An Exploration of Golem Crafting Training (Open)

[Paareth]

 

Peer Moderation For Zinn'Sunn. This Thread has been approved for Peer Moderation, assigned to Peermod Paareth under the authority of GD Gossamer , as per the accepted Modplan. Participants are advised that conditions and circumstances may be adjusted to ensure fairness and balance.

Mid Optia in the season of Spring; Era XV Post Fractum

A seemingly new world brought new opportunities, the Katta had heard whispers of the crafts of clay and iron which could walk and move upon the ground freely, such notions made the usually inquisitive Katta, so curious he was physically driven to learn the nature of these rumors for himself. It would likely not be an easy task to discover the truth to the mysteries and double talk but Paareth’s natural curiosity knew no bounds and if any city could yield ancient secrets, his experiences had taught him Zinn’sunn would be the best candidate.

The Jagara wandered the streets with no real direction other than vague guesses, his experiences in Kytharis seeking out elders had given him hints of what to look for in those he stopped but even so, this was like firing an arrow in the dark, who knew where the target actually was.

He pulled aside a few random strangers asking for directions, trying to be vague but he did go as far to mention that he was seeking skilled craftsmen, those with knowledge beyond the norm of weapons and armor, those who knew what is was like to give life to their creations.

Most passers by probably took some resentment at being stopped on the street but as usual when he wanted something, the Katta didn’t care who he had to stop to ask, how much he had to pay or what task he had to perform, when his goals were clear nothing would keep them from him.

The Jagara listened carefully for the striking of plates, the melting of ore or shaping of clay, anything, the slightest sound or scent that would betray where his answers lay. Relentless, Paareth once again stopped the next stranger to come along, repeating his request that he was seeking craftsmen who were able to shape life to their works.

He needed a hunters sign to track, a kind direction from a stranger or lady luck to play her role

(OOC I know your busy so I’m more than happy to self mod his introduction to this trade training, I’ll await your approval via PM or moderated start to the thread in finding an NPC)

[Paareth]

The passing stranger waved Paareth off, dismissing him rudely, the Jagara half took it as a challenge but he held his temper and shrugged in frustration, he was almost resigned to begin offering money to strangers for information. Thankfully another more kindly passerby called out something.

“If you are foolish enough to want to meddle with nature and golems, try the south west of the city, along the wall, Tangible Enl…”

Was all Paareth made out before the strangers partner hushed them and they drifted off into the crowds.

Well that was the first direction he’d had all day, perhaps it was correct, perhaps not but there was only one way to find out. He quickly collected his equipment and set off further into Phoneix district, passing many merchants and tradesman, artisans of all shapes and sizes were abound in the main trading center of Zinn’sunn. The crowds ebbed and flowed, bustling at times, yet they thinned as he reached near the end of the district and the southern wall, this area was quieter, more remote and something smelt… terrible. There was an awful scent coming from the small building directly ahead, close against the south west city wall. The Jagara had an extremely acute sense of smell and it was an almost overpowering aroma.

[Location - Tangible Enlightenment, Golem Goods]

From the outside the building was well decorated, like much of Zinn’sunn, its architecture was beautiful to behold but his eyes could spot more, the dusty look to the windows and as he closed further, the welcome sign was hanging awkwardly from its chain above the door. The building itself was wedged in between two neighboring buildings which, from their encroaching design and decoration, almost indicated they wished it wasn’t there and were trying to cover it up, from the smell Paareth could see why.

He wondered if he had the right place, golem goods, open usually was it all it said, he could hear the light taps of workmen and bubbling of liquid inside its depths. This must be it but it didn’t look very promising from the outside.

Venturing inwards, the Jagara almost tripped over the cluttered boxes and tools strewn around, odd clay figures waved to him and he found himself waving back bemused. He approached to sniff one of the clay golems and it poked his nose, he twitched it uncomfortably, staring at the small miniature in fascination.

A Kemite male in a long brown robe approached Paareth from behind, his clothes were filthy with clay and he was clasping a tool which was completely foreign to the Jagara.

“Serale and welcome to the wonders of Tangible Enlightenment, we cater to all your training needs in the wondrous art that is Golem Crafting, an initiation or apprenticeship, small toys for the young ones and private orders can be discussed.”

