Abandon
Accompanied by two young guards, you leave your palace and make your way across the broad street to the town’s expansive armory.
Consisting of a main forge hall, surrounded by open-sided workshops, it is in operation night and day, producing and repairing weapons, armor, horse barding, tools, and other metalworks.
You pass under the tiled roof of the nearest outer workshop, where armor pieces are being fashioned.
The workers, all common laborers, halt their work and kneel as you enter, dropping their faxes to the ground. They remain so as you inspect their work. Due to the availability of superior materials, and in no small part, the teachings of the Master Smith, the quality of the armory’s work is amongst the finest in all of Aator. Pleased with what you see, you proceed inward, through an open doorway, into the main forge.
Within the searing hot, smokey hall, you see Alderam, the Master Smith, hunched over a massive grinding wheel, putting the final edge on a beautifully gleaming two-hand sword.
Glancing up, he notices you and stops the wheel. He kneels for a few seconds and then rises and present the blade for your inspection.
“It is nearly finished, my Lord”, he says, “I hope it meets with your approval.”
Taking the long weapon from the older, burly man, to turn it over in the lamplight, admiring the perfection of its balance, and the fine detail of its construction. You had commissioned the forging of a new sword recently, to celebrate the beginning of the expansion campaign. As you knew he would, Alderam has exceeded your expectations. The claymore is immaculate and you look forward to wielding it.
You express your satisfaction and ask him if it will be done before the army departs, and he nods, replying, “Yes, my Lord. You will slake the blade’s bloodthirst this day. May it serve you well, all of your days.”
You take a seat on a nearby stool and enquire as you the state of the army’s readiness, in regard to weaponry, armor and the like.
You have been slowly preparing for the new campaign for many months and have trusted the equipping of your men to the Master Smith.
He explains that the army is as ready as could be wished, with not but the finest quality arms and defenses.
He also details the efforts he has made, along with a local engineer, to develop and improve your war machines. Spreading a portfolio of designs upon a nearby bench, he shows you several diagrams of catapults, ballistas, battering rams and the like. Most are common machines with new features and technical improvements, but a few are original creations, including a scaling tower that can transform into an armored wagon, mounted with a scorpion ballista. Another one is an anti-cavalry machine, designed to disable horses en mass. It resembles a broad and squat wagon, armored on all sides. From the bottom front and sides extend iron arms, ended with whirling blades. The driver, within the wagon, controls the navigation and the action of the blade arms via several levers, while the entire machine is driven, from behind, by yoked beasts. The idea is to drive it into the enemies’ cavalry line, using the blade arms to relieve their horses of their legs.
Overjoyed, and a bit astonished with these amazing warcrafts, you slap Alderam on the back and thank him for his excellent service, finishing with, “Surely, by your superior efforts, we are assured not but victory, old friend.”
The older man, who had once served along side your father in clan wars, smiled broadly and bowed his head, answering, “Thank you, Lord.
If not for you, I’d never have attained to the honor of Master Smith. I owe you all, and live to serve.”
Now satisfied with the arming of the men, you take your leave of Alderam and exit back out to the cobbled street.
(If you’ve not yet visited the Stables and War Room, you still have business in those places, and should now go there. If you have been to both of them already, you should now go to the Temple of Valdyr, and then to the Town Square.)
Consisting of a main forge hall, surrounded by open-sided workshops, it is in operation night and day, producing and repairing weapons, armor, horse barding, tools, and other metalworks.
You pass under the tiled roof of the nearest outer workshop, where armor pieces are being fashioned.
The workers, all common laborers, halt their work and kneel as you enter, dropping their faxes to the ground. They remain so as you inspect their work. Due to the availability of superior materials, and in no small part, the teachings of the Master Smith, the quality of the armory’s work is amongst the finest in all of Aator. Pleased with what you see, you proceed inward, through an open doorway, into the main forge.
Within the searing hot, smokey hall, you see Alderam, the Master Smith, hunched over a massive grinding wheel, putting the final edge on a beautifully gleaming two-hand sword.
Glancing up, he notices you and stops the wheel. He kneels for a few seconds and then rises and present the blade for your inspection.
“It is nearly finished, my Lord”, he says, “I hope it meets with your approval.”
Taking the long weapon from the older, burly man, to turn it over in the lamplight, admiring the perfection of its balance, and the fine detail of its construction. You had commissioned the forging of a new sword recently, to celebrate the beginning of the expansion campaign. As you knew he would, Alderam has exceeded your expectations. The claymore is immaculate and you look forward to wielding it.
You express your satisfaction and ask him if it will be done before the army departs, and he nods, replying, “Yes, my Lord. You will slake the blade’s bloodthirst this day. May it serve you well, all of your days.”
You take a seat on a nearby stool and enquire as you the state of the army’s readiness, in regard to weaponry, armor and the like.
You have been slowly preparing for the new campaign for many months and have trusted the equipping of your men to the Master Smith.
He explains that the army is as ready as could be wished, with not but the finest quality arms and defenses.
He also details the efforts he has made, along with a local engineer, to develop and improve your war machines. Spreading a portfolio of designs upon a nearby bench, he shows you several diagrams of catapults, ballistas, battering rams and the like. Most are common machines with new features and technical improvements, but a few are original creations, including a scaling tower that can transform into an armored wagon, mounted with a scorpion ballista. Another one is an anti-cavalry machine, designed to disable horses en mass. It resembles a broad and squat wagon, armored on all sides. From the bottom front and sides extend iron arms, ended with whirling blades. The driver, within the wagon, controls the navigation and the action of the blade arms via several levers, while the entire machine is driven, from behind, by yoked beasts. The idea is to drive it into the enemies’ cavalry line, using the blade arms to relieve their horses of their legs.
Overjoyed, and a bit astonished with these amazing warcrafts, you slap Alderam on the back and thank him for his excellent service, finishing with, “Surely, by your superior efforts, we are assured not but victory, old friend.”
The older man, who had once served along side your father in clan wars, smiled broadly and bowed his head, answering, “Thank you, Lord.
If not for you, I’d never have attained to the honor of Master Smith. I owe you all, and live to serve.”
Now satisfied with the arming of the men, you take your leave of Alderam and exit back out to the cobbled street.
(If you’ve not yet visited the Stables and War Room, you still have business in those places, and should now go there. If you have been to both of them already, you should now go to the Temple of Valdyr, and then to the Town Square.)