it mundanely as a container for making food. Adding in food, creating water and boiling it with fire.  With the woods nearby, I'll acquire firewood.

I keep making whatever it is I'm compelled to make, but if not bows, then I do try to add that in every now and then. Every few hours I'll get some food to eat. Rest when tired, but work otherwise.

You're still in the same neighborhood as the grocery store and the hunting grounds. Food isn't an issue.

But any grains would have been consumed by rodents long ago.



Same as before. You're mostly compelled to make axe shafts, but you can make bows.

Weeks go by. Alice shows up 3 more times. About every 9-11 days or so. Exactly at 12 noon when she does.



No stonecutter or leather worker. Sorry.



You chant "Create Rice"

And a small, new seedling begins to sprout in the garden. You get the impression you should stop and let nature take its course.



And wood for making things.

The branch that you cut off. You are just compelled it keep it. Not do anything with it.

Four weeks go by.

(Doing Therapy)

I let nature take its course and stop trying to magically make food, for now.

Well, 2 months, and I can do some blacksmithing, mostly making axe heads, and some wood working, mostly making axe shafts. Some swords and some bows. Let's put them together and see where this takes me. I wonder what I'll use the branch for.

I stop making shafts.  I try to connect all my axe heads with appropriate shafts, that I might have fully functional axes, by which I can attract all the ladies.

Oh dear, that's probably not my best joke.

I take note of Alice, but largely ignore her.

Once I have fully functional axes, I store some in my bag and proceed to chop down a tree.  I'll use the fallen  branches to make arrows for some of my bows.  I'll get some firewood made from the trunk, and also see about getting some longer pieces to serve as my eventual floor or roof.

Maybe I should make a log cabin? It'd be an interesting way to put these woodworking skills to use.

I'll look for rocks to see if I can fashion some arrowheads together.

I bet wind magic will make my bow and arrows far better and swifter. What will I chant for it? Arrow flight? Guided arrow? Precise flight? Wind missile? Wind arrow? Yea, let's do wind arrow, though a bit misleading. No, wait. Wind guide. Wind to guide my arrow to its destination. Yea, let's do wind guide instead.

---

Do I have some woodworking skill now? Or is this a subset of blacksmithing? 

You do. And it works. But something is missing. You can use the axes alright. But somehow they just don't feel right.



And that's fine. You can do that. However, you are now compelled to work in both the blacksmithing shoppe and the woodworking shoppe. You spend a few hours each day in each shoppe.

Whilst in the steel mill, you find a block of iron that would be just perfect to make an axe head with. You set it to the side with the branch.



You've got the skill for that. After a while, it occurs to you to make iron arrowheads.



1@1 wood working.

BTW, you've figured out by now that Blacksmithing is fire, woodworking is earth. Any thoughts on whether stone working or leather working are wind or water?

Another four weeks pass. Alice shows up a few times. All is Wonderful in Verser World.

Finally she tells you that Carly Rae finally versed out. She was one selected to be a Chaos mage and she versed herself out in a magic botch.

(Doing Therapy)

Ahh, she had that coming. Good for her, maybe she'll speak normally when we meet next. Well, speak normally all the time.

I continue to ignore Alice, only nodding once when she informs me about Carly Rae.

I try to make make iron arrowheads.

Hmm, I guess working with stone didn't trigger a stoneworking workshop.  Wonder what will spark that. Maybe when I try to build a house? Or walls?  Definitely walls.

While in the steel mill, I look at the assembled books. I try to find any on sword making. If none exist, I start to chant, "Create sword," and see if books on the topic show up.

If they do, cool, if not, I affix some iron arrowheads to arrow shafts.

After one week I will try hunting deer, elk, or similar style animals.

Leatherworking would be really nice for sword hilts, and even for axes, to keep a better grip. I could also use them to create sheathes. Possibilities.

When I find one, I will quietly whisper chant 'Wind slice', aiming at its head.

Once I get some tendons or other stretchy animal product, I can make some string for my bows.

---

Stoneworking is wind - given time wind turns pretty much everything to dust, wind is also the opposite of earth, which makes it a key choice for stoneworking.  Water is many things, not least of which is life, but also the absence of it. Leather working is definitely water, not only because it is all that is left of the four, but because water nurtures and removes life, and leatherworking functions along the same principles.

Maybe!!!!!!



