the Rift


Crafting 101 [Quest, Tingal]

Lace the Silverthorn Posts: 459
Deceased atk: 5 | def: 9 | dam: 5.5
Stallion :: Equine :: 15.3 hh :: 14 HP: 65 | Buff: NOVICE
Fajira :: Plain White Dragon :: Fire Breath Chan
#1

Lace led the orange hybrid across the northernmost parts of the Meadow, over the clear and cold river that cut nameless through the world and deep into the woods of the Deep forest. He spoke little during the days it took to make the journey, instead keeping mostly to himself and the white dragon that only left his side to hunt.

Once they entered the Forest, the gold-marked grulla slowed down somewhat, his attention turning to the trees that surrounded them. Some small and showered with delicate blossoms, others tall and looming evergreens - to most they would be nothing but trees, your average tall plant that tended to block the way and trip you with roots that grew everywhere. Lace had used to think of them like that too. He'd never been able to separate a birch from a pine before, and saw no reason to learn save for the ones you could eat safely. But, as he explained absently to Tingal, after his eyes had been opened to the magic that resided within him, trees weren't just trees anymore.

"It's like they have personalities, albeit not ones like you and I" he said as he walked, pale eyes trailing over the tall branches over their heads with a blank expression - and a quiet fondness that some might think a bit creepy. "The lifespan of a tree is oftentimes twice or thrice as long as yours, and because they always remain in the same place, their priorities are different than ours. Their emphasis lies more in the present, with a memory that extends for yeeears back. From the bursting of the seed to the first time their heart-leaves extended above ground, they remember each sunny day, every storm and every squirrel that climbed over a branch. Few things can shake them; fire is one, winter another, but even those are natural things that are supposed to occur - and thus, the trees don't fear them, only acknowledge their existence."

As he spoke, the stallion brushed over the bark with his muzzle every now and then, a brief touch to make it easier for his mind to penetrate the surface and explore the nature of the core.

"Different species of tree have different properties to their wood" he continued. "Some have soft wood that is easy to shape and mold - it is soft, spongey, often pale in color - most fast growing leaf trees are like that. Aspen, birch, apple, to name a few. They are good for shelters and temporary things, but have a habit of taking up a lot of water and easily develop sickness. Fungi, rot, things like that. If you want wood that is hard, heavy and dense, for armor and shields and waterproof chests, you look for oak. Oak and the black wood of ebony, slow growing pines and the heartwood of spruce, yew - yew is great to shape when it's young, it's pliable and tough, but once it settles in a shape it grows stubborn and may crack. Decide what you want to make and then choose the sort of wood to use."

Slowly, steadily, Lace lead the way deeper and deeper into the forest, until the crashing of water could be heard - at the south-eastern parts of the Deep, the trees were tall and straight, growing more scarcely than at the very center where every branch had to fight for space to get some sunlight.

Here, the equine stopped and turned to Tingal with a faint smile - his mood had definitely improved since the first greeting, but he was still of a down-to-business attitude that left no room for play.

"You are going to bring a box to Father Earth, to show what we have accomplished. For this, I want you to find a young white oak and a cherry tree growing next to each other; you recognize the oak on the fuzzy pink leaves and gray trunk, and the cherries on the white or pink flowers that bloom without leaves. Take your time; we're not in a hurry."

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Tingal Posts: 110
Outcast atk: 5.0 | def: 9 | dam: 5.5
Stallion :: Hybrid :: 17 hh :: 9 years HP: 62.5 | Buff: NOVICE
dark
#2
Tingal galloped along side the grulla stallion for a while, his legs barely tiring. He grinned as they reached the Deep Forest. His hooves slid along the moist earth, slowing his pace down a bit. Lace spoke, explaining the way of the trees. Tingal soaked the information up like a sponge. His mind copying everything the golden marked stallion said. When Lace gave him a task, Tingal hurried away to complete it.

Tingal's oddly colored body moved through the forest, searching for an oak and cherry beside one another. He thought that his nose might be able to find them with the smells, and he found himself standing before a large oak. Tingal sniffed it, memorizing it's scent. He turned, disappointed to see no cherry beside it. He continued searching, now able to decipher an oaks scent from other trees. He searched through the forest, attempting to find an oak.

After a while, Tingal had finally found an oak beside a cherry. He loved the smell of the cherry, and plucked a few of the petals from the tree, admiring the scent."The scent..."He paused, inhaling. His mood calmed."It.. reminds me of home."His home had many cherry trees. He remembered his child hood, his past haunted him. But if you were to look closer, you would find happier memories within his mind.

Tingal realized how stupid he must look and walked back to Lace."I found what you needed."He began walking slowly to the two trees he had spotted, showing them to Lace."Will these two do?"He asked, staring at the grulla stallion.

