Solo [The Emporium] The Shaper Savant

[Venser Rush]

12th Spring, 514

The cool wisps of wind entered the workplace of Venser Rush, the young man's lips pursed as he read through a note placed on his desk by Mikayas the Sculptor, a quirk of his eyebrows presented as he noted the freedom given in this particular act.

Boy, today you will make a true carving of your own rather than attempt to change or finish one of my own. I will be gone for the day, and thus, I expect your task to be complete by the time I return.

-Mikayas

Arching his eyebrows when he completed his reading, Venser set down the note, casting his gaze about the sea of sculptures, bright shining sentinels of wood reflecting the light of midday's sun. It was a truly incredible sight, to be sure, Venser perpetually in awe of his Master's ability to convey the subtle intricacies of the human form, though other sculptures, abstract concepts and representations, appealed to him just as well.

With Mikayas excelled in with the craft of sculpting was portraying the realism behind the artwork, the fact that faces were imprinted with the visage of life. Venser saw the echo of Mikayas' past, a past that Venser himself was unaware of, but he had an idea. He could garner it from the life he portrayed, the passion that Mikayas described as the process imprinted upon the faces of peculiar sculptures. The Woman with the Lotus Blossom and her reincarnations, no less than three in number within the carving shop, showed that, above all, Mikayas was an inspired sort.

The Rush twin cast his gaze about one last time, before finding a small, wooden rectangular prism, presumably provided by Mikayas the Sculptor in order for Venser to create something of interest. For Venser, it did not interest him to, at the moment, to create sculptures as Mikayas did. Great works of art and decoration were intriguing to the rush twin, but he had an idea that was more... practical.

Slowly, Venser began to peel apart the block with his mind, a shape forming in the blonde's mind as he crouched to the floor, lifting the cylinder from the floor. He then placed the cylinder upon the table, eager to begin his work.

First, he reached for the hammer and chisel in the toolkit that Mikayas provided his work area. It was approximately one foot long, no more than three inches narrower than its length, its height reaching approximately eight inches. For all intents and purposes, it was a solid, wooden block. Venser turned the wood onto a different base, bringing what was once its height and turning it to length, to make it easier to shape.

Venser's intent was to shape it into something to be worn rather than a sculpture. The Rush twin lifted the chisel to the very top of the block, pressed approximately three inches into the block. He then reached for the mallet, pressing the chisel tightly to the wood with his right hand as his left reached for the mallet.

A strike to the chisel wedged the material into the wood, a split forming at the top, Venser noting the dull throb of recoil against his striking arm. He struck again, the wedge driving deeper into the block. Two more followed, a fissure forming horizontally across the shape, concern materializing across his expression.

If I strike again in the same spot, it will cause a much sharper fissure, won't it? I think so... This block isn't large enough to merit the use of a saw, I think... Mikayas never explained to me the use of the saw. Likely because he never uses it, either. Do we even have one? I think he just uses the chisel and gougers to shape the material.

The Rush twin pulled the chisel from the wood, the fissures expanding ever so slightly in the wake of the force required to remove the chisel. Planning his move ahead, Venser decided that he would do this to the same thing to the other end of the block, to see if he could break apart the block without the need for a saw.

[Venser Rush]

One, two... three, four... Five.

Venser counted the inches separating the center point of the first chiseled wound within the wooden block and the end further away from it, measuring the distance with his gaze for several moments. A total of eight inches across, Venser needed to shave it down to five, three inches of pure block to be cut from the block before he even began with the gougers. Large segments were unwieldy for the plan he had in his mind, for the idea that he envisioned for this piece of wood.

Venser saw past the grain of the wood, envisioned the strokes of the gougers and the removal of the flesh of the dismembered tree to find a shape. It was glorified, of course, and the Rush twin suspected that he lacked the ability to make it as he desired, but he would do his utmost to create the mask that he desired. Whether he would wear it or not was irrelevant, but it was immediately what came to mind, the idea of making a mask at the shop that became his mask to the world of symbolic importance to him.

