Mastercraft [T|P]

[Ignobilium]

0|5

Carpentry/Woodworking 0|125
Rank: "E" (5 TP at all times)
Skill: Skill
Effect: The Carpentry skills enables the character to do woodworking jobs: building houses, cabinetry, joinery, wooden puppet pieces, etc.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: Tools and materials must be available, of course. The character can build basic items from experience without the need for plans. Unusual and more complicated items (a catapult, or puppet for example) require plans prepared by an engineer and may require a skill check. The list above gives examples of Mastery Level and what the character can do. Look in Task Skills thread found in the Skills and Traits Index for more information. Each time learned user gets 5 die roll to increase the skill.
Limit: ---

Learning Aids:

SPOILER: Click to show

Able Learner
Rank: "C"
Skill: Social Trait
Effect: The user has great aptitude for learning.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: When learning a skill, the skill states how many times a die roll may be applied to show how much they learned within that skill. Example, when a user learns "Botany" they gain 5 die rolls. This "trait" increases the amount of die rolls by 1.5 rounded to the highest number at 1 die roll per learning, however any number higher than 1 die roll is rounded down. For example: User learns Botany and gains 5 die rolls. With this Trait they will gain 7 die rolls. However if a user learns Lockpicking they normally get 1 die roll, however with this Trait they will gain 2 die rolls.
Limit: Must start with Character; replaces 2 Freebies.

    Nikola woke up with a huge stretch and rolled off of his hay pallet onto the floor. He managed to get to the standing position with a bit of effort and another stretch. Then he walked over to his pile of clothes so that he could begin to get dressed. First, he would need a little aid waking up in the form of a cigarette. He rummaged through his pants until he found a crumpled pack of cheap smokes. One step down, now he just had to find a wooden match to light the crooked cig he had managed to extract from the pack. Nik pinched the match head between the nails on his forefinger and thumb and took a long drag from his smoke before releasing a cloud and a yawn simultaneously.

    What to do today? His hard work the past few weeks had payed off by earning him some time away from the forge to pursue his other crafts. Now he just had to figure out which one he actually wanted to attempt. He wandered outside into the early morning sun and glanced over at the firewood pile outside of the small smithy where he worked and lived. A goofy grin found it's way onto his face as he made up his mind. Carpentry it was. Nik certainly knew metal, but wood was a medium he had yet to explore. What better time than now?

    He sauntered over to the woodpile and grabbed a decent sized log to use as a seat. Then a smaller piece of wood to begin whittling on. To begin with he would need to remove all of the bark from the exterior of the small log. He would use one of the knives he had crafted recently for this task. It was a laborious process that left uneven planes all along the surface of the wood. Nik had even managed to accidentally gouge deeper groves into the piece that elicited a frustrated frown as he examined it.

    It was rough, but it was a decent enough start. The young smith supposed that he should maybe decide what he was creating before he continued to create it. He sat and stared at the wood waiting for a pattern to emerge as it did when he stared at a lump of iron. There it was. This sad little log was destined for greatness. There were plenty of ax heads around the shop so Nikola would simply make a handle to match one of them. He took the knife to the soft wood once again, but this time he had a clear vision of what it would become.

    As the lumps of wood and the sawdust fell to the grass the shape of the handle began to emerge. Nik was used to needed a heavy hand to mold the hard iron he generally worked with. He was quickly learning that he didn't need the same strength for wood. No, wood was all about the gentle touch. It was all too easy to use too much force when carving, but as the number of passes Nikola made with his knife grew so did his understanding. The wood shavings that had started out as thick chunks soon became delicate curls and the young smith couldn't help but smile at his progress.

    Eventually he had managed to draw a rough baton out of the log. It was still too angular, but he could fix that with a bit more work. He went into the smithy and grabbed some course grain sandpaper that was used for polishing metal and a spare ax head. The paper was probably a little too rough to be suited to woodwork so Nik would just have to continue practicing his light hand. He sanded off the rough edges with relative ease and was soon pleased to be holding a smooth shaft in his hand. Then he whittled down one end of the newly formed handle so that it would fit into the slot on the iron wedge. Finally, with a bit of hammering he was done. He examined the finished product with a proud smile and gave it a few test swings just to double check his work.

“Not bad for my first try.”

[Gohan]

link

+48 SP
+5 TP

[Ignobilium]

0|5

Blacksmithing/Metalworking 45|125 + 25
Rank: "E" (5 TP at all times)
Skill: Skill
Effect: A character with the Blacksmithing Skill is capable of making simple tools and implements from iron and steel.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: Use of this skill requires a forge with a coal-fed fire and bellows, as well as a hammer and anvil. The character cannot make Armour or most Weapons, (he needs the appropriate skill fort hat) but can craft crowbars, grappling hooks, horseshoes, nails, hinges, plows, and most other iron objects. The list above gives examples of Mastery Level and what the character can do. Look in Task Skills thread found in the Skills and Traits Index for more information. Each time learned user gets 5 die roll to increase the skill.
Limit: ---

Learning Aids:

SPOILER: Click to show

Able Learner
Rank: "C"
Skill: Social Trait
Effect: The user has great aptitude for learning.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: When learning a skill, the skill states how many times a die roll may be applied to show how much they learned within that skill. Example, when a user learns "Botany" they gain 5 die rolls. This "trait" increases the amount of die rolls by 1.5 rounded to the highest number at 1 die roll per learning, however any number higher than 1 die roll is rounded down. For example: User learns Botany and gains 5 die rolls. With this Trait they will gain 7 die rolls. However if a user learns Lockpicking they normally get 1 die roll, however with this Trait they will gain 2 die rolls.
Limit: Must start with Character; replaces 2 Freebies.