Paareth spun around surprised, the man had caught him in a rare moment of not paying attention to his surroundings, he muttered under his breath about his carelessness.

“Fascinating aren’t they?” Added Izu Tao, the blond, short haired shop keeper. He was a bit shorter than Paareth, standing at 5ft 9 and was of an average build.

“They are yes, creations of a moment in time, given life and a material form. It must bring a great peace to the creator, that they can express this in their work.”

"I can see where you are coming from." Izu said with a brief nod. “So what will it be?” He carried on the conversation without pause, clearly keen to get back to what he was doing and not really interested in philosophical debate.

Paareth collected himself and bowed, focusing on the man briefly but his attention was everywhere, these figurines moved of their own free will, they were almost alive. Little did the Jagara know the golems behavior was all programmed into them, to Paareth they seemed as if they were creatures of flesh and bone.

“I seek training in the arts of this… Golem crafting, I wish to bring life where is there none. To reshape things which should of never come to pass. I will need your initiation course.”

Izu could see his words were obviously deeper than the surface meaning and in this case they betrayed his ultimate intent to a certain degree. Whatever Paareth's motives, this Jagara’s crowns were as good as the next mans and Izu liked his enthusiasm and directness, because he shared it for the work.

“Of course, of course. That will be 300 Crowns and a further 50 if you wish to keep whatever you create.”

Paareth slowly counted out the money, offering the full three hundred and fifty crowns. The keen Izu quickly snatched the crowns and pocketed them, happy to have another new face he could teach his craft too, almost too happy, he would have a hundred questions for his new student.

"Excellent, please follow me, we can get started right away."

Without any further delay, Izu escorted Paareth through the workshop, navigating the tables and strewn half finished works, many toy clay golems were upon the shelves in all manner of poses, some active, some sleeping. This was a brand new world for Paareth and his mind raced in wonder as to what he might find, as they began their descent into the back room, he had a bright eye'd smile upon his face.

(OOC In this thread I will be peer modding Deln and self modding myself at a non related pace)

[Deln]

In his first couple months of living in Zinn'Sunn, Deln had gotten to know the city. One curious location in the Phoenix District piqued his interest, of course, with the wretched smell that emanated from it. The first time he came close to it he simply had to turn around and run out of the range of it, his gag reflex working up due to the suddenness of it. It was when he was taking deep breaths to recover that his sensitive ears picked up a random citizen's comment about the smell, "That Tangible Enlightenment shop only gets away with its smell because, I heard, they make golems... but why is it so horrid?" This statement made the Omnicat-Tigron turn around. Golems? Alright! Never seen one of those before. Such was how his thoughts were organized!

After making his way to the entrance of the shop, he slowly opened the door and peeked in, his breaths a bit short in order to not take in such a big whiff of the smell. "Hello?" The Katta opened the door all the way and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. "Is anyo-" His eyes caught sight of all the tiny golems sitting around looking at him and waving. "Wow." This immediately made him take in a deep breath in amazement, producing another gag. He would just have to tough it out, it seemed, to see how golems were produced.

The feline leaned down and gently poked one of the little golems. It reacted with what appeared to be a silent version of a 'Hoo-hoo!' while clutching its belly where it had been poked. This made Deln chuckle in amusement. He stood up again, looking for anyone else in the shop that wasn't a golem while doing his best to dodge the clutter strewn across the floor. "Is anyone here?" Was finally said in full.

[Paareth]

Paareth

Paareth was taken down the steps to the backroom, the dim light difficult on the eyes but not because of the darkness, a Jagara could cope with a darker room, instead he was faced with an orange glow and with the heat from the furnace, it took some getting used to.

“This is my brother Azi Tao, don’t let his stoic nature fool you, he knows more about this craft than any man in the city, at least any man I’ve met, not that I meet many Golem crafters you understand.”

Azi looked up from the furnace, holding up his hand to calm his excitable brother, he was happy to see new faces here too but he could also see when his brother was babbling.