A grin materialized upon the Rush twin's features as he pressed the chisel to the wood. A single tap with the mallet drove the wedge of the chisel into the body of the wood before an idea struck the Rush twin. A chuckle escaped his lips before he realized that he could try something. It was of equal likelihood for this to end in ruin as it would in convenience, but the Rush twin decided to take the chance. A breath filled the Rush twin's lungs as a low whisper escaped his lips, an incantation stated, "From the immortal spirit this power flees, and unto the body it shall be received."

Venser, with the focus of the incantation, tugged at the weave of his djed, coaxing the energy from his soul to move through his body, the strength waning in his right arm, the grip upon the chisel weakened significantly, though the fact that it was wedged in kept it in place. Strength flooded Venser's left arm, chills flowing down his spine as a smirk materialized upon his expression.

The Rush twin felt familiar surged of pleasure, though focus lessened his desire to cast further, his control over himself cast with his focus. He clenched his fist around the handle of the mallet, then brought it down upon the chisel. Force bounded through the wood, the chisel wedging through the wooden bos, fissures spreading across the expanse of wood before the smaller segment of the wood fell to the floor. Done with his usage of the Flux, the Rush twin allowed another breath to fill his lungs before he turned the cut up block in order to inspect it. Eight inches had turned into four and three-quarters, more taken off than he had expected, though what he saw as a result was petrifying.

Torn asunder, splinters branched from the reduced wood, cast about and ruined, though Venser could fix it with the help of gougers. This end would obviously be the end he would wear on his face. The mask was in the process of creation. Venser intended to try to do justice to his intention and make Mikayas feel that he was worthy of his respect.

The Rush twin stowed the mallet and chisel, reaching in the space beneath his desk for the collection of gougers that Mikayas the Sculptor allotted him.

[Venser Rush]

The Flux was undoubtedly effective in severing the piece of wood from the whole, but in its wake, it left destruction. The Rush twin pursed his lips as he sllowed fingers to press to the splinters, feeling the prick of splintered wood on the tip of his finger. Lips pursed as he witnessed the extent of the damage, his left hand moving towards the largest of the gougers, a deep, two-inch wide gouge that was sharpened to a keen edge. It was normally used to tear deeply into a body in order to convey the movement of clothing or body, or at the very least, it was how Mikayas used it. Venser would employ the services of the item in order to fix his mistakes and even advance his cause. After all, the wood needed to be shaped into a groove to fit his face. A mask.

Perhaps it was intrigue, or a desire to have an alternate face, an identity distinct from Verin's at times, or Miro's influence upon the Rush twin and the masked face the man had stared into, but it was a desire that manifested. Identity was an aspect of djed. His djed made him distinct from Verin, it made him a being of a higher nature. The induction into auristics had taught him that things were not as they seemed at the surface, even within the mundane, and perhaps that was what inspired the Rush twin to go forth with this, but it hardly mattered. Mikayas had instructed him to create something of his own, and he would do so without hesitation.

Venser pushed the gouger forward, the sharpened edge wedging into the wood, Venser applying forward force into the handle. Sinking deeper into the material of the wood, Venser watched a splinter rise up, the blonde pushing it forward, then upwards, a scoop torn out of the wood in the midst of the effort. The wood was, in comparison to other woods he had been shown, soft and light, which was a good quality for gouging, but the very same would likely affect the Rush twin's efforts in finishing it.

The Rush twin sliced into the wood again, taking another scoop out of the material, Venser's fingers tensing from the exertion of the action as he sought to warp what was once a block, and would soon become a mask. A third stab into the wood with the gouger created a mostly straight line through from one end to the other of the block of wood. The gouge was disrupted in places, though with more application, the problem would be eradicated.

Shunk. Shunk

Shunk. Shunk.

Four gouges later, two more rows were made, side by side along the center of the piece of wood, carving into it a groove approximately two inches in depth. Jagged lines marred the edges of the groove, the work far from smooth, but a work in progress was by no means supposed to be perfect. Venser began to see the progression of things, a logical alignment of ideas. A step by step process that was the creation of a carving. In this case, it was a mask, but Venser felt the plan of sculpting a piece of art moulding into his mind. Pride even began to materialize at his partially formed creation.

