Gretchen's Workshop
Gretchen entered her workshop, a small shack behind her shop that was when she moved in a small building that was once a greenhouse. She’d used the framework and replaced the walls with wood. The only thing salvaged aside from that frame was two windows on the ceiling that open to let in fresh air, or more often let the bad air out in the form of skylights. Taking a crystal cluster from a low shelf and placing it in a semicylinder that was just above it pulling her hand away quickly as a connection between some unseen mechanism and magic was formed and several lanterns hanging along the wall came to life in a brilliant glow, that quickly retracted to a tolerable level and final a wonderfully cozy but useful glow. Grabbing a leather apron and making her way to the workbench. An old thing marred with scars, dint, dings and singe marks, each telling its own unique story.
Shelves lined the walls around her. Some simple planks nailed to the wall others more well made shelves standing on their own made of metal and wood, far more sturdy. But every shelf had numerous objects of semi-mundane nature that echoed with the power of desire for something greater. Most of the objects were useless in their own singular right, something easily passed by or seen as kitchy or trash. For example a simple river rock, polished glass smooth by the current, streaked with veins of color on its greyish blue surface. Pretty and nice to look at but on its own a simple rock. In Gretchen’s hands it could become a small spell focus for a budding mage. Nothing so grand could be done with the object as the magic it took to make it, but something helpful for someone in need of help. Or the large gnarled piece of driftwood, an impressive branch of oak wood long weathered by the ocean could become an equally impressive casting staff for a wizard or more likely a druid, with the right additions and engravings.
Gretchen pulled out a thin wooden box, inside was a card with scribbled information about the order she needed to fill, a thumb sized topaz and a circlet with a head missing its stone. The topaz was clearly not the original but something the customer wanted fitted. Looking at the card Gretchen mumbled to herself the request. ‘Stone fitted, runes checked for damage, focus reinforced.’
“Well at least it's an easy one.” she said, pulling over one of her tool kits, the smaller of the four, and took out a loupe. Holding the gem between the thumb and pointer of her right hand she held the loupe to her eye. Turing the stone to see the magical engraved runes, and frowned slightly. Not because of the word to fortify the runes and to fix the errors in them but for that the spell did. A seemingly brilliant idea at its concept but thinking deeply about it one would come to the conclusion that a semi-stable gem that could cast a fireball at a mere thought would be a good idea, until something struck your forehead and damaged the crystal in question. Shaking her head, “It's their funeral.” she thought as she unrolled a sheet of leather stamped with sigils and placed the gem in the center circle. Focusing on the gem and its magical energy she touched another sigil on the leather. The gem bagan to glow, projecting the inscribed runes in a fanciful light show above the topaz. Gretchen studied the runes while she dug in her tools for a thin metal rod, using it to write over the runes making them glow brighter. Once she’d finished tracing them, the magic carving them into the stone with more clarity, she broke the spell. Making short work of the runes issues. She rubbed her eyes. “I hate jewelry work.” she groaned and pulled down a magnifying device held by hinges and springs to the workbench. Bending the prongs just enough to work the gem inside and gently pushed the prongs back into place. Taking the card back out she read a small rune that had been added to the instructions, precisely drawn and meaningless on its own but served as an interlink between the stone and circlet. Allowing the flow of magic between them. Gretchen slowly carved the rune in the space between each prong until she could feel the hum of magic. With a sigh she leaned back and rubbed at her eyes again, both tired and strained from the magnification device.
Knowing she still had one thing left to do before she could call the job complete, Gretchen rose from her stool, taking the circlet in hand and heading back outside, grabbing a broken box on her way. Trudging down a small incline to an open area not far from her shop that was once a creek long dried from a dam upstream. Setting the broken box down she took a few steps back, then a few more, then a few more still. Making positive she was far enough away to be away from the blast if something went wrong. Fitting the circlet was tricky with her horns in the way so she just let it rest on them. Muttering the incantation she placed fingers on her temples, then with a flick of her arms pointed at the box, she felt the gem get warm but nothing happened. “Hm…” she grumbled, repeating the poses with the same results. Repeated attempts making the gem and its fitting warmer. Trying one last time she felt the circlet start to beat a tapping rhythm on her horns as it jittered and vibrated. Pulling it of she could feel it trembling in her hands, and getting hot. It wasn’t long before she heard it start to hum, almost covering the slow cracking sound.
Gretchen’s eyes went wide as she realized what was happening. Throwing it like a disc she ran in the other direction and dropped to the ground in a prone position covering her neck with her hands just as the circlet detonated. Firing a plume of smoke and fire in a column in the air laced with mana discharge, she felt the shock wave and ground shake a moment after the blast. Ears ringing she felt clods of dirt raining down on her back, when it eventually stopped she rose, staggering back up the creek bank. A blank spot in her memory of getting back home. She’d had time to get the dirt out of her hair and mostly brushed out before there was a knock on her door. A nice enough guard name Geoph. “Sorry to bother you so late Ms. Gretchen but we’ve got reports of an explosion near here and…” he trailed off feeling rude for saying it. “You do a lot of magic stuff…and…”
“Yes.” Gretchen said, “I know what happened.”
“Oh…Could you answer a few questions?” Geoph asked.
“I might be able to.” Gretchen replied, gesturing for him to come inside.
“Um…first I guess is the obvious one…what happened?” he asked.
“Something I was asked to fix exploded. I don’t think it was an accident and I don’t think it was user error.” Gretchen respond.
“Well…next question is easy then. Who would want to do that?” Geoph asked her.
Gretchen just shrugged.
“Okay…do I have permission to take anything we find at the sight of the blast?” Geoph asked.
“I don’t see why not.” she said, “And not like I have the right to stop you anyway.”
“Right…” he said. “Okay.”
The man left for a short time and came back with a mangled pretzel of gold and silver soot covered metal. “Um…” he said “Do you…” before he could finish Aspen handed him the order form for the circlet. “Thank you…you might get a visit from some people from the magic agency so…”
“Thank you Geoph, I have no reason to leave town or run. I’ll be here. If you talk to the tall lanky one with green eyes, tell him I said ‘Hi’.” she said.