    Nikola was happy with his woodworking progress, but he couldn't fall behind on his smithing. It was his bread and butter after all. Plus, Welund would kick his ass if he skipped out on his chores and whiled his day away with other crafts. So the aspiring master artisan sauntered into the small smithy and donned his protective clothing. He searched around for a good looking iron rod to get the metalworking part of his day started off right. If Nik remembered correctly his master had tasked him with filling an order for twenty horseshoes, a pitchfork head, and a heavy iron bar latch like you'd see on a gate leading into a garden.

    He would start with the horseshoes. To begin with he stoked the forge and got it roaring hot. Then he placed one end of a short iron into the fire. After a short wait he removed it and replaced it with a fresh iron before heading over to the anvil. Now he would start the hammering in order to flatten the cylindrical rod. Once it was sufficiently pressed he began to shape it by hammering at various angles to give it the signature crescent shape it would need. He grabbed a pointed hammer and pounded the divots that would eventually house the nails. Next he switched from the pointed hammer to a metal punch to finish off the holes. Once that was done Nikola placed the unworked end of the iron back into the forge and switched to his second iron to repeat the process. He would continue this process of trading and working on shoes until all twenty were done.

    The pitchfork head would require pretty much the same process as the horseshoes minus the nail holes. He hammered and shaped the iron but this time he kept the piece rounded and coaxed small points out of either end. The third point would come from another iron pounded into a small dent Nik had placed in the middle of the arc to fuse the two pieces together. Next, he shaped all three prongs around the anvil to give the tool its characteristic curve. Then, finally, he flattened out and then rounded the base where the head would attach to its handle before adding four holes for nails.

    The young smith had saved the hardest piece for last. Giving shape to the iron on such a small scale was always difficult, but Nikola knew that was why Welund had assigned him the task instead of doing it himself. For all his gruff the master smith really did care for his apprentice and strove make all of Nikola's tasks serve the end goal of mastering his craft. The bolt itself was the easy part as he simply had to fuse a short rod to an even shorter piece with a small rounded cap shaped into the top. He then had to shape the two flat pieces that would serve as the housing for the bolt with painstaking care. The latch was completed with small holes to allow for easy attachment to whatever the client desired. All in all the whole process didn't take that long, and now Nikola's day was free to practice whatever he wished.

[Fui]

+5 tp
total 71 sp

narutoforumrp.proboards.com/thread/103073/skill-training-rolls?page=84&scrollTo=987831

[Ignobilium]

0|10

Haggle
Rank: "D"
Skill: Skill
Effect: Characters with the haggle skill know how to get the best deals.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: Characters are well versed in the subtle art of obtaining the best quality items for the least amount of money, and how to sell what they have at the biggest profits. There are two ways to handle haggling in Naruto Forum Role-play. There is a fast way and a slower way. Look in Task Skills thread found in the Skills and Traits Index for more information. If user has 25 or more Ranks in Appraisal user gains a Synergy Bonus +10 to Haggle pertaining to the type of Appraisal. Each time learned user gets 5 die roll to increase the skill.
Limit: ---

Learning Aids:

SPOILER: Click to show

Able Learner
Rank: "C"
Skill: Social Trait
Effect: The user has great aptitude for learning.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: When learning a skill, the skill states how many times a die roll may be applied to show how much they learned within that skill. Example, when a user learns "Botany" they gain 5 die rolls. This "trait" increases the amount of die rolls by 1.5 rounded to the highest number at 1 die roll per learning, however any number higher than 1 die roll is rounded down. For example: User learns Botany and gains 5 die rolls. With this Trait they will gain 7 die rolls. However if a user learns Lockpicking they normally get 1 die roll, however with this Trait they will gain 2 die rolls.
Limit: Must start with Character; replaces 2 Freebies.

    After completing his daily chores Nikola stepped out of the sweltering heat of the smithy into the cool breeze of the outdoors. He barely had time to light a fresh cigarette before Welund called him back into their shop. With a sigh he tossed his smoke and meandered back in to the sight of his master holding a sword. Welund tossed the blade to Nik who managed to catch it without injuring himself and let out a slight chuckle before speaking.

“So you finished your smith work today, but I have another task for you Nikola.”

“What's that sir?”

“Sell me that sword.”

“Sir?”

“You want to be a craftsman? Well an integral part of creating products is selling them. You need to learn to get the most out of your sales so sell me that sword.”

“Uh...yes, sir.”

    Nikola looked over the blade and began to make an estimate in his head. He was no appraiser but he knew metal so he figured he'd give it his best guess. The going rate for basic longswords in the weapon shops they sold their wares to was around 4,000 Ryo. The quality of this one appeared to be a bit above normal, maybe masterworked? So that would make it worth about 6,000. That seemed like as good a starting point as any.

“Uh...I'd like to sell you this sword.”

“There's your first mistake. The 'uh' and the pause at the beginning undermine you. They betray a lack of confidence in your product that shows me, as a consumer, that I can take advantage and spend less. Now try again.”

“Okay. I would like to sell you this sword!”

“Better, maybe a little over-enthusiastic, but I suppose more is better than less. I'll bite though, how much?”

“6,000 Ryo.”

“No, no, no. 6,000 is the true value. You never want to start with the actual price. Not only does it eliminate any chance of getting more than it's worth, but it also allows the buyer to attempt to low-ball and cut into your profits. I'd always recommend trying to overshoot the real price by at least a half, and always start the sale by talking up the item's quality.”