Lace the Silverthorn Posts: 459
Deceased atk: 5 | def: 9 | dam: 5.5
Stallion :: Equine :: 15.3 hh :: 14 HP: 65 | Buff: NOVICE
Fajira :: Plain White Dragon :: Fire Breath Chan
#3

Lace waited quietly while Tingal searched for the required specimens, patient and quite content with being away from the Edge for a while. It wasn't too often that he roamed away from the borders with an actual purpose, and he admitted that it felt good. Spring was a lovely time of year, and now he had a chance to fully appreciate it. While Fajira took off to hunt, the stallion roamed between the spring green trees, scrubbing shoulders and barrel against rough barks to remove the remnants of a damned multi-colored winter coat. He was more than pleased to see that the despised appaloosa markings was coming off, slowly but surely, more and more for each day that passed. By summer, they might even be gone entirely. Hopefully that would be true for the frosting in the mane too...

When the tiger-striped stallion eventually returned, Lace nodded and followed with him to the two trees. A quick study of them showed that Tingal had indeed found the right ones; he was given a smile and an appreciating nod, before the Glazier gestured for him to step back a little.

"Now comes the hard part" he said and stepped closer to the two trees, the nose reaching out to touch the trunks. "See, when I craft things from trees, I don't cut and carve and damage the source. Rather, I guide the trees to grow in specific shapes, so that the item will be parted from the core without harm. It takes time, more so in fall and winter since the speed of growth is slower then, but now when the spirits are high and weather warm, it should be a fairly quick process."

Then he closed his eyes and grew still, mind turning inwards to the core of the tall plants while he called for the magic within the soul to flow from him and into the trees, compelling them to grow according to his wishes. At first it wasn't a visible process, but as time passed a lump began to appear on each of the trees, where they stood closest to one another. Larger and larger it became, until they were close enough to touch, even grow into one another. By the time the lumps had completely joined together and merged the two trees together, the stallion took a deep breath and opened the eyes again.

"That's a good start" he sighed, apparently tired even though he seemingly hadn't done much other than to stand for a long time. "Now, Tingal. Tell me your favorite tree, your favorite flower, and the wild animal you appreciate most of the ones you have seen. Take your time; I'll go take a sip of water and a bite of grass in the meantime. " Said and done; Lace slipped away for a while to refresh himself, leaving Tingal to study what he had done so far and to think over the questions.

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Tingal Posts: 110
Outcast atk: 5.0 | def: 9 | dam: 5.5
Stallion :: Hybrid :: 17 hh :: 9 years HP: 62.5 | Buff: NOVICE
dark
#4
The tree began to move, to form. Tingal was in awe before the stallions' next words brought him back. Lace, once done with speaking turned to eat some grass.

"Now, Tingal. Tell me your favorite tree, your favorite flower, and the wild animal you appreciate most of the ones you have seen. Take your time; I'll go take a sip of water and a bite of grass in the meantime. "

Tingal had to think for a moment before he answered."Cherry Blossom trees are my favorite trees,"Tingal paused, thinking some more."Tiger lilies would have to be my favorite flower, and tigers are my favorite animal."Tingal sighed, glancing back at Lace.

Tingal tried not to show it, but he was extremely excited to see the result of Lace's magic. Will it work? What if it doesn't?Tingal tried to calm himself, but he was just too excited. He pawed the ground, trying not to dig into the dirt too far.

Tingal watched Lace eat grass, and Tingal walked up beside the gold-marked stallion. He stooped his head down and began to eat some of the grass too. He didn't eat much, and a small squirrel caught his attention. He began to stalk towards it, wanting to catch it. His hoof crushed a twig, scaring the squirrel away. He snorted in annoyance and flicked his ears back before waiting for Lace to finish eating.

OOC:
WC: 225

Lace the Silverthorn Posts: 459
Deceased atk: 5 | def: 9 | dam: 5.5
Stallion :: Equine :: 15.3 hh :: 14 HP: 65 | Buff: NOVICE
Fajira :: Plain White Dragon :: Fire Breath Chan
#5

Lace had to admit, he took some pleasure in making his student wait even though he clearly was both ready and eager to continue with the process. The hybrid stallion would have to learn to wait however. Patience was a vital part of most things in life, and especially when it came to the art of creation. Even more so when one dealt with trees. Plants were every bit as living as themselves, and it never did good to rush either. The result might be cracked, weak, leaving room for rot and disease... Altogether not a favorable state.

Thus, the gray steed took his time to slake the thirst and fill the belly before finally declaring himself satisfied. Returning to the trees and the unfinished work, his dark velvet nose once more connected with the rough bark of the trunks and with a sigh the tendrils of magic resumed their work.

"Cherry trees, tigers and lilies... Perhaps you were wondering why I wanted to know, hm? It's quite difficult to have you aid in the process of creation, as it is done through the magic ability I have been gifted with. For that reason, it's no more than fair that you get to decide on the motif, the theme of the decorations" he murmured with drowsy voice, paying no heed to whether the other was listening or not. It would be up to Tingal how interested he was in sharing in on the information Lace offered, and what he might learn from the process. Ultimately, it would be for the Earth God to decide if he'd been attentive enough.