He wanted it to be complete so that he could truly back in his improvement in the craft that would ascend his status of Legate and allow him to create items of power that also contained shape worthy of the magic brought forth. Anticipation rose in the carver's mind as he cleaved through the wood again with the gouger, his hand protesting the motion, desiring rest, but his mind pushed it forward, intent on the accomplishment of, at the very least, the rough, base effort of the first layer of gouging.

The plan formed in the Rush twin's mind.

First, you will cleave through to the first inches of wood in order to accomplish the task of forming the groove.

Then, it will be deepened. You know the measurements of your face, Venser, so the next step will not require a mirror to use as reference. You will then carve shape into the hole. The basic shape of a nose will be created. The space to accommodate the cheekbones comfortably. The rise and curve of the jawbone will then be carved into the mask. A smoother space for the eye sockets, and holes so that you may see into the world while the mask is worn.

Once the inner space of the mask is created, Venser, you will create design. You will not wear the blank face of wood. No, you will give definition to the face, a slit for the mouth so that you may breathe while wearing this tool of shrouding the identity. The final step will be to finish the wood and apply the oils to make the outer layer stronger against the elements.

The shape of the mask formed in Venser's mind, his desire to manifest it growing stronger and stronger.

[Venser Rush]

Perhaps Venser was being overly ambitious with his project, but he knew for a fact that the greater the ambition, the better he would fare under Mikayas' scrutiny. While the sculptor was by no means a harsh, bitter man, he had high expectations paired with a pride for the craft that he delved into. Sculpture was the old man's calling, though Venser had seen multiple instances of variety in his repertoire. Even the man's engravings, a craft he detested, were rather stylized and well-formed. Venser seethed with jealousy at times, but was confident that with his time in Mikayas' employ, that he would grow in the craft.

The thoughts cast themselves through his mind for just a moment, momentarily distracting Venser from his work. The distraction caused Venser to slip, the gouge stabbing deep into the wood, creating yet another problem for the Rush twin to need to resolve, a frown materialized upon his expression. Part of him was becoming frustrated with the whole task, the lack of desire to be a professional sculptor, the softness of the material in comparison to his custom of wood, and the monotony of the process was unappealing to him, the mundane quality of it all deterring him from advancement.

Money and experience made it worth the time investment, though, and Venser had a profound respect for his employer, and gratitude for the man's generosity regarding his supplies. So long as the Rush twin returned them, he was allowed to borrow, a deal he considered more than fair.

At times, it makes it clear just how little one appreciates what they have. Yes, the engraving tools are my own personal investment, but how did I earn the money? Mikayas. The file, though, that is Mikayas' and his alone. I need to be grateful for what Mikayas has allowed me rather than complaining about the task set before me. He is teaching me, whether it is obvious or not.

The frown slowly dissipated, Venser beginning the work of gouging deeper into the wood. Another once over, two more inches dug out of the wooden material, and the Rush twin was ready to begin the next step of the process. The largest gouger was no longer necessary, Venser taking one several sizes smaller, to merely a half inch in order for the process of carving out the nose and the mouth slit.

Venser plotted out the surface of the mask, now cut to a depth of six inches, allowing for two inches of depth to be gouged out and shaped as he so desired. The smaller of the gougers pierced into the center of the hollowed out mask. The Rush twin noted that approximately half an inch of space remained at each side, untouched by the gouging process. The space, approximately five inches long, was to cover the Rush twin's cheeks and jaw once they were properly fixed about and altered. For the moment, Venser needed to make the rest of the space usable.

A first gouge removed several centimeters, the blonde cutting into the wood again, approximately two inches of space embedded into the wood, forming a small groove at the center of the face, deepened and shaped into the basic, raw outline of the human nose. Venser's representation was bulky, too much so to perfectly fit the blonde, though perhaps this could be made of use, the Rush twin moving to the sanding paper to round out and buff the groove to a smooth surface before switching his attentions back to the mask as a whole.