“Right, makes sense. So...I'll take 9,000 Ryo. This is an excellent sword after all. It was forged by an amazing blacksmith, one of the best in this country, and the blade has been honed beautifully so it will keep its edge no matter what you decide to use it for!”

“Hmm...well 9,000 is far too much. I couldn't afford that on my budget. Is there any way you could lower the price a bit? For me? I'd love to walk away with a new sword, and I have cash in my pocket to give you. I just can't possibly shell out that kind of dough right now.”

“Well, make me an offer.”

“How about 4,000? That's what I see things like that going for in the store after all.”

“No way! Those swords you see going for 4,000 are much lower quality than this one. It just isn't possible for me to cut the price that much. I could maybe do 8,000. Maybe!”

“I'm sorry but that's still out of my price range. What about five grand?”

“I'll tell you what. I'll make a deal with you. You take the sword for 7,000 and I promise you'll love it so much you'll never buy another weapon from anyone else.”

“Good up-sell there kid. Alright, I'll take it for six. I'm telling you I have the cash here for you right now. Ryo in your hand.”

“I'm sorry, but I couldn't possibly take less than seven. I have to make a profit here after all. The materials and labor put into this alone cost me six. I can't run a business by breaking even.”

“Great! You made your first sale kid. Wonderful job with the profit margin talk. After all, we sell most of our weapons to shops for them to sell and if there's anyone sympathetic to the plight of the seller it's the merchant. Plus they're probably going to be better at haggling than you so if you sold it to them at seven they would turn around and flip it for nine or ten. Having a hard baseline like that will also force them to either take your product or watch you walk out the door to their competition. All-in-all not bad for your first attempt.”

“Well I have seen you make sales hundreds of times master. I just regurgitated lines I've heard you use in the past.”

“That's fine kid. Glad to know you've been paying attention. We'll make a true craftsman out of you yet.”

[Father 'Suke]

+10 TP
+50 SP
50|125

Note: Even if it is 0 SP to start, do post it in with the training as such.

[Ignobilium]

0|5

Blacksmithing/Metalworking 71|125
Rank: "E" (5 TP at all times)
Skill: Skill
Effect: A character with the Blacksmithing Skill is capable of making simple tools and implements from iron and steel.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: Use of this skill requires a forge with a coal-fed fire and bellows, as well as a hammer and anvil. The character cannot make Armour or most Weapons, (he needs the appropriate skill fort hat) but can craft crowbars, grappling hooks, horseshoes, nails, hinges, plows, and most other iron objects. The list above gives examples of Mastery Level and what the character can do. Look in Task Skills thread found in the Skills and Traits Index for more information. Each time learned user gets 5 die roll to increase the skill.
Limit: ---

Learning Aids:

SPOILER: Click to show

Able Learner
Rank: "C"
Skill: Social Trait
Effect: The user has great aptitude for learning.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: When learning a skill, the skill states how many times a die roll may be applied to show how much they learned within that skill. Example, when a user learns "Botany" they gain 5 die rolls. This "trait" increases the amount of die rolls by 1.5 rounded to the highest number at 1 die roll per learning, however any number higher than 1 die roll is rounded down. For example: User learns Botany and gains 5 die rolls. With this Trait they will gain 7 die rolls. However if a user learns Lockpicking they normally get 1 die roll, however with this Trait they will gain 2 die rolls.
Limit: Must start with Character; replaces 2 Freebies.

“Now, I need to take that sword and few other weapons to one of the shops to fill an order. I know you've finished your mandatory labor for today, but I have a few more tasks I'd like you to do if you feel up for it.”

“Of course sir. What is it?”

“You know that pitchfork head you made earlier today? Well that was part of a larger order placed by a farmer that works a plot just outside of Aokusa. To complete that order I need new blades for a scythe and plow.”

“I'll get right on it.”

    With that, Nikola tossed Welund the sword and headed into the smithy. He slipped into his gloves and apron then began to search for the appropriate sized iron rod. Once he had found it he coaxed the forge back to life and placed the rod into the flames to start the process. Nik would be making the scythe blade first as it would be lighter and go quicker than the plow. Before long the iron was red hot and ready for working. He took the iron over to the anvil to begin working it into the right shape. With his hammer he rolled the iron over the anvil's horn to give it the scythe's characteristic curve.

    The young smith then began to flatten out the iron occasionally turning it so that he could form the point. Once the blade had emerged from the shapeless iron Nikola placed it back into the flame. This time inserting the unworked end so that he could finish out heel and tang that would allow the blade to be attached to a handle. It again took no time at all for the metal to get to the correct temperature so Nikola removed it from the heat to continue his work. The fresh end of the rod quickly lost its round shape under the force of Nikola's hammer, but an even hand ensured that it kept a higher thickness than the blade itself. The final step was to hammer the tang into its signature hook shape.

    Now that the scythe was finished it was time to work on the plow blade. For this the smith would need a flat iron rather than the rounded rods he generally worked with. When the half of the iron in the fire was red hot he pulled it from the forge and began the long shaping process. Plow blades required far more work than your average implement. The hard angles and awkward shape called for the use of every corner and plane on the anvil. Even your hammering technique had to be varied whether it was light, scraping strikes with the edge of the hammer or full powered, straight on blows with the head.