Don't get me wrong. There's books in here on everything. The gods seem to be relenting a little with the axe making. You're still compelled to make them, but not as much. You make a few swords and knives.

Likewise with the axe handles. You make a few bows and even a few simple pieces of furniture.



If it works, you can't really tell.

One thing you do notice is that fire and earth magic have become much easier. Not as much chanting required.



Another four weeks pass. Alice tells you that Karin inquired about you. She wants to know what you're up to in here. She asked specifically if you were making your totem.



OOC) Very good ideas. But don't forget, these came from me. You've gotten it backwards from my thinking. Have you ever been in a crystal cavern? All formed by water. And when I thought of leather working, the first thing that came to mind was a bull whip. Wind.

OOC) I'd like to get to a point where we can skip to almost the end of the year. You up for that?

(Doing Therapy)

I quirk an eyebrow and tilt my head at Alice when she tells me Karin asks about a totem. "Totem? What totem? Why would I have a totem?"

I try to build the base I have in my mind, complete with home, outdoor cooking area, bed, stone walls, moat, bridge, gate, stables, catapult. I try to build everything that comes to mind, absorbing as much knowledge as I can from the work shops that have popped up.

I ask the god of fire if I can focus on swords instead.

I make a lot of things.

One day, I'll venture into the city and cast Nuke em, "Nuke it", chanting as much as necessary on a few animals to see what happens, though I only target the stray ones.

---

No? Yes? I wanted to see if I'd trigger leatherworking after killing a deer/elk thing, and trying to make a rug. I also haven't finished constructing the base, but assuming that I'll trigger both stoneworking and leatherworking in our time skip, and reach 1@1 in both, then sure. I also want the fort to be set up.

40x40 with stone walls, a moat, bridge, gate. Could build the bridge and gate with newly acquired wood working, but also just general, I have a sense of what I want to accomplish and try to get it done. Moat filled with water, create a log cabin. I was hoping to "create stone" and build a wall that way, after creating a smaller trench to keep it steady, and then maybe somehow creating cement. Or at least, creating a way for the wall to remain steady - maybe it'd show up in the stone working tutorial books. I was hoping to try a few different renditions of 'air wall' to see if  I could get a circular gust of air serving as a roof, keeping away rain, poop, and whatever else might drop from the sky.

Creating a kitchen, trying to create a comfortable bed with magic.. so many things to try out.

If we assume I go through all of that, I have no problem time skipping to when a year is up.

Alice will go back and tell Karin, no, no totem.



You can't do it. You just can't. You're not sure why.



And you get a feeling back "You asked to create an axe."



So, two weeks away from the end of the year.

2@1 blacksmithing
2@1 woodworking.

No leatherworking or stone working.

You take the special block of iron that you were saving. And you work on it. You work on it with care and precision. For three days you solely work on this one axe head. After a while the iron begins to take on a bluish cast.

Then you feel compelled to take the branch you were saving and make it into the handle. You again spend days on it. The wood becomes harder and stronger. It also takes on a bluish tinge.

And with the completely axe in hand, you go to the field where you intended to make your fort. You close you eyes and wave the axe. And speak only once the magic words you intend to say.

Then you pass out. No visions. Your smart watch just shows extreme fluctuations, then a nap.

When you wake up, your fort is built from baked into stone clay and adobe. It is exactly as you envisioned it.

The axe makes earth and fire magic much easier. Only one chant.

(Doing Therapy)
This message was last edited by the player at 09:14, Thu 16 Nov 2017.

I examine my special axe. "So, is this my totem? I only wanted to create an axe so that I could chop down some trees. I wonder... do I need to be holding it or touching it to take effect? Do I just need to have it on me?"

I head out of the base and towards the city. Once 100ft away from the base I try to create a small pit. "Create pit." I will try it a few different ways, seeing if I can cast the magic chanting once if I'm not holding it at all, but it is in my bag, if I'm just touching it with my hand, if it is touching me, but only my clothes, and if it is nearby, but not touching me.

I try to find the limits of the improvement in chanting speed and efficiency.

If I see an animal from the city, I give it a taste of... alcohol.  Sort of.

Alcohol basically gives you the feeling of fire in your belly.  So that's make that literal.

If I see an animal, like a cow, or deer, or something that is normally considered edible and not weird, I point at it (while holding or touching the axe as appropriate) and chant "Fire belly."

