Mage Tank

Trying to convince Seinnador to sell me equipment that made sense with my current stats without giving away that something was unusual with my levels proved impossible. I eventually broke down and simply told him my stat distribution after Seinnador pulled out a very detailed confidentiality agreement that he used with his “most discreet customers”.

It wasn’t exactly a blood oath, but if Seinnador spilled the beans on what I told him then I would become a much richer man. After signing, I had to show the merchant my character screen to prove that I wasn’t delusional. Luidis, fortunately, was absent for this discussion.

Not only did Seinnador take the information in stride, his eyes lit up as he considered the possibilities. Having a minimum of ten in everything was extremely unusual, and typically only occurred with the absolute most powerful Delvers, who had points to spare. I wasn’t there yet, but that didn’t stop Seinnador from theory-crafting.

“You aren’t about to wear a full suit of dark-iron plate with a Strength of ten,” said Seinnador. “The draw on your mana-veins would be too high, and it’s no good for casters, either. Absorbs a bit of ambient mana, so it is known to interfere with spells. Very popular with mage-hunters for that very reason, though. A suit of Madrin isn’t out of the question.” He tilted his head from side to side in consideration. “Of course, there are budgetary concerns with that.”

Seinnador took a sip from a steaming mug of herbal tea. We sat in his office, with Seinnador perched on the edge of a large wooden desk. I had my own mug in front of me which warmed my hands as I held it. I sipped at the brew politely, though the taste was particularly bitter and earthy.

“How big are these budgetary concerns?” I asked.

“It varies, of course, but the metal for a heavy set alone would run you an emerald chip or so. Then there would be the costs of the mana-weaves. The price of those are limitless for the most part, though even with your attribute potentials many would still be out of reach. Certain weaves require the user to be particularly robust in particular areas.”

“An emerald chip wouldn’t break the bank,” I said. I had four. “But I want to make sure that I can move well. Also, my Strength isn’t at ten yet and I’m about to head out on an expedition. Not sure how much room for training there will be.”

“Well, Madrin is heavier than steel, but even a full plate set wouldn’t burden you much with a Strength of seven. As for mobility, the articulation we are able to achieve in the joints and other areas would leave you quite well off. If it were a matter of moving silently, then a lighter armor would be worth considering; but for you, I think a set of Madrin plate would be ideal. However, as you mentioned, there is the matter of your departure timeline. A set of plate requires a goodly amount of customization and adjustment for a proper fit. There are items that I could hand you “off-the-shelf” as it were, but it might pinch or pull or restrict movement in certain places.”

“Maybe we save that for next time. What makes sense with the schedule that I have?”

“I have Madrin scale that can be used for a mail set and crafted to your measurements in time, assuming we do a rush job. Fortunately for you, the busy season is actually before the Creation Delve, as most houses make purchases to give as gifts at ceremonies or celebrations for the newly minted Delver in the family. This is the relative dead season.”

It suddenly made more sense that I was the only one in the store.

“What about the ones who… don’t make it?”

“We give a full refund, of course. Yes, yes. Few things crafted for level one Delvers are truly bespoke. Most can be resold without much effort. There is a markdown for anything that has custom engraving, but I believe that honoring those who fall within the Delves and easing the burden on their families is worth more than a few extra notes at the end of the month.”

“That’s very gracious of you.”

“Reputation is the currency of those with full bellies, and I’m a far cry from starving.” He stared off into the distance. “Regardless, a Madrin scale set would provide adequate protection against blades and piercing weapons, but would leave you vulnerable to blunt attacks. Things like maces, hammers, and axes to a lesser degree. However, that is what gambeson is for. I would prefer to make you a custom arming doublet, but again, the time constraint.”

Seinnador drummed his lengthy fingers against the desk.

“You know what,” he said. “I have something a bit experimental I’ve been working on for under-armor padding. Having someone take it for a field test might prove enlightening, if you would be willing to return and detail your experiences with it. I can have it ready on time and I wouldn’t even need to add any weaves. Not free, of course, but I can give you a deal since it hasn’t been put through its paces yet.”

“Well, I’m not sure how much I want to risk my life on a gamble like that. But, we can definitely take a look.”

****

The “experiment” was a type of gel that was bonded to layers of self-repairing leather. Seinnador produced it in sheets which could be cut and sewn into a variety of configurations. The edges where the sheets were cut were sealed with a precise application of heat. He’d already produced a few test-sets in different sizes to be worn under armor.

As proof-of-concept he had Luidis–who I was informed had a Strength of ten–take a smithing hammer to several ceramic plates protected by different materials. On its own the ceramic shattered easily, sending shards scattering for dozens of feet in every direction. The force of the breakage would have probably caused a few of the sharp pieces to cut me if it weren't for the damage reduction I’d gained from Fortitude.