    Eventually the hot half of the iron had become the plow's characteristic triangular shape. Nikola finished off this half by rounding out the center of the blade to form point needed to carve into the dirt. He switched gears and put the other half of the blade into the fire and repeated the process on the newly heated side of the iron. He took great pride in watching the blade take shape and marveled at the fact that a few short months ago this level of work would have been far beyond his skills. With the plow fully formed he grabbed a punch from the workbench and added the holes to the center of the blade that would be necessary to bolt it to the plow's frame. With his work finally finished he stepped back to admire both of his blades.

“Done and done!”

[Father 'Suke]

+5 TP
+20 SP
91|125

[Ignobilium]

0|5

Leatherworking 0|125
Rank: "E" (5 TP at all times)
Skill: Skill
Effect: This skill enables a character to tan and treat leather to make clothing and other leather objects.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: This skill enables a character to tan and treat leather to make clothing and other leather objects. The character can make leather armor, as well as backpacks, saddlebags, saddles, and all sorts of harnesses. No skill check is needed for this skill, but the character must have proper tools. Look in Task Skills thread found in the Skills and Traits Index for more information. Each time learned user gets 5 die roll to increase the skill.
Limit: ---

Learning Aids:

SPOILER: Click to show

Able Learner
Rank: "C"
Skill: Social Trait
Effect: The user has great aptitude for learning.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: When learning a skill, the skill states how many times a die roll may be applied to show how much they learned within that skill. Example, when a user learns "Botany" they gain 5 die rolls. This "trait" increases the amount of die rolls by 1.5 rounded to the highest number at 1 die roll per learning, however any number higher than 1 die roll is rounded down. For example: User learns Botany and gains 5 die rolls. With this Trait they will gain 7 die rolls. However if a user learns Lockpicking they normally get 1 die roll, however with this Trait they will gain 2 die rolls.
Limit: Must start with Character; replaces 2 Freebies.

    As Nikola prepared to move on to his next task he noticed something troubling. There was a hole in his apron, and the left strap was beginning to come loose. Providence! Now he could practice a new craft and do something practical with his time. He whipped the heavy leather apron off and moved to one of the tables inside to begin his work. To start he grabbed a piece of scrap leather that was used for the early polishing of metal. Nik was sure that Welund wouldn't miss it so he grabbed some shears and got to work. He sized the hole and cut out an appropriate sized square to patch the hole with.

    Then he grabbed a stitching awl and got to work. The beauty of practicing all of his skills in a smithy was that there was no shortage of tools lying around just begging to be used. Nikola placed the point of the awl against the leather and hammered the base of the grip to make his first hole. He slowly worked his way around the patch making sure to pierce both the patch and the apron with each strike. Eventually he had managed to work his way around the entire piece of leather. The holes weren't exactly even, but it was good enough for government work. It wasn't like this piece was for a client or anything.

    Now would come the actual stitching. Nikola practically tore the smithy apart searching for leather thread to sew the patch on, but to no avail. So he resigned himself to making his own. He returned to his original scrap of leather and began to shear a thin strip. After much patience and a bit of cursing he finally managed to get a believable piece of thread out of the scrap. He found a small metal hook that would serve his purposes well enough and began to thread the strip through the patch and the apron. When he had worked his way around the entirety of the patch he ran into another dilemma. How was he supposed to keep it together?

    He eventually settled on a simple knot. Was it the most elegant solution? Probably not, but it would work until he truly understood leatherwork. Now for the strap. Luckily this was just a bit loose and would be a much easier fix than the patch. In this case the strap was attached not with thread made of leather, but with simply cloth thread. He took the hook that he already had handy and pulled the thread tight. Then he ripped the ends of the thread from the strap. Finally, he retied the knot in the thread and trimmed off the excess. Again, it wasn't his best work, but he was a novice after all.

[Father 'Suke]

+5 TP
+45 SP
45|125

[Ignobilium]

0|5

Blacksmithing/Metalworking 91|125
Rank: "E" (5 TP at all times)
Skill: Skill
Effect: A character with the Blacksmithing Skill is capable of making simple tools and implements from iron and steel.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: Use of this skill requires a forge with a coal-fed fire and bellows, as well as a hammer and anvil. The character cannot make Armour or most Weapons, (he needs the appropriate skill fort hat) but can craft crowbars, grappling hooks, horseshoes, nails, hinges, plows, and most other iron objects. The list above gives examples of Mastery Level and what the character can do. Look in Task Skills thread found in the Skills and Traits Index for more information. Each time learned user gets 5 die roll to increase the skill.
Limit: ---

Learning Aids:

SPOILER: Click to show

Able Learner
Rank: "C"
Skill: Social Trait
Effect: The user has great aptitude for learning.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: When learning a skill, the skill states how many times a die roll may be applied to show how much they learned within that skill. Example, when a user learns "Botany" they gain 5 die rolls. This "trait" increases the amount of die rolls by 1.5 rounded to the highest number at 1 die roll per learning, however any number higher than 1 die roll is rounded down. For example: User learns Botany and gains 5 die rolls. With this Trait they will gain 7 die rolls. However if a user learns Lockpicking they normally get 1 die roll, however with this Trait they will gain 2 die rolls.
Limit: Must start with Character; replaces 2 Freebies.

    That would be all the training he could fit into the day. So Nikola headed to his pallet and passed out instantaneously. The next morning he got up, lit a cigarette, and prepared for another day of work. Rather than starting on another type of crafting and then moving on to his daily chores Nik decided to just bust them out immediately. So that the entire rest of his day would be free for whatever he wished to do. Today's requests were short and sweet. The young smith needed to make two crowbars, an iron gate, and some of the heavy nails that always reminded him of bo shuriken.