By this point, Venser Rush's mask was complete at the nose, buffed to a semi-smooth, grainy finish that would be accentuated with oil. The frame of the mask was complete, lacking detail, eye slits, a mouth slit, or defined features on the other side. Though, for the moment, it would suffice. Venser's work was not yet done, but two bells of effort and investment of time had done the lion's share of the work.

[Venser Rush]

With the space for the nose set into being, Venser was allotted the freedom to create the space for his cheekbones. Though he knew his own measurements, he required a bit more hands-on of an approach so that the specifics were completely ingrained into his mind. And with that, the blonde lowered the gouger to the desk, his hands placing themselves upon the unfinished mask, lifting it from the table as his eyes closed.

A deep breath was taken as a thought occurred, It is of utmost importance to physically feel the placement of the mask's distribution of material. If it is too close, perhaps it will be uncomfortable. Too large, and logically, it would fall off, correct? I must tread with care, but also work as efficiently as possible.

Venser lifted the mask to his face, pressing it into his skin. His nose fitted into the indentation pressed into the mask, enough room so that wood did not press into his skin as it imprinted its mark upon the sides of his face and cheekbones. It was extremely uncomfortable to wear for the moment, the blonde's cheeks resisting compression as the fit failed to accommodate him. He required a small amount of space to groove into his high cheekbones, and for the curvature of the jaw to match the strong, sloping nature of Venser's bone structure.

Lifting the mask from his face, Venser replaced the mask upon the table, Venser looking down to the mask, feeling the pressure of the mask still upon his face, a desire to alter the situation manifesting as he listed to the gouger once again. The tool was used to delicately slice into the area of the mask that encompassed his cheek bones, carving approximately a quarter of an inch into the wood at the highest point of his cheekbones, then attempting to slope it so that the mask fit the changing depth of his face.

It was a difficult process to envision, Venser bothered slightly by the entire process, though he took satisfaction in the fact that things were moving forward. Venser did the process for both the left and right sides of the face, his cheekbones set into the wood, to his satisfaction, though the rough edges of the interior of the mask had to be counterbalanced.

Venser put the gouger down, reaching for the sanding leather, his crystalline gaze set over the expanse of the mask as he scrutinized it in search of exactly how much he effort he needed to apply in order to accomplish the task. After all, doing too much is generally what makes poor craftsmanship. In time, I'll learn to do this more quickly, but for now... it is to my satisfaction. Venser brushed the sanding paper along the length of the cheekbones, taking the opportunity to buff the space where his forehead and brow were to place as well, to kill two birds with one spell, so to speak.

When the task was complete, Venser was left with a mask-looking shape, at the very least, on the inside. The front was still utterly straight and rounded, the cylinder fully carved out on the inside, though after Venser fixed the shape of the chin, he would continue onwards to the other side.

The blonde moved to the chin area of the mask, making use of the file this time to slowly shave away some of the exterior of the mask. Venser then realized that, to an extent, he needed to warp the wood. The chin was not yet shaped to the specifications he required. In truth, the entire structure of the mask was wide, at least two inches wider than Venser's head. The warping process was one that he was new to, but the basin of water was set in Mikayas' work space with a book explaining the process to an extent. Venser planned to utilize it.

Perhaps I should do this... before I finish the whittling process? The wood will be more likely to survive the warping process with a thicker shell to withstand the force. Surely Mikayas will understand me using the basin and vice. He did say to make my own project.

Venser nodded resolutely, using the need to switch places as an opportunity to clean up his project space. Wood shavings, the block he had removed, and splinters littered the desk, Venser quickly gathering them up into a pile before tossing it in a bin to be used for... whatever it was that Mikayas did with the excess.

The blonde raised the mask from the table, moving through the maze of sculptures and towards the spiraling staircase to the second floor.