Azi bowed to Paareth, the honourable Kemite much like his twin brother in size and appearance, 5ft 9 and of an average build but with longer black hair. He had the same focus on his work, if not more so than his brother but equally when a student was present, as Paareth was now, their advancement of the craft was at the forefront of his mind, as much could be seen with how he immediately dropped what was doing.

“I trust this one is here to learn.” asked Azi, receiving a nod from Ivu.

Paareth took the measure of both of them, they seemed unremarkable but dedicated to their crafts. He tried to relax his body in this unfamiliar environment, a far cry from the wilds he’d spent so long in, though the change was welcome in some ways. The heat wasn’t too overpowering, he was used to the desert, the orange glow of the furnace was a bit awkward but the smell coming from the silver metal in mould was awful, he cleared his throat a couple of times.

“What name do you go by Jagara?” asked Azi concentrating on Paareth, noticing him clear his throat, he smiled slightly. “You will get used to that I’m sure.”

The Jagara strode up to Azi confidently but showing the proper respect of a teacher, just like he would a weapons master or ruling warrior in a house, Paareth bowed in return, something Azi seemed to appreciate by his expression.

“I am Paareth son of Dereth, from the western tribes of Arakmat, it is my honour to be here in the presence of a master craftsmen”

Ivu Tao chuckled, not fully appreciating the depth of the Jagara’s meaning. He was about to launch into a barrage of questions to Paareth when he heard himself being called back into the shop.

“You have come to the right place, tell me something about what you already kno… Please excuse me, I will just be a moment.”

Interrupted, Ivu headed out of the backroom and into the store, picking up a small golem he was still working on, it was an unusually busy day at the shop.

“Well Paareth, there is no time to get started like the present, first I will take you through the tools we use.” continued Azi unphased but also surprised to see so many visitors in one day.

“What I believe my brother was going to ask you, is what experience do you have, if any, in handling what you see around you?”

Deln

The small Golem Deln had poked, continue to chuckle away happily, it poked the belly of another nearby Golem which returned the favor, both laughing in wonder at this new action they had been taught. It seemed the tiny toys had some personality, given the skill of their crafters but it was very one dimensional, depending on whether they were meant to be curious, bold or cute.

Eventually after a pause, Ivu Tao approached Deln from the back room, toy Golem in hand, he was shaping away at the edge of it with a cutting tool, a mark of concentration on his face as he looked up. The Kemite was middle aged, with thin blond hair, dark brown eyes and a brown robe which was covered in clay but for some reason the look suited him.

“Welcome to Tangible Enlightenment, Golem Goods at their finest! Have you come for training, a toy or a private order? We do novice initiation, enlightened apprenticeships and promise you’ll be more than happy with our prices.”

He barely gave Deln time to answer the question before continuing on with a flurry of questions, a large grin upon his face.

“How are things in the city? I hope you didn’t have any trouble finding us? You know I hear they do a great meal just up the street, best I’ve ever tasted. I mean, so I’m told, not that I’ve been but if I had, I’m sure it would be the best I’ve ever tasted.”

Ivu was happy enough to be chatting as he cut away at his tiny, clay, human Golem. The Kemite's work being right here with him, he was more than content to fire off questions left and right, as he carried on correcting the shape of it.

Visitors in this store were rare and two in one day was almost unheard of, it seemed Ivu wasn't used to talking to anyone and either was very nervous or just very talkative and curious.

[Deln]

Deln, upon noticing the chain reaction he initiated, had to look back down at the particular group of golems. There was definately something more to the constructs than he first assumed. When the clay-stained Ivu Tao was approaching, the Katta's ear twitched at the noise of his foot steps and looked up to meet the artisan, offering a bow with his hands set down at his sides.

With the onslaught of sudden questions, the feline seemed taken offguard. "I-" "Er-" "well-" Were all promptly interrupted by the babbling Kemite. So this is how it feels... He thought. "Training!" The Katta eventually managed to blurt out, clearly and legibly. With the shouting, however, he instinctively took another deep breath - resulting in a gag that caused him to cough violently. The presence of clay dust did not help. He took some more heavy breaths through part of his cloak in order to catch his breath, this time with a filter of sorts. "Oogh..."

"I'm here for training, sir." Spoken up toward the golem artisan, his eyes tearful due to his intolerance to the shop's environment.