    He would start with the nails as they would be easy to make and would allow him a bit more time to wake up. So he went to the bucket of irons and grabbed a handful of the short rods he had used the day before to make horseshoes. Each of these would yield two nails so Nikola grabbed enough to fill the order and placed them next to the forge. Once he had stoked the flames to their full intensity he set one of the rods on the coals and prepared the tools he would need for this particular task. When the iron was heated Nik grabbed it from the flames with a pair of tongs and set another in it's place before heading over to the anvil.

    He began by placing the rod's midpoint on one of the anvil's shearing edges and hammering it with a wedge shaped hammer to cut it in half. Once the cool half of the iron was removed and resting safely on the floor Nikola turned his full attention to the red hot piece in the firm grip of his tongs. At this size and with this shape nails were probably the easiest thing the young smith could be tasked with making. In fact, they had been one of the first iron-works to make it's way into his repertoire. He simply needed to shape the end he had sheared into a fine point rather than a wedge. Then he had to hammer the opposite side to make the head of the nail. By the time he finished the first the second was ready for working so he would continue this process until the order was filled.

    Now it was time for the crowbars. While these weren't necessarily difficult to make they were a bit time consuming. He grabbed one of the larger iron rods and placed it into the forge, stoking the flames again to restore the heat they had lost during his first task. For ease of handling it was smarter to shape the slightly angled end first rather than the hooked end so Nik got to work. First, he would need to form the end of the bar from the heated iron. This would require alternating between angled blows against the edge of the anvil to form the notch, and straight on blows to the top of the anvil to flatten it out. With that done some mild shaping over the anvil's horn was all that was left.

    With the prying side all finished it was time to switch to the hook. Which meant another round of heating in the forge, and another round of working to shape the tip of the bar. Once the two tips of the iron were formed into a matching pair Nikola moved onto the shaping of the hook. This required much the same hammering and motion as horseshoes. So he worked the iron around the horn of the anvil until he was holding a perfectly formed crowbar. All that was left was to repeat this process with a second iron and he was golden. He gave both of the tools a quick test to ensure their stability and then moved on to the most daunting step of his daily work.

    He had to make a wrought-iron gate which he had never really done before. Sure he had watched Welund by observing and performing were two very different things. Although, he briefly thanked whatever higher powers there might be that he didn't need to make an entire fence. The client had lost their gate to some overzealous visitors and needed a replacement as soon as possible. It didn't even need to be overly decorative, just a simple gate for a simple fence. To begin this task Nikola would need five of the flat irons so he grabbed them and began the heating process on the first.

    He then took the iron over to the anvil, positioned it over the Pritchel (round) hole, grabbed a round punch, and got to hammering. The gate he was crafting would be rectangular with decorative round bars in the center. The bars would have two lengths and would have spiked tops to both add some flair and provide a bit of extra security. Due to this fact the first flat iron would need twice as many holes as the second to accommodate the shorter bars. Once the center and top irons had their holes he would create the frame of the gate. This required taking the three unworked flat irons, heating their ends, and then hammering them together to fuse the metal and form three sides of the rectangle. Next, he would work the iron with the most holes into the frame at its midpoint, and then the final iron was placed onto the top to complete the shape.

    Now that the frame was completed Nikola could work on filling it. This would require the use of the long rods which could be directly capped with points for one of the sizes necessary, and then split and capped for the other size. Making the spikes uniform was painstaking work, but eventually Nik had managed to craft all of the bars needed for this project. He would then reheat all of the bars and slip them into the holes he had made in the flat irons. The heat would allow them to begin to bond with their placeholders, and as they cooled they would expand so if Nikola had done it right they would eventually be held in place by both methods. The final step was to add the hinges and the bar for the gate's latch. This simple task was accomplished quickly, and with a sigh of relief the young smith set the gate aside and prepared himself for a full day of learning.

[Father 'Suke]

+5 TP
+14 SP
105|125

[Ignobilium]

ooc: This post is role play. Next post is training.

---

    Nikola transferred the finished gate to the side of the smithy reserved for completed projects. As he set the item down a chill went down his spine. It was a strange feeling, and not something that the young craftsman was used to. The closest thing he had to compare it to was the short-temper Welund had wielded when Nikola had first become his apprentice. This feeling though, this feeling was cold. Nik spun on his heels and was greeted by the sight of a strange looking man picking through the tools on the workbench. The aspiring smith froze for a second. He hadn't even heard the man come in.

    He was struck first by the intruder's unique armor. It was green, and possibly made of tanned alligator or crocodile skin. Nikola had never seen anything like it. The second thing he noticed was the massive crossbow that hung from a strap on his shoulder. The weapon was extremely well made and it left Nik a bit awestruck. He had a brief fantasy about working with the unique materials that had obviously gone into the two items. These thoughts were quickly pushed to the back of his mind as the man turned and gazed upon Nikola with an intense pair of eyes. He surprised himself by managing to fumble out a rapid sentence.

“Uh...can I help you, sir?”

“This is still Welund's forge is it not?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Well then you can help me by getting him. Go, run along.”

    Nikola wasn't quite sure why, but the man commanded a level of respect that forced the boy out of the smithy and onto the streets before he had really registered what was occurring. Welund was out picking up more metal rods and ingots for so Nik took off toward the general store. He arrived as his master was exiting and breathlessly explained the situation. To Nik's surprise the old smith shoved the handle of the small cart they used for supplies into his apprentice's hands and left with much the same pace Nikola had used to find him. In spite of, or possibly because of, his master's speed the apprentice decided to take his time getting back.