A literal fire in the belly.

Your hand needs to be in contact with it. Whether because you are holding it or because it's in a toolbelt and you've got your hand down on it. The absolute best way though to dig the pit is swing the axe down in a chopping motion. The ground kind of explodes into a hole. Like there was a firecracker underneath it.



If you are holding the axe, you only have to say it once instead of several seconds. This only works for earth and fire magic. You can still do the others. You can do them whilst holding the axe even. But they get no bonus. Several seconds chanting for wind and water magic.



OOC) The GE roll was 18. The actual roll was 6-6-6.

So you point your axe and you say "Fire Belly!!!!" You find saying it loudly and forcefully adds a little something something to it. Ideally, axe in hand, loud, forceful speaking, chopping motion with axe directed at target. This gives you Best Results.

The cow looks at you funny and starts to wander away. As you watch though, a four foot jet of flame shoots forth from her south end and smoke starts pouring from her mouth and nostrils. She immediately runs away and drops down into a puddle. She's still alive, as far as you can tell.

1@1 Base damaging internal fireball.

(Doing Therapy)

I walk over to the cow, "My apologies, you have done no wrong, but have encountered such a fate. Though I cannot save you, I can assure you your products will go on and be useful for hundreds of years. Rest in peace, cow."

I draw my sword and send it on to wherever cows go, a pasture in the sky, presumably.

"I need to fasten a proper holster for my axe and, also leather grips, to hold it better and to also assure the grip of other weapons I make. Water and Fire working as one. I can also use parts for my bow. To honor this cow, I will make holsters, to be able to keep the axe at my waist, but also on my legs or at my back. I will make all sorts of holsters, well, it's more of a sheath, I guess. I consider holsters a universal term, but others may not see it that way. So I will make all sorts of sheaths that these products may accompany me to all worlds I travel to in the future."

I grab the cow and, experimentally, chant "Create sheath." I see if anything happens.  If something does, I get to it. If nothing happens, I carry the cow back to the base.

---

One of the things I want to include in the experimentation is if any part of my body, such as my legs, touch it, do I still get the effect - even if it is not the best effect. Whether it is definitely my hand, or just my skin that it needs to touch.

Here, you can make a holster for it. However, you cannot wrap leather around it. It just won't let you. It's like trying to pick up Mjolnir. You're Not Worthy!!!!!!!

The last time Alice visited, she said Karin was going to show up at the one year mark. You've got seven days before that. We can skip to it at any time.



You can try to teach yourself leatherworking if you want to. But you're not compelled to. There's no transportation to a shoppe, no instant knowledge, nothing. You're on your own.



From now on, how are you applying what kind of magic? What are you doing when you do it? Define your spells and the expected results.



Your hand has to encircle the handle. Period.

(Doing Therapy)

Huh, that didn't work. Guess half-assed chanting without a real goal in mind doesn't do the job? Too bad, would make things spicy in conversation.

I look at my axe magic enhancing, enabling device.

Axes really aren't my thing.  This is going to get inconvenient to use magic with. It's so large, not conducive to small spaces at all. I guess I'll hold it in my left hand and adapt my 2 weapon fighting style to suit it. Normally used to swords, but I guess I can make an exception for a magic enhancer.  Still need to create a sheath for it though. Let's go for a back sheath, so I can grip and draw both weapons simultaneously without them getting in the way of each other.

I bring the cow back and get my hunting knife from my bag.

Ahh, knew this would come in handy at some point.  When I get back to the city I'll see if I can find a leatherworker. I should at least learn the basics in case the gods pop up again and yell, WATERMAGE, and poof, leatherworking shop. Plus learning the basics will help with my blacksmithing.  Uhh, can't bring non-scriff infected stuff in, so I guess it all goes in the bag? Not going to fit in there, unless I fold it up. Well. This isn't a one day task, let's make a freezer.

In a corner of my base, where my outdoor cooking area is, I first create a trench, 3 feet deep, 5 feet wide, 7 feet long. "Create Trench." I'll grab and point my axe at the area while I say the words.

Once my trench is created, I'll shoot fire to 'bake' the sides and inside, and kill whatever might be lingering within. Purifying fire. "Purify Trench."

While the trench is cooling down, half a foot around the trench, I'll create another trench 'outlining' the center trench. This outer trench will also be 3 feet deep. "Create Trench."