[Paareth]

Paareth

Azi and Paareth were still discussing the different tools and apparatus in the backroom.

“I have worked in a blacksmiths before for a season but it was many era’s ago. I recognize the basic hand tools to work the metal but these sculpting ones are foreign to me, as is that silver substance.” Paareth paused a moment, scrunching his nose up at the liquid metal in the corner, almost sure now that was the source of this nauseating air.

“I also recognize the furnace, having used one for a time and the kiln is known to me but I haven’t operated one before.” The Jagara added, turning back to Azi.

“Well that is a promising start, many come to us with little knowledge of even the basic equipment.”

The Kemite looked around for a space, not an easy thing to find in this cluttered room.

“Please place your bags and any loose equipment in the storeroom to your left, its open and will be safe enough. When you are done, join me by the Kiln and I will cover the basics of working with clay.”

Paareth walked over to the storeroom to open the door, he pulled on it a few times but found it was stuck. The Jagara's tail went still in annoyance and he began pulling again harder this time, suddenly the door came open with a jar and sent the offending box, which had been wedged against the handle, falling down. A few small clay arms spilled over the floor, barely avoiding the surprised Katta. When he finally gained entrance, he found the storeroom was completely packed, there was barely enough room to poke your head in.

“Don’t mind that please, just old parts, I’ll clear them up later.” Came a voice from the corner, Azi wasn’t even vaguely surprised, the amount of small accidents they had here was a daily routine.

"Just place your bags down and join me when you have a moment."

Paareth removed his backpack and weapons belt, though not the main ones across his back, he wouldn’t ever remove Jorels tools willingly and part of him doubted he could if he wanted to. He put the weapons belt in the pack out of sight and tucked it away in the corner of the storeroom, behind a large box for safekeeping.

Gingerly stepping around the scattered clay parts on the floor, he walked over to Azi to begin discussing the basics of clay making and preparation.


Deln

Ivu nodded politely in response to Deln’s bow, splitting his attention between the toy figurine and the Katta equally.

“Call me Ivu. Training is it? Admirable, there are so few who can fully appreciate the crafts impact on the world around us, if it wasn’t for us, the city wouldn’t be negotiating the profitable clay contracts it has today.”

Ivu brushed down the toy in front of him, the human shape now detailed and finely made, it was one of his better works.

“So are you interested in an initiation to a novice level or do you have some skill in the craft already and so need a full apprenticeship?”

The Kemite didn’t wait for an answer, just carrying on, much like he was with his work, admiring it and applying the finishing touches as he spoke.

“An initiation will cost 300 crowns for the skills you will learn and a further 50, if you wish to keep any final products you manage to successfully build. An apprenticeship will require between 500 and 800 depending on what materials you will be working with and a fee for each golem produced.”

He smiled as the Katta coughed loudly, much like his twins smile at Paareth in the other room.

“Try not to take such deep breaths all at once, the air around Feversteel takes some getting used. Also, you might want to give dinner a miss tonight, just call it friendly advice.”

[Deln]

Deln's ears twitched in irritation as he tried to keep up with Ivu's words. He eyed the figurine he had sculpted, admiring it. Wow. The feline eventually looked back up at the human before he would begin to fumble around his vest for something. The Katta walked up to the human and offered him the 350 in crowns on paper, his hand outstretched to him with a few bank notes he had extracted. "Initiation for now, please." Was uttered in a volume well above the crafter's voice, since Ivu didn't seem interested in stopping his mouth. He offered a smile just in case the man would have found the interruption rude. One has to be amicable with their potential teachers!

That smile was soon wiped off his face. He gazed, unamused, at the artisan when he gave his warning about the air... and how his stomach would apparently react later. So that's the downside of golem crafting. This was still too interesting to pass up. It helped that the Katta found the lesson prices very reasonable for a rare art.

An ear flickered at the noise of the mess created by Paareth in the back room, making him wonder just what was going on back there... Aside from the fact that it was where that wretched scent was emanating.

[Paareth]

Deln

Ivu noticed Deln’s eyes falling to his work and he beamed with pride, looking at it himself one last time before he placed it on the shelf, the toy golem joining the mounting dozens upon the shops walls.