    When Nikola finally arrived at the smithy he found Welund and the mystery man sitting at a table that had been set up outside the small building. Atop the table rested a decorative carafe that Nik had never seen before, and two wine glasses that appeared to have been freshly poured. The young craftsman had no idea that Welund owned anything as fancy as the glass wine set. Hells, he had never even seen Welund drink any alcohol other than the horse piss they sold at the cheap pub that was down the street.

“Ah, your apprentice has finally arrived. Well boy, are you going to introduce yourself or burden your teacher with that task?”

“I...uh...I'm Nikola. Nikola Enki.”

“There we are! My name is Magoichi. Your teacher and I are old friends. Isn't that right Welund?”

“Oh yes, we go way back.”

“So, Welund has been telling me all about you Nikola. He tells me that you're quite the student. Is that true?”

“I guess so. I do tend to get the hang of things pretty quickly.”

“Wonderful! Well, Welund, should I tell him or do you want to?”

“You can go ahead. I wouldn't want to steal your thunder.”

“Ha, well Nikola, I am a master of the most amazing fighting style known to man. It's called Ake Sune, perhaps you've heard of it?”

“I can't say that I have.”

“Gods Welund, what have you been teaching the boy? Ake Sune is a fighting style tailor made for craftsmen. It relies on powerful kicks so as to preserve your hands for your craft. I've been traveling around Kusa no Kuni for a while now searching for a willing and gifted pupil. At first I was only here to visit my old friend, but when he told me about his new apprentice I just had to meet you. So my boy, how'd you like to learn how to fight like a true artist?”

    Nikola was stunned, and unsure of how he should answer the question. He shot a quick glance in Welund's direction before making up his mind. This look was met with a slight nod from the master smith. Nik had never really thought of combat before. He knew that Welund wanted to one day teach him fire ninjutsu, but that was for the purpose of crafting not fighting. It couldn't hurt to learn to defend himself though. The trip from Aokusa to his family's homestead could be a treacherous one, and Nik also dreamed of traveling the world to discover new and interesting crafting methods. Mastering a fighting style would certainly give him a bit of a confidence boost when traveling alone.

“I would love to learn from you Magoichi.”

“Then it is decided! We will start in earnest next week. From looking at you I'd say you're in decent shape, but I doubt your legs are quite up to snub. So I want you to spend the time leading up to the true training strengthening your lower body and refining all of your other muscles as well.”

“Yes, sir!”

“You'll also still have your daily chores at the shop. Don't think I'll lighten your workload just because you've got another teacher. You always had time to diversify your crafting beforehand. Now you'll just be adding Ake Sune into the equation.”

“Uh, of course Welund!”

“Alright eggplant! Get to work!”

“Alright eggplant! Get to work!”

[Ignobilium]

0|10

Stance of the Red Leg
Rank: "D"
Skill: TaiJutsu
Effect: A technique in which the user takes the time to understand the meaning of multiple stances used for the Ake Sune - 赤い足 - Red Leg.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: When the creation of the Ake Sune - 赤い足 - Red Leg was formed so were several stances. This technique allows the practitioners the capability of using the techniques needed. This is the first, the beginning. All stances are used for standing straight, relaxed, alert but never tense. Some users stand with their kicking leg slightly tapping along the floor. Some users stand having their strong leg shot up into the air. Some users have their hands within their pockets until the right moment. This is needed in order to pursue the capabilities of the Ake Sune - 赤い足 - Red Leg style.
Limit: Must Learn from a Master of Ake Sune - 赤い足 - Red Leg

---

One Grueling Week Later:

    Nikola forced himself out of bed and lit a cigarette before putting on his clothes. He had long ago mastered the art of dressing around the burning object, and these past few mornings it had become an extremely necessary part of his waking process. His rigorous exercise regimen combined with his daily work and crafting practice ended up leaving him dead tired shortly after the sun went down. This in turn lengthened his mornings and saw him taking every chance to put off training for any extra time he could manage to spare. He stumbled out into the fresh morning light only to be greeted by a fully awake and fully dressed Magoichi.

“Ah, eggplant, so good of you to join me! Are you ready to truly begin your Ake Sune training?”

“How are you always so excited?”

“What was that?”

“I am ready, teacher!”

“That's what I thought you said. Now, the first step to learning any sort of martial art is to gain an understanding of its stances. Ake Sune is no different. Watch me, and do as I do.”

    Nikola studied his teacher's form closely, but didn't really get it. The man appeared to just be standing as he always did. He wasn't rigid, or precise, or anything that Nikola expected from something so formal as a martial arts stance. Then he took a second look and realized that maybe that was the point. While Magoichi wasn't displaying the flourish or flash of the martial arts stances Nikola had seen on televisions or in comic books he still seemed to be ready for anything. Despite his seemingly relaxed posture Nik doubted that anyone could manage to get a free hit in on his teacher.

    So the young craftsman took what he could see and attempted to replicate it. He spread his feet so that they were about shoulder width making sure to leave his knees slightly bent. From what he could tell the relaxed nature of the stance was where it got its strength. With the lower body taken care of he moved onto his torso. Magoichi's back was straight, his shoulders were squared, and his arms hung loosely at his side. Nikola did his best to copy that form. Even going as far as attempting to match his breathing with his teacher's.

“Hmm, you're a bit stiff, but that'll work out with practice. The second step here is to determine which of your legs is strongest. So I want you to kick me. Go all out. First one leg, then the other. Oh, and don't worry about hurting me. Stronger folks than you have tried.”

