avalononline | [thearchitect] image/text

[ The photograph attached to the post depicts the front of a small shop called Polydegmon's Lapidary and Brew. It's got that 'new store' look, where everything looks pristine and nothing has been touched by grime or dust settling in the corners yet. It's not the most terribly modern-looking place (look, the rent was cheap).

He wouldn't even be advertising it here if a certain someone didn't bug him to. Honestly, he could do without the publicity... ]

I am now accepting commissions as a goldsmith and alchemist. My hours are from midday to six, weekdays only. Or whatever it is you call them. No, my prices are not negotiable.

[ Attached beneath the above terse remark is the address to the store. ]

Additionally, I will NOT accept requests for items to use in warfare of any sort. At all. If I find that you have done so then I will make sure you regret it for the remainder of your days.

(ooc: Please respect that a character will suffer some kind of IC consequence if they try and use his products as IC war propaganda or in serious IC war efforts. Doubly so if they deceive him for it.

[CW: Discussions of warfare in certain threads. Please use discretion when reading.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

That can be easily arranged. I have been wanting to study how differing magicks may combine to produce unique effects.

That's great. If it isn't too much trouble, can we try that instead?
Whatever you need for it, I'll give it a shot. I can make shields and barriers with my light magic, they just don't last long.
I'm sending an example.

[There is, in fact, an attachment. The filename is garbled nonsense. Opening it against all known principles of internet security will cause a tiny, shimmering light barrier appear over the phone screen, making it impossible to input anything for a good half a minute until it fades or is shattered by moderate physical force. After that, the file just disappears.

An attempt was made, OK.]

[ Ah. Seeing that gives him a sudden flash of inspiration, actually. Well, inspiration with a bout of PTSD but who's checking. ]

As I recall, you are able to solidify light. If you could produce some 'bricks' of those for me, mayhap I can craft them directly into the container you desire.

[Imagine having PTSD about light-related magic!]

Just checking before I send more of them - does this work?
Sorry if it doesn't. I'm not used to doing magic through machina like these yet.

[Another garbled filename arrives. This one is indeed a brick... sort of. It's the right shape and size, but it's more like a hollow, floating rectangular box of similar light barriers, encasing an intangibly glowing orb of light within. More pressingly, once the attachment is opened, the whole creation lasts maybe five seconds tops before shattering and fading completely.]

[ Oh for the love of Zodiark-- This stuff is really making him flinch. ]

No. I'm afraid it dissipated as soon as it materialised here. Mayhap you will have better luck creating one and bringing it to me in person.

Sure thing. Let's say noon tomorrow.
Thanks for being so understanding.

[Tomorrow is a weekday, so Sagi will end up making his way to the newly founded Polygdemon's... ten minutes or so after its advertised opening hour, as it turns out. Punctuality is not one of his strong points. Punctuality when meeting up with emperors is even less so, but never mind that, because he still hasn't clocked the fact that he's already met the person he was messaging earlier. Anyway, his lateness isn't for lack of trying - he clatters through the doorway at a sprint, loud enough that the noise might be hard to ignore even from the back.

Still, he doesn't see any shopkeep in the vicinity right away, only the gwiber quietly dozing in a corner. Good, honestly, or so he decides. That gives him a second to catch his breath, always harder to do the more people are around.

Once he has, he'll pass the time drifting between the various display cases and stands around the shop interior - while quite audibly mumbling to himself, since that's what he always does to fill the silence after a while.]

I don't think I've seen potions in some of these colours before.

[...]

You think that little dragon is watching us? Well, that's probably its job... Like a guard fluffpup.

[......]

These sigils... must be for use with crafting magic somehow, right? I'm glad that's not for us. Imagining copying them all into this book by hand makes my wrist hurt.

[.........]

The wood on this thing feels really sturdy. I guess they can afford not to put their price listings out here.

[That last snippet of running commentary slips out as he idly runs a still rain-damp gloved hand along the side of the cabinet. Hey, at least he isn't trying to lick it.]

[ With the noise Sagi makes upon entering, the gwiber, at least, is most certainly alerted and keeping an eye on them at first. But upon recognising who it is, the familiar promptly goes back to dosing in its corner.

It doesn't take that much longer for muffled footsteps to resound upstairs and then for those feet to descend the stairs in the back corner (a staircase roped off with PRIVATE reading on the placard). Emet-Selch pauses upon seeing he has a visitor. Like his familiar, he is quick to recognise them. ]

Are you here to see Hythlodaeus?

[The sound of footsteps successfully diverts Sagi's attention from whatever monologue he might have gone off on next. He steps back from the furniture and greets Emet with his usual politely amiable smile.] Hey, good afternoon.

[But now he pauses, belatedly, to think. Who is he here to see? He forgot to get their real name... Man, no matter how thoroughly he's adjusted to operating the machines here, he can't avoid the occasional reminder of how weirdly everyone treats pseudonyms because of them.]

Do you both work here? Actually, I'm not sure who I was talking to... [His phone was already in his hand, so he just waves it vaguely.] I brought some bricks made from light magic.

[ He descends the rest of the way, fastening the rope barrier back into place after he passes it. ]

Ah. So that was you. I am the alchemist you were speaking to.

[ He gestures for Sagi to approach the counter, moving to stand behind it. It's tidy and still smells of old wood and varnish. ]

Let me see them then.

[A brief look of surprise crosses Sagi's face, but... yeah, sure, why not. He does seem like
the kind of guy who's cool-headed enough to navigate all the paperwork of setting up a business.]

Let me see if this worked...

[He taps his phone screen. Three of the same hard light brick shapes as before promptly materialise in mid-air in front of him, all solid to touch and glowing white from within. Unlike the other one, they aren't falling apart... yet. They are, however, flickering slightly every few seconds, in a way that might not foreshadow auspicious things about their long-term stability.]

Nice, they survived. Do these work?

[Sagi is just happy that they seem functional for now. It's a metaphor for his life. It may also raise questions about how badly he needs to splurge his humble savings on some fancied-up container for his "sentimental object" if his magic type allows him to do this, but none of those questions have entered his head even once so far.]

[ He raises two sceptical eyebrows at the flickering bricks. He reaches for them and places them on the counter, staring as they flicker and fuzz. ]

Nyx. Hammer.

[ His familiar hops on to perch above the counter with a curious trill. He taps one of the bars. Nyx barks and there is a flash of magic. In its place is a hammer made entirely of hard (flickering) light. Emet-Selch hefts it and readies it over one of the other bars.

...Then in one smooth motion he swings it down with all the strength he can muster. ]

[thearchitect] image/text

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