“I rarely get anyone in to appreciate what we do.”

Ivu took the Katta’s money, pleased at the prospect of another mind he could sculpt to joys of Golem crafting, let alone someone new to talk to!

"We have so much to talk about! Please follow me! What name should I call you by?"

From the verbal battering Deln had just received, that probably sounded ominous as much as anything.

As he turned to the backroom's direction, the blond haired human waved Deln over to him. Ivu was visibly beaming, two students in one day! Just wait till they all started building! He couldn’t wait to hear four sets of tools in use together, the harmony they would make. Ivu began briskly navigating through the cluttered front room, tables, boxes and tools all adding to the hazards along the way.

If Deln followed him around the mess, down the steps and through archway to the dark room, he would come across Paareth and Azi deep in conversation by the Kiln, turning their clay over again and again. Ivu approached a table beside them, his own lump of stone and tools lined up ready for cutting it.

After the last step down into the backroom, there were several toy parts still scattered across the entranceway but with the mess Deln would of just walked through, they wouldn't seem out of place.

The backroom was still warm, many of the moulds on the western walls steamed, some empty or cooled, the furnace wasn’t going full blast but it was lit and ready to be used, a bellows resting by its side would provide additional heat when required.

Paareth

Azi Tao was progressing through the basics slowly with Paareth. The Jagara thought he seemed a thorough and dedicated teacher, he spared no detail in his explanations.

In truth Azi had done this hundreds of times and was going through the motions but he a took a deep personal interest, in making sure each and every student understood the basics of the craft, for in his own words, ‘A weak foundation, will bring down the tallest building’.

“We keep this clay stored out in the front to keep it out of heat, on a larger job we usually work with it there too. You also need to keep it sealed as firmly as possible in its container, to stop it drying out from the air, otherwise it will much more difficult to work with.”

Azi took the large lump of clay in front of him, holding it in both his hands and he motioned for Paareth to do the same to a nearby piece. Paareth picked up the clay carefully in his paws, he’d never handled clay before, it was sticky but quite firm and a bit wet. The material felt awkward in his hands, he wasn’t used to handling materials that were not fixed in shape and dimensions but he didn’t betray that fact in his expression.

Paareth’s instructor began to throw the clay down on the table beside the kiln, turning it slowly after each throw. The Kemite concentrated unusually hard for the simple task, an odd behavior unless you knew just how dedicated he was to even the basics of his craft.

“This is called wedging, we work the clay to balance and spread the water, also removing the air that would weaken it. Try it but not too hard, throw it into on the table a few times, turning it over as you do, after a few minutes we will cut it and rejoin it until its ready.”

Paareth began turning the clay, throwing it against the table as directed, the soft banging against the wood could be heard from the front room.

[Deln]

The Katta had to wonder why a city with a prestigious magic academy did not appreciate golem crafting so much. Is it merely because of the apparent health risks?

He began to follow Ivu, identifying himself truthfully as, "Deln. How about you?" It would be nice to make him answer a question this time. Navigating his way around the mess, the adolescent stubbed a toe on some debris and nearly fell over. "Whoop!" Fortunately he had his lessons in maintaining balance previously, and managed to avoid adding another mess to the floor.

As they went downstairs and through the archway, the Katta noticed his nose beginning to run. It was probably due to all the dust in the air, and the smell didn't help either... but hey, the snot managed to make it harder to smell anything! This, of course, would lead to nose sniffling.

The instant the Omnicat-Tigron spotted the Jagara, he felt a chill go down his back and hesitated to take a step. Hmm.

Deln soon caught up with Ivu, watching Paareth and Azi work with the clay for a few seconds. What are they doing? He thought to himself until his attention was put back onto the table the more talkative brother had approached, wondering what he was going to tell him to do first. There was a slight cringe at the realization that the man might talk even faster when teaching his craft.

[Paareth]

Deln

“Like I said, call me Ivu.” He whispered over to Deln, before turning to the others and announcing the new Katta eagerly.

“Azi, Paareth, this is Deln, a new student that will be joining us.”

Ivu clapped his hands together, clasping them and sending dust about everywhere. He turned back to Deln to finish the introductions, still a delighted smile evident on his face.