    That last quip pushed any reservations Nikola had about kicking his teacher to the back of his thoughts. Of course, that was Magoichi's plan. The Ake Sune master found that a bit of insult goes a long way in inspiring confidence in students. Nik thought about it for a second before picking a leg. Through his crafting he had taught himself to be ambidextrous, but he had been left handed originally. So he figured he'd start with his left leg. He stepped up to his teacher, cocked his left leg back, and let it loose. The kick was aimed at about hip level but it was still met by a shin that appeared to share its hardness with adamantine. The apprentice let out a yelp of pain and briefly considered what his fate would have been on the receiving end of leg. It wasn't a thought he wanted to dwell on though, so he quickly repeated the strike with his right leg.

“Well, first off you don't really know how to kick, eggplant. We can fix that though. For now let's focus on this stance. I'd say your right leg is stronger so we'll go with that. Now, again, do as I do.”

    Magoichi had never dropped his stance despite Nikola's attacks, and he gestured for the boy to return to form before continuing. After Nik had adopted the stance once more his teacher began to alter his. He slid feet a bit closer together, and then bent his right leg at the knee so that he could bounce the toes of his right foot on the ground. Now this form made sense. Obviously the bouncing was a method used to keep your leg limber and ready to strike out at your foes at any time. It was easy enough to replicate this form. Once Nikola successfully assumed the new stance Magoichi spoke again.

“Excellent, you even seem to have loosened up a bit. Alright now, there's one more modification I need to show you. Then we can move on to actually establishing your personal stance.”

    This final form wasn't much different from the last. Magoichi simply took his bouncing foot and raised that leg out away from his body. This ended with his leg extended up into the air like a dancer's and his foot floating just above his shoulder. Again, this was a modification Nikola understood, but he certainly didn't think this would be his preferred form. He lifted his own leg upward in an attempt to match his teacher's. He only managed to get it to about half the height though. With his foot was just barely above his waist. Any attempts to raise it any higher only managed to produce pains in his hip.

“Ha, so obviously I need to work more flexibility exercises into your routine. That's good for now though. Now this facet isn't quite as important as the others, but it is a factor. It's concerning your hand placement. Some users like to keep their hands free and simply allow them to hang loosely at their sides. While other prefer to keep them tucked away in their pockets until they're required to use them. That's all completely up to you though. This is my preferred stance. Now show me yours.”

    With his final words Magoichi fell into the bouncing foot stance with his arms loose at his sides. All that was left was for Nikola to figure out which form he would be most comfortable with. He cycled through the three variations trying to settle into one specific one. The raised leg was out, at least until he could do it properly, and the bouncing leg just didn't quite feel right. Plus, he felt it left his left side open. If it was Magoichi's preferred form he was sure that wasn't the case, but he still couldn't shake the feeling of vulnerability. Then there was the matter of the hands. Tucking them away in his pockets raised the same issues as focusing on just one leg, so he settled to leave them loose. It was decided! The form he would be using was the open, relaxed form he had been shown first.

“I like this one teacher.”

“Good, eggplant, good.”

[Celaena Kamyuja]

Nods Plus Ten

[Ignobilium]

0|10

Ake Sune - 赤い足 - Red Leg Flexibility
Rank: "D"
Skill: TaiJutsu
Effect: A Technique needed in order to go into the techniques of the Ake Sune - 赤い足 - Red Leg Flexibility style. This technique is needed for a user's legs is not quite as flexible for one needed for the art of Ake Sune - 赤い足 - Red Leg Flexibility.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: By great stretches, the user is capable of starting to move their legs in awkward positions. A user is capable of lifting their leg straight up towards their head, touching their ear without ever moving their upper body towards a horizontal area. With the usage of this technique a user of the Ake Sune - 赤い足 - Red Leg style is capable of extending their legs in a complete horizontal form without ever hurting themselves in any shape or form. This is considered to be somewhat of that of a Stance for it holds no true value except to better the user with using the techniques down below. This is needed in order to use all of the techniques within the Ake Sune - 赤い足 - Red Leg style.
Limit: Must Learn from a Master of Ake Sune - 赤い足 - Red Leg

---

“As I said when you were learning your stance: you need more flexibility. This isn't the most fun aspect of training, but it also isn't the most difficult. I'm going to show you a few stretches and then you will do them. This will continue until you're able to touch your ear with your heel. Understood eggplant?”

“Yes teacher.”

“Good.”

    Magoichi adopted a seated position and then rolled onto his back. From there he showed Nikola a series of eight stretches. He ran through them rather quickly, but Nik was pretty sure he got the idea. So when Magoichi stood again the young smith dropped to his back and attempted to emulate the stretches his teacher had displayed. The first was fairly easy, he simply arched his legs as if he was preparing for a sit-up and then lifted when leg and lay it across the other so that his lifted leg's heel was resting on his opposite leg's thigh. After this it was a simple matter of putting pressure onto the knee of his lifted leg with his hands. He pressed and released over and over, and eventually switching legs and repeating the process.

    The next stretch involved the same basic position as the first. Only instead of pressing his knee outward he pulled it inward towards his chest. He again repeated the exercise for a few minutes before switching legs. The third stretch called for sitting up straight and bending his legs in front of him. He placed the soles of his feet together directly in front of his groin and held that position for as long as possible. As he held this form Magoichi walked over and placed his hands on Nikola's shoulders pulling back to ensure that his spine was aligned properly.

    Stretch number four reminded Nikola of a frog preparing to leap. He sat on his knees and then leaned his upper body forward extending his arms so that his weight was resting on his hands. Then he slowly rotated his hips outward so that he could push his knees further and further apart. Once they were are far apart as Nik could manage he mimicked the motion he had seen his teacher display rocking forward and backward. This traded his weight from his hands to his knees and back again and served to loosen his hip muscles. Even with only this small amount of effort the young artisan had already began to notice an increase in flexibility.