[Venser Rush]

~Thirty chimes pass as Venser Rush fumbled through the process of waiting for the body of the mask to be utterly soaked in the basin. Another bell and thirty chimes pass with the process of shaping it with the vice, Venser leaving the finished mask in the vice to retain its structure. The scene begins with Venser Rush awakening from a short nap, the mask waiting for him to retrieve.~

A yawn escaped the Rush twin's lips as he looked at the vice, noting its constricting and holding of the mask, now shaped to Venser's approximate face size. He'd managed to time the mask and its shaping process with the approximate return of Mikayas the Sculptor, and though there was no noise to be heard at the moment, Venser was made aware of his employer's imminent approach. He carefully pulled the mask from the vice, holding it in his hands for several moments, inspecting it carefully as fingers traversed the wooden surface of the shaped item. It was crudely done, the form of the mask far different than he had envisioned. Lines were out of place, the surface rough, though Venser had not yet completed the finishing process.

There was buffing and polishing to be done, to fix the sheen and surface of the mask and make it wearable, as well as polishing the inside, but for the moment, he did not have the time. And Mikayas wanted something today. The Rush twin allowed a breath to escape his lungs as he lifted the mask, pressing it to his face. It was this moment that was critical, to shape the mask by hand so that it utterly fit into the face. The drying process would take place with the mask on, so that Venser's effort were not wasted. The wood had not yet dried, Venser's face pressed with moisture, but he paid it no mind. Later, he would need to wash his face, but the moment required him to keep the mask on.

At long last, the Rush twin heard his mentor entering the shop, slow footsteps trudging along the wooden floor of the shop. Though most slowed their ascent in the shop, Mikayas' was owed to his condition, one that Venser was not privy to, rather than his lack of knowledge regarding the shop. He knew every sculpture, every relief, carving and floorboard of the shop, and his pace reflected this. Moving through the groundwork of the sculpture shop, The Rush twin then listened as the man scaled the steps, making his way up the spiraling staircase to meet with Venser.

Venser chuckled when the man finally climbed to the top, squinting behind his glasses in the dim light, a shocked expression as he noted the mask on the apprentice's features.

"A mask? This was your idea? Intriguing."

Mikayas looked over the mask, fingers traversing the surface, Venser closing his eyes to avoid the discomfort of his Master's scrutinizing stare as he moved his hands along the length of the mask. Venser did not need to have his eyes open for him to understand what was happening. Fingers lelt the impact of their touch, lacking the touch of human warmth through the mask, but their presence was felt. The Rush twin had seen the process before, and so, in his mind's eye, he imagined as spectacle-encased eyes looked over the mask, fingers traversed the unpolished service. The facial expression was unknown to him, though soon enough, it was made known. Fifteen chimes passed in relative silence as Mikayas continued his assessment before,

"The process is as of yet incomplete, it seems. It lacks the finishing touch, but it's well-done, Venser. I wanted you to do this, so that I could see your skill before allowing you a more lax work schedule to accommodate your education. You pass, my dear boy. I will hire an additional carver to accommodate the time you require to study."

A kindly smile was pressed to the sculptor's features, Venser's eyes opening wide, or as much as they could with the wood clinging to his face. He passed? A smile graced the young man's features, invisible behind his mask. Mikayas then pulled the mask from the Rush twin's features, handing it to him after as he said, "Take it, Venser. It is yours, as it will fit none other than perhaps your brother. I release you for the evening, come back tomorrow once your classes are adjourned."

A nod moved the Rush twin's head as he took the mask with him, holding it in his hand as he made his way downstairs and out of the shop, astonishment still pressed upon his features.

[Nemesis]

Venser Rush

Knowledge :

Skills

Skill	XP
Carving	+4
Flux	+1
Mathematics	+1
Observation	+4
Planning	+2

Lores

*Another Carver to Allow for Study
*Flux and Carving: Damaging
*Using Flux to Carve

Micellaneous :

Injuries

*None

Loot/Expenses

*One unfinished mask that will fit the face of the Rush twins.

____________________________________________

Notes

*Opened a slot for our new carver quite nicely, I see ^.^

Feel free to PM me with questions, comments, or concerns, if you have any.
Also, remember to either delete your grade request or edit it as 'graded'.
Thank ye!