“Deln, the Jagara is Paareth, a new student and my brother, the dark haired teacher is Azi Tao. You are just in time to join them in the basics of clay preparation, please put any belongings you have in the storeroom to your left but mind the mess on the floor.”

Azi stopped what he was doing and bowed to Deln, the definite twin of his brother Ivu, only seemingly calm and more assured of himself, at least in his natural environment.

“Greetings Deln, please join us when you are ready to begin, there is plenty of room.”

Azi said, which was the one thing there really wasn’t of in here. Azi removed a large box of junk metal, from the table the other side of himself, clearing a space for Deln. He placed a large lump of wet clay and a small piece of cutting wire on the tables surface.

“We are just evening the water and removing the air from the clay to keep it strong when it sets. As I was just telling Paareth, you need to keep it stored as air tight and cool as possible, which is why we’ll be heading to the front room in a moment. Just follow what we are doing and you’ll understand the basics of it soon enough.”

Secrets : There is more for Deln below but also assume Paareth's section is now in real time with Deln.

Paareth

Paareth postured as he saw the other Katta, a natural reaction for the wilderkatta, till he had judged Deln and took the measure of him. The Jagara was interrupted by a tickling sensation in his throat and he coughed lightly, turning to the moulds of orange Feversteel to his left.

“I would advise you not to venture too close to the Feversteel.” Said Azi “Not until we have to, at first they may make you feel light headed or even sickly.”

Paareth warily noted the orange tainted moulds, his first experience of Feversteel was an instant disliking to it but his eventual curiosity would not be swayed so easily.

Azi and Paareth continued to turn and flip the pieces of clay, much of it beginning to stick to Paareth’s fur annoyingly. Azi finally stopped him, taking out his cutting wire and making a clean cut through the clay, motioning for Paareth to do the same.

“Now we check for air bubbles that can dry out the clay or make the surface of the clay uneven, you are bound to get a few, as usually a merchant or trader has kept the clay in less than ideal conditions.”

As Azi cut his clay open, he indicated a bubble on the clays surface, throwing his two pieces back together, beginning to turn and knead them again.

“We need to remove this air to make it more consistent. When you spot an air bubble, put the clay back to together and begin again.”

“Oh! Don’t forget to show them the other technique we use!” Said Ivu happily chirping in.

“I intend to Ivu but always the basics first.”

Azi cleared his throat, giving a sideways glance to Ivu, intended to let his twin know he needed space.

Ivu nodded with a smile, used to Azi’s signals. He began arranging several tools on his workbench, taking them through to the front room, clearing a space to eventually demonstrate the actual sculpting of clay, of which he had a finer hand for.

Deln and Paareth

“Now as my brother rightfully points out, there is more a complicated way of kneading the clay but practice just turning it and throwing it on to the table, until you are comfortable with the feel of it.”

After a few moments of letting them both get fully comfortable, used to working with the clay and encouraging them to keep cutting it open using the wire. Azi began demonstrating how to knead the clay, without letting his hands leave the table, the method was more difficult but quicker and more effective at removing the air.

Now with your hands remaining on the table, squeeze the clay forward with your palms but not too thin, you want to push it down and inwards, then turn it back to a standing point. If you don’t push the clay inwards as well, you’ll end up with an awkward looking shape at the top. Keep doing this and cutting it in half, until no air remains within the clay.

[Deln]

Stood at the workbench Paareth and Azi were working at, returning the bow from the quieter brother and merely looking at Paareth a few moments. "Serale to you both."

The Katta looked around and moved to drag a random box up to the workbench to sit on, his assumption that the brothers wouldn't mind the clutter merely being moved around a bit. He was not going to try and shove anything else into that storeroom. At the mention of the feversteel, he got himself a good glance at it. Weird color for metal...

The boy parted his lips a bit at the feeling of wet clay; he was not looking forward to cleaning his fur later. Omnicat-Tigron did as he was told, taking the clay and smacking it onto the table and turning it slightly before doing it again. His tongue stuck out, slightly, actually enjoying this part of the process. Well, this is peculiar... but it's probably a great stress reliever! Instead of cutting his clay as soon as the Kemite did, he decided to smack it against the table some more. When he did cut it open, however, he discovered there was much more work to do... and that keeping fur out of the clay might be nigh-impossible.