    The fifth form was a simple lunge. This consisted of resting one foot out in front of his body and forming a right angle at the knee. The other leg was also positioned in a right angle at the knee, but was also resting on this knee which was resting directly below Nikola's torso. Finally, the boy grabbed his back leg at the ankle and pulled it up toward his back. Then he reset his form so that his legs had switched positions and repeated the pull. Form six was a modification of the third stretch, but instead of sitting up straight he leaned back and rested his weight on his hands. His soles were touching in front of him once again and this exercise was completed by rocking back and forth in order to shift his weight from his hands to his butt.

    After an approving nod from Magoichi he moved onto the seventh stretch. This was another modified lunge like form five except Nikola's foot and knee were held close together rather than separate. He pressed his hand onto the thigh of the leg that was resting on his knee in order to continue the stretching of his hip muscles and improve blood flow. Then, once again, he switched sides and repeated the process. Finally, the young smith was prepared for the last stretch. He sat on his knees and extended his arms placing the palms of his hands onto the ground just in front of his legs. After this he extended his right leg back as far as he could and then drew it back alongside the other before extending his left in the same fashion.

[N A T S U M I]

+10; Learned.

[Ignobilium]

0|5 TP / 7 Die Rolls from Able Learner

Techcraft 20|125
Rank: "E"
Skill: Skill
Effect: Use this skill to recognize how a device works or even what a device does.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: Use this skill to recognize how a device works or even what a device does. For example, a user enters a building and discovers a strange-looking device in the center. With a successful Techcraft check, they can discover what the device does. With another successful check, they may determine that it has a sensor on the front and is therefore most likely controlled by a remote similar to a tracker. Anything the characters might have seen before does not require a check to identify. However, that still leaves a ton of gadgets left for the technician to figure out. A check is made when the device is strange, industrial, or specialized, or when the character has only a brief moment to examine it. All checks are Difficult, or Very Difficult. Each time learned user gets 5 die roll to increase the skill.
Limit: ---

Learning Aids:

SPOILER: Click to show

Able Learner
Rank: "C"
Skill: Social Trait
Effect: The user has great aptitude for learning.
Special: ---
Drawback: ---
Description: When learning a skill, the skill states how many times a die roll may be applied to show how much they learned within that skill. Example, when a user learns "Botany" they gain 5 die rolls. This "trait" increases the amount of die rolls by 1.5 rounded to the highest number at 1 die roll per learning, however any number higher than 1 die roll is rounded down. For example: User learns Botany and gains 5 die rolls. With this Trait they will gain 7 die rolls. However if a user learns Lockpicking they normally get 1 die roll, however with this Trait they will gain 2 die rolls.
Limit: Must start with Character; replaces 2 Freebies.

    Between working on staying in form at all times, stretching practice, and his chores at the smithy Nikola hadn't had much time for personal pursuits recently. Today was different though. Magoichi and Welund were gone for the day and so Nik had decided to dedicate this day to himself. He had obtained a simple clock from a small shop in the wee hours of the morning. By analyzing it and exercising his smithing abilities a bit he would hopefully be able to construct a working copy. The first step in this process would be to carefully remove the face of the clock and back plate so that he could study the inner workings of the device with plenty of light.

    With that out of the way it was onto the studying of the actual mechanism. Nikola supposed he should start at the bottom and work his way up so he began with the weight. This heavy metal cylinder was attached to the rest of the clock by a small cord which wrapped around the drum. The drum was in turn connected to the winding mechanism which, when rotated, wound the weight cord around the drum. Then the force of the weight slowly unwinding that cord over time would turn all the gears that drove the clock. At the back of the drum were two gears referred to as the ratchet wheel and the main wheel. The ratchet wheel's teeth interacted with a small lever known as the click.

    The purpose of the click was to prevent the ratchet wheel from rotating backwards during winding which in turn protected the entire clock from reversing its direction. Immediately behind the ratchet wheel sat the main wheel and its job was to transfer the energy from the slowly turning drum to the rest of the gears that made the clock work. The main wheel sat up against a pinion which is a small nut with groves in it similar to a gear. The pinion has a metal rod through its center called a spindle and the spindle was connected to the another wheel at its back and the hands of the clock at its front. This wheel, called the center wheel, was the gear that was actually responsible for turning the hands to display the time on the face.

    The center wheel was connected to another pinion and spindle system which ran through the center of the third wheel. This wheel exists as an extra step thrown into the mix to maintain even energy distribution and drive the escape wheel. As the last wheel in the sequence the escape wheel serves to release any leftover energy. It does this by driving the pendulum mechanism. This mechanism begins with the pallet which is a “v” shaped piece of metal formed with an obtuse angle. The pallet rocks against the teeth of the escape wheel in order to spin the final spindle back and forth.

    This last spindle is equipped with a small nut at the back end. The nut is attached to a small bar that is, in turn, connected to a small metal piece known as the fork. The fork is a simple two-pronged plate that rocks the pendulum. The majority of the pendulum mechanism was actually screwed into the back plate and as such wasn't currently in its proper place. Nikola was still able to determine how it worked though. The pendulum began at the suspension spring which was attached to the back plate and was responsible for the pendulum's ability to rock back and forth. Next was the rod that ran through the notch in the fork, and last was the pendulum bob which was the large piece at the base of the pendulum. The entire pendulum mechanism served to expend all of the excess energy produced by the weight.