Beneath an unenchanted gambeson, the tile still shattered, though the damage was less catastrophic. A gambeson with a basic protective mana-weave resulted in a few cracks, but the plate was mostly in one piece.

When he hit the plate protected by the gel, it was unharmed.

“As you can see, the gel is very resilient against impact.”

“Then what’s the catch? If it’s this effective, shouldn’t you be able to sell it easily?”

“Commonly used materials and mana-weaves have a long history of reliability and, more importantly, longevity. The gel is untested insofar as how reliable it will remain after extended durations of use. The gel is based on a particular Delve technology I acquired from some antiqa, and I purchased it only a few months ago from a gold Delver for a rather substantial sum. In addition to the upfront expense, it isn’t cheap to produce. The gel itself has a high density of ruby-grade chips integrated into it and the leather to which it is bonded also requires specialized weaves. It’s a premium item with no track record.”

“And you want me to be the guinea pig?”

“Think of it this way. I’ll sell this to you at…” Seinnador took a deep breath. “Cost. Plus ten percent. It’s an outrageous discount, especially for something of this quality. And when I have a monopoly, no less.”

“Uh-huh. You’re ‘practically giving it away!’ I’m just the lucky guy who wandered in when you decided to start soliciting Delvers for feedback.” I knew this song and dance pretty well. I’d worked retail for a decade before getting my law degree.

Seinnador frowned.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“You, dear Arlo, are a bit cynical I fear.”

“Where I come from there’s a saying. If it seems too good to be true, it is. Also, caveat emptor. Then there’s the natural suspicion I harbor when someone asks me to pay them to do a job they need done.”

Seinnador gave me a wide grin, which was the last thing I was expecting. I’d honestly let my mouth run away with itself, and was worried that I’d been needlessly offensive. He let out one of his strange, multi-tonal chuckles.

“I’ve pitched this to about a dozen Delvers I know and respect.”

“And they said?”

“No! Every single one of them. They aren’t willing to take the risk!” He threw his hands up. “I tell the blind of the path forward, but they have never known a man with eyes.”

“I mean, it is kind of a big risk when it’s life or death.”

“Which is why I want it tested. But I can’t let you walk out of here with it for free. You could leave town and sell it for silvers on the gold. Give it to a competitor to reverse-engineer.”

“Hmm,” I hummed as I thought. “Mana-weaving uses a lot of essences, right?”

“Yes, of course. Essences are the grain for the brew that is mana-weaving.”

“Uh,” I stumbled over the metaphor. “Are mana-chips the yeast?”

“Yes! Yes, yes!”

My respect for Seinnador crept up even higher with his opaque reference to producing alcoholic beverages.

“Well,” I said, bringing up my inventory. Rows of green, glowing crystals filled my vision. “Would you be willing to consider a trade?”

****

A single poison essence is worth a lot of money. Xim and Varrin had been correct in that assumption back in the Creation Delve. Ten poison essences is worth even more, though there’s customarily a discount when dealing in bulk. Ten poison essences plus a contract to sell a mana-weaver all the poison essences he requires for the next two years at a sub-market rate was worth exactly:

One complete set of Madrin scale armor, with basic mana-weaves for environmental protection to keep me comfy while wearing it in various weather conditions, and durability to keep the armor in good shape, which also made it more resistant to physical attacks.

One bodysuit of experimental, impact-resistant gel-filled leathers, complete with fingerless gloves, booties and neck covering.

One cloth hood with small Madrin plates sewn into the lining and a mesh to help keep its shape. It could quickly be locked in place to keep it from falling during “vigorous” activities.

One Wand of Piercing Force that I could feed mana, storing the energy for later use casting a simple physical attack spell.

One flanged mace with a basic damage weave to bypass Fortitude, because “it’s hard to accidentally cut your own hand off with a mace,” and “no reason to get anything fancy until you figure out what you’re good with.”

And finally, as many ice lances to the chest as it takes for me to obtain the Physical Magic skill.

It took two lances, two recovery sessions after losing three-quarters of my health each time, and an hour paralyzed on the ground in the fetal position feeling like I was going to die of hypothermia. That was the least damaging attack spell at Seinnador’s disposal, and Grotto was extremely displeased that I didn’t warn him about the idea ahead of time. Higher level battle-casters were no joke.

It was worth it.

Unlike Mystical Magic, there was no unique spell granted to me when I acquired Physical Magic, but I immediately selected Explosion! to add to my active skills.

I took a second to review my list.