"Uhm, will fur getting into the material be a problem?" Deln's Omnicat heritage gave him longer fur than most Katta, so it was far more likely for him to get hairs into his clay than the Jagara sitting across from him. I should probably get gloves for this.

[Paareth]

Paareth and Deln

Paareth was looking over at Deln’s and Azi’s work, judging how he was himself doing in relation to them, when suddenly Ivu popped up over his own shoulder with a large grin.

"Hmm that’s great work, say did you ever work in a potters shop? I hear the prices they pay are terrible compared to smiths, it’s a down right travesty. You know if I were in a local office, all craftsmen would be paid a fair wage, because we all work equally hard providing a fair service. Don’t you agree? I mean I knew this one man who..."

Ivu seemed to drone on, babbling away about nothing in particular. His twin brother Azi let him, as he knew to try and stop him in full swing would not serve any constructive purpose. Azi knew Ivu had to get this out of his system and truth be told, the Kemite was interested in the two strangers himself.

Paareth’s sensitive hearing, unfortunately picked up every word of Ivu, the Jagara unable to respond before the next question was asked and there was a definite look of frustration on the dark Katta's face. Despite Ivu's annoyance, Paareth shaped and worked the clay, meticulously removing every air bubble, one by one as instructed. The Jagara then moved to the more advanced approach Azi had taught him, getting the hand movements were easy enough but the technique would take time to perfect.

Azi then turned to Deln with a nod as he asked about fur. “A wise precaution, you may use the thick or thin cloth gloves, on the far wall passed the moulds. Please be careful not to touch the Feversteel on your way around.”

Deln would have to walk either straight past the moulds or take his time and go a short way around them to get to the gloves, placed there to remind people to put them on before handling the Feversteel, to forget is to expose the skin to all manner of ailments.

Time passed, Azi added some more water to the clay as the novices worked the air out, he had long since finished but it was not easy for newcomers to work with this primitive clay. As they worked away, after a good hour or two more of preparing the material, Azi raised a hand to finally stop his brother, who had been pestering Deln with questions about his race and heritage and Paareth with questions about the local government. Given the nature of the two Katta, Paareth a long removed tribal Jagara and Deln an adolescent of mixed breeding, both topics might be difficult or at least more personal area’s to speak about.

“It is time to begin the next phase of your training, the sculpting of the shapes needed.” Said Azi turning to look over his students, hawk like eyes grading their work. They didn’t have perfect clay but it was good enough to make their first attempt, any longer and it would be too dry.

“Please follow me into the front room, bringing your clay and cutting wire.”

Azi picked up his own clay and cutting wire, proceeding with an excited Ivu into the front room. Paareth followed suit, coughing lightly to remove the dust and Feversteel stained air out of his throat. Raising to his feet, keen and curious about the next phase of this crafting, the Jagara had never been artistic by nature, this would be interesting…

[Deln]

The Katta decided against getting the gloves - first, because he didn't want to go near the toxic material just yet, second, because plenty of fur was already in the clay, and third, because they were designed for humans - not for the claw-bearing hands of a Katta. At least, that was his reasoning.

He sniffled his nose.

For some reason, Deln did his best to avoid eye contact with Paareth for all this time. Was he not on good term with other Katta, or was it for something Jagara are known for...? The Omnicat-Tigron's ears seemed to be down most of the time, this further enforced by Ivu's unintentionally inappropriate questioning. The muscles of his right eye had begun to twitch a little at how obnoxious that human was being...

Deln attempted to do the more advanced air-bubble-removing technique when Paareth started to do it, finding it to be a better way to relieve the bit of frustration he was getting here. Alleviated only by the fact he was on his way to learn the basics of a rare craft.

When Azi finally said it was time to begin the next phase, the feline brightened up. Hey, it had at least cut off Ivu's questioning for a few seconds! Then again, he had been learning more of Zinn'Sunn just by the man blabbering on about it. No doubt Paareth was, too. So at least some good came out of it.

He followed the Kemites' instructions, carefully picking up his lump of clay and wire and following them up the stairs.