Once the outer trench is created, while still waiting for the inner trench to cool, I start chanting over and over again, "Create Ice." The goal is to fill the outer trench with ice.

Once the outer trench is filled with ice, I'll point at one part of it with the axe and move it over the rest of it as I chant, "Create Tomb." I imagine sealing the ice in firmly packed dirt.

After about 10 minutes I'll point at the inner trench that has been baked with purifying fire and is now hopefully much cooler after having time to cool down, along with the residual coolness from the outer layer of ice.

I imagine the inner trench's walls slowly coating over in ice, sealing the walls between two layers of ice. The bottom of the trench will also, in my mind, coat over in 6 inches of ice. I start chanting, "Ice Seal." I keep chanting, slowly, over and over.

Hopefully everything eventually goes as planned, and if it doesn't then I'll keep chanting and trying to get it done.

If it does go as planned, then I will put the cow in the newly made freezer. I will then cover it with wood.

Karin will show up whenever you want her to. She will be able to explain quite a bit of this so long as you don't question her too badly. She's still your teacher.

Look at it like this though. Isn't a true warrior one who can use any weapon? Even a magical axe that's "Not his thing"? Expand. Adapt. Overcome!!!

BTW, what size is it? I'm imagining a smaller, one handed hatchet. It can be whatever size you want, within reason.



You do all of your magic. And you feel whipped!!! You feel like you just called Mike Tyson a sissy.

You volunteer yourself for sleep. It feels like a bit longer than normal.



So you do that. Are you planning a barbecue when Karin shows up?

(Doing Therapy)

Now that I have a freezer made, and the cow is safely stored, that's going to be a nice dinner.  When I get back to the city... verser world.. whatever they call it. I'll find a leatherworker, see if I can get them to come back here with me where the materials are, maybe teach me out here as well? Who knows, but first is getting a leatherworker out here. Maybe Karin or Magehammer know one.

I spend the last few days of my year out here trying to get a 'Wind Walk' spell to work as I want it.

I'll chant "Wind Walk" over and over again, forming what I want to work in my mind, with a 10 minute duration - though able to be cast over and over to extend the duration, so long as I have the stamina to support it.

---

Maybe? But why would I want to be a 'true warrior'? True warriors don't use magic.  At worst, I'm a magic swordsman, at best, a war mage. In either case, I use swords and magic.
 Teleportation too if I can learn to do it more reliably. Axes aren't my thing.

Also, I was picturing something larger, as that was the initial concept when I said 'Create Axe', but if it's whatever size I want, within reason, then something small, definitely.
Not as intricate as this, but same general idea:
https://i.pinimg.com/564x/ef/e...fe-art-chop-chop.jpg


Also, wind walk, surrounded by air/wind and able to move quickly through the air, akin to flying.  Here's an example, sorry I can't find a short clip. The first 20 seconds demonstrates it: https://youtu.be/v1bERPw9c40?t=1m57s

You work on that and you get it to work well enough.

On the last day, Alice, Karin and Magehammer all come into Slider's World together. Karin immediately wants to see your totem. When you show it to her, she beams and says proudly "Wow, an axe? And two enchantments already??? You got really lucky. Usually you only get one enchantment for your totem. And your first totem sucks. When they asked me blacksmithing, woodworking, stone working or leather working, I said "pottery". And they said "WINDMAGE!!" I woke up outside a pottery class with a gold coin in my pocket that wasn't there before. You know what my first totem was? A BRICK!!!!! Yeah, a wind mage, and my totem is a BRICK!!!! I still have it. I can throw it and hit somebody 100 miles away. Then the brick comes back to me. But yeah, you're stuck with this totem until they deem it is complete. But you did. You got really lucky with that."

She follow it saying "When they deem your totem complete, you'll have a bit more say over your next one." Then she rolls up her sleeves. She's wearing bracelets with iron, wood, and stone beads on leather straps. "My totems now."



OOC) Who says true warriors don't use magic? How do you know you've not been selected to be an elemental warrior? It's better than a brick, right?



OOC) This is more what I was thinking too.

The Magehammer says "Did you enjoy your forty years in here? Thanks to you, we finally got this one time-charted. 40 to 1 ratio. Outside, it's been forty years."

