Building a Reputation

Rivyn glanced around the filled workshop, at his large collection of magical oddities, and felt that sense of satisfaction which doing Toren's order had brought to him; it buoyed his spirits even as the forefront of his mind was turned toward moving forward with the quest of the System.

[Quest Progress: Design and Sell Accessories – 12/20]

He was now drawing close to selling out-twelve had been sold, and only eight remained. The whispers of his genius filtered down, and that in and of itself was bringing in new customers. Weapons and armor showed him the same respect as to their smith; the enchanted rings and amulets saw their reputation begin to grow bolder amongst adventurers and mages. Rivyn could feel it in the air.

The jingle of the bell overhead knocked him out of his reverie. A young woman walked in from the rain, droplets swinging off her cloak with every step. She paused briefly and looked around the shop before heading over to him. Rivyn noted with some surprise that she was wearing aged staff and unornamented robes: a mage, likely low-ranked, but one who definitely had seen her share of fighting.

"You must be Rivyn, the blacksmith famous for his enchanted trinkets," she asked; her voice was firm but laced with interest.

"That's me," he said while sitting the amulet back down that he'd been working on polishing. "What can I do for you?"

She shifted her staff to one hand and, with a practiced motion, reached into her cloak and came out with a small pouch. "I've been hearing good things about your work; I require something to assist in mana regeneration in the heat of battle-something dependable."

Mana regeneration. Rivyn's mind leaped immediately to the moonstone rings he'd been forging of late, each one a very specifically made tool for mages who needed that extra reservoir in long, drawn-out battles. The enchantment was complicated, but he'd started streamlining it.

"I have some rings here that give a nice boost to mana regeneration," he said, pointing to the items in the window display. "If none of those suit your needs, I can craft something tailored for you alone."

She walked over to the display, and big green eyes slid over the neatly arranged rings and amulets; a moment later, her finger pointed to one of the moonstone rings, its soft gleam pulsing with magic.

"This one," she said. "What's the incantation?

"It regenerates a tiny amount of mana. Not enough to keep high-level mages going but provides more during longer fights."

She took a moment to nod thoughtfully. "How much?"

"Thirty silver."

She hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "I'll take it."

He wrapped the ring carefully, then passed it over, a tide of pleasure washing over him. Every sale was another sure step nearer his completion of the quest, every customer a sure indication his reputation was stretching further and further.

[Quest Progress: Create and Sell Accessories 13/20]

With the sale complete, Rivyn returned to his workbench with high spirits; he could tell that, with each accessory he made, they were growing much smoother and precise. Where his hands had been accustomed to hammer out swords and shields, now they were attuned in the fine details needed in setting magical energy within fine metals and gemstones.

It hadn't been long at all since the System stopped sending him new notices on said skill, but Rivyn could just feel it: the Basic Crafter Skill improved at a steady pace. Every accessory he made gave him a little bit more confidence in this sensitive anointing of items that was enchantment.

Later in the afternoon, when Rivyn was arranging his display in the window, he glimpsed a party of adventurers lounging on the street outside. They weren't just glancing in—they were having an animated discussion, gesticulating with interest over the rings and amulets. Rivyn could not hear what they said, but he knew that look well.

He turned away from the window, pretending an interest in a small stack of metal ingots beside the forge, and gave them space. A moment later the door creaked open and the adventurers came inside, bringing the scent of rain and wet leather with them.

"Morning," Rivyn said to them. "Something catch your eye?

A tall, scarred man in the front of the group nodded thoughtfully. "Surely so," he said. "We've heard reports that you have been crafting magic items-a ring, an amulet, and the like. My party has been having some trouble with magical-weapon-wielding enemies; we could certainly do with something to up our resistance to magic."

Rivyn's thoughts tumbled in a rapid maelstrom. Magic resistance was an El-jurisdiction of enchantment, needing particular runes, subtly poised magical energies. Still, it was possible. In fact, he was working on an amulet to that very end—a very incomplete work as of now.

"I have a couple of pieces that might help," Rivyn said, stepping towards the case. He reached inside and pulled out an amulet he had made earlier that week. The piece was minimalist: a twisted circle of silver that hung from a chain, set with a small emerald glowing softly green in the light.

"This amulet is warded with a lesser protection spell against hostile magic," Rivyn explained. "It won't stop high-level spells, but it should do a good job of taking the sting off lower-tier spells."

The adventurer grasped the amulet, turning it over thoughtfully in his hands. His companions observed intently, their expressions etched with a quiet hope. After a brief pause, the leader gave a nod of agreement. "We'll take it."

Rivyn grinned; he wrapped up the amulet carefully before handling it to him. "That'll be forty silver."

The adventurers chipped in, and soon coins were clinking into Rivyn's hand.

[Quest Progress: Accessorize and Merchandise – 14/20]

Then, it settled into an easy rhythm for the remainder of the day. People came and went—some out of curiosity, others to purchase—and all left clutching part of his work in their hands. As night began setting in, the bell over his door had jingled so many times he had lost count of them, and his display case was all but empty. He leaned back against the counter, an exhaustion seeping into his bones, but set against it was a great deal of satisfaction. The System chimed softly, and another progress report flickered up in front of his eyes.

[Quest Progress: Craft Accessories then Sell Them – 16/20]

Only four more. Rivyn's shop was gaining repute to a good share of adventurers and mages who were in for inexpensive and yet reliable magical gear within the town. His reputation grew with every sale and laid groundwork not only as a blacksmith there but also as an adept master craftsman dealing with all types of magical gear. It took on the weight of his journey as Rivyn finally closed his shop that night. Just weeks ago, no one would have believed a blacksmith was going to make enchanted accessories. He was some big-city blacksmith, lost among hundreds of other craftsmen. Now, however, all the men and their dogs were looking for him, specifically for marvelous, enchanted creations. He still had far to go; his work was not done, and many new challenges were to come forth. However, for the first time, Rivyn allowed himself to feel pride. For the first time, he was not just a blacksmith.