From this point, the process was easier to follow with the naked eye. The section Lace had molded before was now turned into a square shape, roughly six by seven inches in height and breadth. The bottom was gradually flattened while the top received a curved shape, slowly and steady as the wood grew according to the will of the crafter. When the outline was done, the outer bark of the section between the mother trees receded, instead viewing the pale, fresh heartwood of oak. It was beginning to look like a chest now, and with seemingly endless patience a motif was grown over the surface. It took the appearance of a forest, where trees stood tall and healthy, some blossoming while others bore leaf, and yet others hung heavy with fruit in complete disregard for the flow of time and effect of seasons. Between branches and the flowers and grasses on the ground, small birds and animals peeked out, and at the very center, on the top of the part that would become the lid, a clearing formed around a small family of tigers. A mother with three cubs, all basking atop a large rock not unlike a throne.

It was here the purpose of using two kinds of trees became apparent. Instead of painting the chest, Lace used the different tones of the wood to create depth and add a tint to the work, by molding the trees together and turning them into one being. The pale lumber of the oak served as base, the red of the cherry became accents, and as the hinges formed and the top section separated from the rest of the box to form a lid, it was revealed that the inside held a deep crimson hue not unlike that of ripe cherries.

By now, the short ends of the chest was the only thing that connected the craft to the trees.

"Now you need to help me" Lace said and paused briefly to look over at Tingal. "I want you to grasp the chest anyway you can, and keep it in place while I separate it from the trees. BE sure to keep it still, or something might become crooked."

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The Store | The Warden

Tingal Posts: 110
Outcast atk: 5.0 | def: 9 | dam: 5.5
Stallion :: Hybrid :: 17 hh :: 9 years HP: 62.5 | Buff: NOVICE
dark
#6
Tingal was over-flowing with excitement. Lace seemed to be taking his time on his little "break", which made Tingal a bit more patient, but he was still excited to see the final product. He watched in amazement as Lace began to form the box. Then, he watched with interest as Lace began to form the design. A mother tiger and her three cubs. Tingal couldn't help but love Lace's design. Tingal kept his mouth shut, not wanting to distract Lace.

"I want you to grasp the chest anyway you can, and keep it in place while I separate it from the trees. Be sure to keep it still, or something might become crooked."

Tingal perked his ears and reacted quickly to Lace's words. He wrapped his tiger tail around the box, squeezing it as tightly as he could, trying to keep it steady. He looked back."Is this good enough?"He asked. "It's very beautiful."Tingal complemented Lace's lovely work. He kept his green eyes on the box and the work Lace was doing, trying to learn from his crafting. Tingal watched with interest while Lace continued crafting. He loved watching the artisan at work.

OOC: Sorry, kind of bad post.
WC: 194

Lace the Silverthorn Posts: 459
Deceased atk: 5 | def: 9 | dam: 5.5
Stallion :: Equine :: 15.3 hh :: 14 HP: 65 | Buff: NOVICE
Fajira :: Plain White Dragon :: Fire Breath Chan
#7

"Yes, that should do" the stallion replied after assessing the grip on the chest. The compliment was mostly ignored, met with little more than a wry grin - the kind of smile you get from someone not quite accustomed to handling compliments, who don't quite agree but doesn't care to argue.

With a slightly deeper breath and a quick flick of a tail to chase away a few buzzing insects, the craftsman soon closed the eyes again and returned to his task. It was only the final stage left, but it might also prove to be the trickiest.

Very, very carefully, Lace began to separate the wood of the box from the wood of the trees. It was always trickier to make something retract than to make it grow, for reasons he couldn't quite grasp. The entire process had to be reversed, and it required concentration on a whole new level.
Most of the day had been spent on this piece, and with the slowly setting sun touching the horizon, there was a faint 'pop' as the chest finally came loose from the last fiber, suddenly turning heavy in the grasp of the tiger-horse's tail. It was a weight of life, for in a way the box they had made was still ver much living. Grown from trees that now slowly was restored to their former appearance, the container would retain its fresh hues, its dewy surface - and should it be returned to the earth, Lace wouldn't have been surprised to find it sprouting. But what kind of tree it might make, that he didn't know. Perhaps a tree entirely new to the world? Perhaps Father Earth would know.

Once the bark on the mother trees had returned and not a trace of the incision could be found, the Glazier backed away with a sigh and stepped over to Tingal to inspect his work. After making sure that the lid would open and close properly, that the motif was as it should and that nothing was askew, he finally nodded in approval and returned it to the other stallion.

"There you go. Take that to Father Earth along with my greeting and regards, and see if he approves of your participation in the crafting of this chest. I couldn't do much to teach you the process, but perhaps it was enough to fulfill your quest..."

He was almost tempted to follow the youngster back to the Veins to see the reaction of the God when beholding the artwork, but the Edge needed his presence. If Tingal didn't require anything more from him, he would await the return of his dragon and then begin the journey back home.


[Hope this helped you in your quest! The motif I described look something similar to this only with cherry trees, and in the center a rock with the tigers on it. It covers the lid and has the roots of the trees and flowers continuing down all four sides. The hinges are hidden so they don't show - when closed, the chest look like its a solid block of wood.]

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BronzeHalo.deviantart.com
♦ Permission granted to use magic and violence on Lace and Fajira
♦ Only tag in new threads, spars and if it's urgent
The Store | The Warden


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