[University-Wright Library] Professor Stonemiller (Mod)

[Torc Ironwood]

Torc felt slightly more at ease then he had in the Registrar’s Office. The people around him had made him feel like he was always been watched and judged. Here in the library the quiet focus of the people around him felt more at peace. Here was a place where people came to gather knowledge and focus their mind. In a way it felt like the home he had grown up in, granted there wasn’t constant chores to be done and at several work desks it appeared that men and women were free to sit across from one another. But this felt a lot more familiar then the office.

Though Torc hated to ask questions he was finally able to have a few student point the way to Professor Stonemiller. He was quiet when he found the man As he looked down at the Professor, he began to chew his lip thinking over various details that he should include. Torc stepped forward his head bowed and the feeling of humble youth came over him. He hadn’t felt so alone and small since Priestess Lara caught him sneak a few spice cakes after dinner.

“Sir, excuse my interruption, but the Registrar said that I must talk to you about tending magic classes. I was hoping to talk classes on Magecraft or glyphin’. I have a bit of both sir, along with a lot of smithin’ and carpentry. I am would be more then happy working in the mageforges on building smaller components if you like.”

Torc felt his feet began to fidget. He felt like a single word from this man could destroy any hope of him advancing his knowledge in such thing. “Sir, please, I know about hard work and won’t fail you. The only thing that ever felt right to me is a hammer in my hand and the chanting of Magecraft. The energy that courses around the forge and mixing the harmony… it feels like the world an you are one, sir. It’s the only time I feel like I am in the place where I should be.”

Torc was feeling his stomach began to tight, “Sir, please, crafting is one of the few joys that I have.”

[Liminal]

Professor Stonemiller was an older man; when Torc found him, he was seated in a plush chair, deeply engrossed in an old, thick book. He did not stir until spoken to. Then the man looked up, his eyes tired, as if he had been there for a long, long time. He listened as Torc gave his explanation -- and then didn't immediately say anything at all. The silence, made even more pronounced by the library's vast stillness, was slightly awkward.

"Your sincerity is impressive, my friend." He placed a velvet bookmark in the volume he had been reading, and then closed it. Although it wasn't a loud sound, it was very noticeable in the ambient quiet.

"I'm afraid I didn't catch your name, sir. But I should like to ask you if you have any examples of your magecrafting work that I might be able to examine, and I should also like to ask you if there is anything specific that you wish to work towards."

It wasn't the discouragement that Torc seemed to be expecting, though it wasn't exactly an encouragement either. At any rate, it gave him the opportunity to say more.

[Torc Ironwood]

Torc felt his skin flush with heat and blood. He felt so foolish that he hadn’t said his name. Torc appreciated the quiet demeanor about the man, in fact it was nice to experience a place of stillness and weight of knowledge. In a way it felt like the library at the temple, granted the temple had only about a hundred books, and here there were thousands, but the quiet reserve and well crafted chairs gave Torc a little more calm. Perhaps it was the Professor as well, he didn’t except or reproach Torc for anything, he felt like a judge, waiting for an outcome to happen.

“Torc Ironwood, sir, that’s my name. Ummmmm, well to be completely honest sir, all my work is in the temple of the twins that I grew up in, and most of it was hardening support beams and metal fixtures. I was planning on creating warming stones for the bathhouse, that way bath water would be warm and relaxing without having to put it on a stove first, but the truth is that I have just started and hardening materials made more sense for the temple that putting up smokeless lights or fancy devices.” Torc chewed on his lip a little as he thought.

“Sir, if you would like I could craft a support beam for you and harden it close to stone. Won’t take but a few days time.” Torc spoke with hope sure the carving of the beam and the like would take a while but the overall all materials for such a venture weren’t too costly. “As for a project, personally I was just hoping to get a job working in the mageforge and learn the trade that way, but if I would have anything my hearts desire…. I suppose I would craft a smelting pot that could control the heat and pressure going to the metal with a command. Seems to me something like that would be very useful, expensive, but useful.”

[Liminal]

The professor gave a soft chuckle. "I'm afraid I haven't anywhere to put a support beam, though I'm sure it would be of excellent quality. However, I'm sure we can arrange something for you. The University doesn't have a mageforge in the way that many other places do, since we're less about producing items and more about the academic study of the craft. But we do do a certain amount of magecrafting."

The man stroked his chin. "As a matter of fact, a lot of it is done by me, or at least under my supervision. But I'm an old man, Torc Ironwood, and I could use some assistance."

He was nodding now, as if to assure himself that what he was saying was accurate. "Yes, if you'd like to assist me, I should be glad of it. I'd be happy to give you some lessons in the process; perhaps we could call it an even trade?"

[Torc Ironwood]

Torc looked at the professor as he described the university’s mageforge. It seemed strange to Torc that they weren’t producing anything, how could they keep up with the expensive materials needed for their student projects and research? Torc thought on the matter and realized that most of the material costs probably came out students tuition for the class. Which meant that the deal that the professor was offering was quite nice, except Torc needed a little bit of money to survive, and hopefully find a bride.

“Well professor, I would love nothing else to accept your bargain, but I need a job to offset my living. If you are willing to allow me to purchase the materials and do the work so I can sale a few items a semester, then I would happily accept working for you during classes, and afterward making a few items I could sale… I suppose to make it a little more fair, I could offer the school first choice on the item, and I wouldn’t start on an item without your approval that I have the appropriate skill to craft it.”

Torc thought about it, it wasn’t a bad counter offer. Torc would be responsible for his own work, research with the library and the current market in Zeltiva could probably find a few items that Torc could sale to merchants for a little profit. The professor could stop Torc if the crafting was too dangerous for him or the tools in the shop, and if the university wanted the item then they could pay a fair price at it, before it went to market. Professor Stonemiller didn’t lose Torc to his own crafting till after classes and overall it wasn’t insulting to either party.

[Liminal]

The Professor thought about this for several moments. "A fair counteroffer, Torc Ironwood. I believe it is one that I can accept. You have yourself a deal."

His head nodded. "We can begin your work in three days. As for formal lessons, those can start at the beginning of summer, if that is agreeable; I'm in the middle of several things now, but I should have time then."

"How does that sound?"

[Torc Ironwood]

Torc bowed showing respect to his teacher. “That is quite agreeable, Professor. I have a project at home that I will continue on. However, I will also come by and work on my glyphing with the library. I assume that I will meet you here every day and you will provide me with a list of tasks to carry out?” After Professor Stonemiller’s response Torc bowed again and went out searching for an apartment to rent and lumber for his carving project. He needed to secure a nice place, as well as argue with a few blacksmith for some files and chisels. All in all it was going to be a long day, but in the end Torc knew that with his acceptance as Professor Stonemiller’s assistant that he would learn a great deal in time. (The End?)

[Liminal]

OOC: Indeed, the end ^_^

You're approved for an income of 200GM per season, which seems like about what you ought to get out of selling your work.

If you want to start a summer thread for more formal training, please do! ^_^