Active Skills: 4/10

Dispel: Temporarily disrupt the flow of mana within a spell, object, or person. This can cause spells to weaken, or be negated entirely. This can be used to halt the flow of magic within a magical item for a period of time, or to eliminate the magic completely. This can be used to momentarily disrupt a magical effect imbued within an individual.

Mana Cost: Variable (Proportional to the mana being disrupted. Initial cost: 50% of mana disrupted. Higher levels of Mystical Magic increase efficiency).

Cooldown: None

Requirements: Mystical Magic

Explosion!: Waga na wa Megumin!

Range: (33) meters. Size and intensity scale with Intelligence. Range scales with level in Physical Magic.

Mana Cost: 10. This spell can be charged at a cost of 10 mana per second.

Cooldown: 1 hour

Requirements: Dimensional Magic, Physical Magic

Oblivion Orb: For the briefest moment you create a small dimensional tear in the shape of an orb in your palm, which transports whatever it touches to another plane of existence. Higher levels of Intelligence increase the size of the orb.

Mana Cost: 5

Cooldown: None

Requirements: Dimensional Attunement, Dimensional Magic

Shortcut: Travel through the cracks between dimensions and teleport to a place you can see within (31.5) meters. Higher levels of Dimensional Magic increase range and may unlock new effects.

Mana Cost: 10

Cooldown: None

Requirements: Dimensional Magic 10

Dispel gave me a bit of control, mitigation, and utility. Oblivion Orb was primarily a melee attack that was best used for hitting critical areas. Its ranged, mana-shaped version was useful, but way too mana hungry to rely on at the moment. Explosion! was non-discriminatory ranged area-of-effect. The cooldown made it more of a big one-shot in combat.

I was missing a reliable, bread-and-butter ranged attack spell. The Wand of Piercing Force was a decent stop-gap, but had a hard cap of ten casts per charge. Seinnador also informed me that the spell cast by the wand wouldn’t benefit from my skills and stats, but rather the quality of the mana-weave. Utilizing wands with stronger spells and weaves required the user to possess the stats required to cast the base spell. So, it was useful for now, but I would outgrow it eventually.

Then again, I had been doing pretty well getting up in people’s faces, and there were only ten active skill slots. I considered that I might be better served by focusing more on what I was already doing, rather than trying to adapt to a ranged style. Having options was good, but specialization to some degree would enhance my potency.

As for the armor, the main thing it left to be desired was the clear vulnerability to my face and hands. When I asked why this was necessary, Seinnador explained that many spells required exposed skin, dextrous manipulation, or clear vocal and expressive communication to maximize their effect. One example was the finger snap for Explosion!, which would be difficult to pull off in gauntlets.

To distract me from my apprehension over my beautiful mug becoming the main target of my enemy’s ire, Seinnador pointed out a series of small loops that would allow me to wrap my boa around my shoulders without having it fly off or get yanked away. The armor was also slim enough that my C’thonic vest could fit over top. I could be well-protected, without sacrificing style.

In the same vein, Seinnador made sure to inquire about my color preferences. Though he was unable to take any real aesthetic design requests into consideration due to the timeline, coloring the armor was apparently a trivial matter. I shrugged and asked him to make it match the violet and ocean tones of my vest and boa, then left the rest up to him.

For my eyes, Seinnador took some of the design suggestions I’d given him for new goggles to heart, and crafted a pair of Madrin-crystal specs that looked sort of like the kind of glasses you get at a gun range, but with a bit more panache. They had a strap that fastened around my head to keep them in place, and had a pinkish-purple hue to the lenses.

“They’ll help you with flying debris, glancing attacks, and people trying to poke you in the eye, but a well-placed arrow will still ruin your day. They also provide limited protection against bright light without compromising vision in dimmer areas.”

When I tried them on I was surprised to see that, despite their color, they didn’t tint the world with a magenta hue. Magic was pretty great.

Altogether I was amazed that Seinnador could get all the gear ready for me by the time I had to leave. He was happy to tell me that his entire workshop had been dedicated to the effort, while heavily insinuating that I should keep him in mind for future purchases whenever I came to report about the performance of the body-suit.

“Speaking honestly, young Delvers are an investment. While I primarily deal in lower-level Delver goods, I’m perfectly capable of producing premium wares. Nonetheless, it is difficult to break into that market since everyone is already well established. There are only so many high level Delvers. Yes, yes.” He let out a heavy sigh, then gave me a grin. “I’ll also lose out on data if you die before telling me how the items perform. On the other hand, your death would be a data point on its own.”

He gazed once more into the middle distance, which I was convinced he did only to add drama to his next line.

“Death is but another lesson for the living.”