(Doing Therapy)

"Oh, coolio. That's actually super nifty. But how would you keep track of time? I could understand if I showed up after a year and you were saying, 'It's been 40 years, why wait?', but how do you judge it otherwise?  I don't talk to Alice when she showed up, I barely pay attention to her. Literally none of my actions have suggested such a specific disparity other than me not showing up after a year.

...

Obviously, Alice would notice the time difference if she paid even the slight bit of attention.

Yea, nevermind.

That said, Karin, how's your leather working? I want to make a suitable sheathe to keep it on me. I've got a cow in my freezer. Well, I've had a cow in my freezer for the better part of a year, I guess?  I got it earlier this week. Welcome to my base. Making this thing was interesting. Passed out, woke up it was here. Granted, I was trying to make it when I passed out.

We could roast up some beef while you work. I'd like to learn it, as well. Is there anything behind what triggers it? Do I have to wait until my totem is 'complete' before the other two trigger? "
This message was last edited by the player at 01:31, Fri 17 Nov 2017.

Magehammer says "Every time she showed up, it represented a year outside. She came in here a total of 40 times during your year. So, 40 years."



Karin doesn't know how to work leather. Magehammer does but he's training a new Order mage at the moment. He's not even giving his survival class right now.



Magehammer volunteers to cook, unless you object. He teleport hops around until he finds a wood-burning grill.



Karin looks miffed. "A year alone, and you forget already what I said about questions......."

But then after taking a deep breath she says "It'll be complete when it's complete. You won't expect it. So stop expecting it."

She examines your axe and says "Ah ha!!!!" and she shows you a small circle in the butt end of the handle that you never even noticed you made. "This looks like just about the right size for a gemstone of some sort. Yeah, you got a ways to go before it completes."

(Doing Therapy)

"Yea, I was trying to limit the questions, but it's been 40 years, surely that's long enough to field some questions, yea?

So, Magehammer, how long is a year in verser world? I habitually refer to a year by home earth standards, but it differs everywhere.

Also, by all means, the cow is over here. You'll probably find the stomach... cows have two stomachs, right? So you'll probably find at least one stomach already scorched and the rest singed a little."

I show them to the freezer I made.

"I figure I'll pack up the skin afterwards and bring it back and see if I can get someone to make me a sheath for my axe.  On the upside, I did learn Blacksmithing and Wood working while I was out here. That was an unexpected bonus."

Karin says "Okay, one more. Better make it count."



Magehammer says "We announce a new year about every 400 days or so. You just missed the New Years festival."



He doesn't ask how you did it. But yeah, he helps you skin it and teaches you enough leatherworking that you could tan the cow hide now.

1@1 leatherworking.



Impressed they are.



Karin tells you that you might not make the last two pieces of your totem yourself. The only one of the skills she knows is pottery. Somebody else made the other three for her.

Magehammer asks if you know how to fight with the axe. He tells you "If not, you wanna talk to Samantha. She versed out as an eight year old girl. She's determined to learn every fighting style anyone will teach her. I just made her a Chaos axe. Maybe you two could train each other."

(Doing Therapy)

"Oh?  I've been looking for a sparring partner. Can't let my skills get rusty.  Should make a pair of training weapons though..." I mutter a few possibilities. "Anyone know a verser that makes foam weapons? When I was learning swordsmanship before my first verse we started with foam weapons, before upgrading to wooden, and then iron swords. It's not bad for learning a new weapon or style."



"I'm very curious about that, but that is more than one question could cover."

Once the cow is skinned I'll "air lift" my bag over and roll the skin up before putting it in the bag.

"Looks like I've got quite a few things to look into when I get back."

Will eat food Magehammer cooks and head back as a group.

Magehammer laughs at you and says "Foam weapons? What a wimp!!!! Dude, you are a VERSER. Do you hear me a Ver-Ser!!!! If you get killed, it doesn't matter. If you get injured, heal yourself. Foam weapons indeed!!!! Samantha fights with live steel. Don't let her appearance as an eight year old girl fool you. I bet she could beat me if she got her wind up."



Karin "You'll know when it's time. It'll be when you least expect it. So stop trying to make it happen. The more you try to make it happen, the longer it will take."



So you do.



So you have some steak. You suddenly remember the rice plant you started. It's full and in bloom. The rice is good.

As you're about to leave, Alice says "As long as you're in here for less than 24 hours, it's like you never left at all on the other side."

So you step through. You're back in Verser World.

(Doing Therapy)