Name: Greaves of the Fiend
Type: Armor (Enchanted)
Lore: Built by Eldrunna Coldfire from the remains of a powerful construct, the unique metal is stronger than mithril and extremely resilient. They were designed specifically for Felix Nevarre, Blue-Eyed Fiend of Haarwatch.
Self-Repair VIII - Ambient Mana will be absorbed to repair any damage to the Greaves.
All Terrain IX - The soles are enchanted to retain a sure grip despite the terrain.
Felix raised his eyebrows. Mithril was a step above steela metal imbued with a natural magic much like orichalcumand was extremely expensive. To use something stronger than that...
"Is this made from the Arcids?" Felix asked and Rafny shook her head.
"Of course not. It's made from the Apollyon."
Felix laughed. "Well, at least it turned out to be useful."
"It did at that. Those constructs have given my craft a significant edge. I've gained six levels!" Rafny almost crowed in excitement. "I don't know what the metal is, or how it's been made so receptive to Mana, but it's remarkably good for advanced weaponry."
Felix chuckled and strapped the Greaves onto his feet and lower legs. They felt good, perfect even. Their weight was almost a comfort, and it made him think about how much damage a kick would do now.
"How do they feel? Fits like a dream, yeah? Elle does quality work." Rafny grinned. "Now you can stop wearin' those pathetic hobnails."
"I have missed nice boots, that's true," Felix agreed. "What else do you have?"
"For you? Just one more thing. Another gift from Elle." She produced two circular bands, thick as a wristwatch and completely smooth. "Put these on."
"What are they? Bracelets?" Felix took them and slid them onto his hands. Immediately he felt them hum, as if an electrical current was passing through them. To his Manasight, they began to glow with flows of orange and silvery Mana.
"Twist them, right here," Rafny pointed.
Felix did so, and with a soft metal-on-metal sound the bracelets expanded into full on vambraces. From wrist to elbow he was sheathed in segmented metal, and those flows of orange and silvery Mana only increased.
Voracious Eye!
Name: Vambraces of the Fiend
Type: Armor (Enchanted)
Lore: Built by Elldrunna Coldfire from the remains of a powerful construct, the unique metal is stronger than mithril and extremely resilient. They were designed specifically for Felix Nevarre, Blue-Eyed Fiend of Haarwatch.
Self-Repair VIII - Ambient Mana will be absorbed to repair any damage to the Vambraces of the Fiend.
Smoldering Lash X - An array inscribed on the right Vambrace allows the user to manifest a whip made of fire Mana.
Conjure Blade VII - An array inscribed on the left Vambrace allows the user to manifest metal Mana to produce a single blade no longer than ten inches.
"Whoa, Skills?"
"Indeed. The Tier of this new metal let us inlay a couple actual Skills. It's typically a higher level technique, inscribing actual Skills, but I've just begun to scratch the surface of those levels now." Rafny grinned so hard Felix worried her head would fall off. "Skills are limited to the level I was able to scribe in, so they're both only Apprentice Tier, but they'll at least be useful in a pinch. A surprise at the very least."
"This is amazing," Felix said with real glee in his voice. He conjured the blade and it formed in the air before dropping half an inch into Felix's left palm. The fire whip was similar, except it unspooled from the Vambrace itself and onto the ground. It was hot to the touch, but nothing his Body and resistances couldn't handle. He dismissed both effects. "I especially like how they collapse."
"That was a trick and a half to figure out, but with your transformation Skill Elle figured you'd need a way to get any armor off quick. Last thing she wants is for you to ruin more of her good work."
Felix grinned at the light jab, and laughed when Rafny showed him how to collapse the boots in the same way. They shrunk down into a pair of thick anklets which was entirely too cool.
"And last but not least, we made this together," the smith said, pulling a large leather bundle out of a crate. She set it gingerly on top of another and spread it out. It was a saddle made of cured skin and segmented pieces of rust-red metal. "A custom set of barding for Pit, along with a saddle and sheath for your Fang."
There was a flash of light and suddenly the horse-sized Pit pushed Felix out of the way to inspect his new gift. Felix laughed and let the tenku shove him aside. Pit cooed appreciatively over the design and style of the barding, which was basically armor for the chimera to wear. Rafny was soon helping to strap it all onto the tenku, testing and checking the straps as she went.
Why hadn't I thought of armor for him?
"You've outdone yourselves this time, Raf," Felix said as the smith stepped away from his Companion. The barding covered Pit's head, chest, and fore legs with segmented plates of metal that looked almost like"Are these made of Scales?"
"Aye, the Scales of the Ravager Queen you gave us," Rafny continued. "Elle figured that since you refuse to wear armor, at least your friend can. And" she gestured Felix to come closer. She pointed at Pit's chest, where a symbol that looked like an open eye that was also on fire. "We've added your new crest and enchanted it. Those Scales are special, a lot like the construct's metal. Let us add in a Spiritbinding on armor that is still technically only Journeyman Tier."
Felix ignored the crest, the one he'd noticed on the Legion's cloaks, and furrowed his brows. "Spiritbinding?"
"The barding can be bound to Pit, to his Spirit. It's advanced stuff again, but the Scales are such a high quality material that we made it work," Rafny pointed again at the crest. His crest. "Just put both of your blood on the crest and Will it to be bound to Pit, and the barding will stay on him even when you do your little disappearing act."
Whoa. That was huge. Felix quickly cut himself with his Crescian Blade and Pit provided his own blood. They both smeared it along the crest and, together, they leveraged their Willpower. Bind!
Felix felt a soft, distant echo as if something heavy had dropped nearby. Pit staggered, just a moment, but then straightened. With a flash of light, both Pit and his barding vanished. Seconds later, Pit reappeared, still wearing his armor.
Okay, that's rad as hell.
"Don't you got anything better to do?" Atar shouted at him. The olive-skinned mage was leaning heavily against his metal stave, sweating and breathing hard. "How about you-you help us out and carry some stuff, eh?"
He was quickly followed by Evie and Alister, both of whom were wearing armor and packs of similar size to Atar's. Neither was even sweating.
"Sparky, I really think you need to start lifting," Evie suggested. "Maybe Harn can help you with some Endurance training?"
"No no no," Atar said with an abrupt, plastered-on smile. He stood straighter, and Felix could see veins in his neck popping into sharp relief. "I'm perfecperfectly fine."
"Atar, it's fine," Alister said. "I can carry your pack too."
"No, I have this," the fire mage stated and marched closer to Felix. "What're you standing around for? Don't we have places to be?"
Felix grinned and took the spare pack Alister handed to him. It was fully stocked with food, water, and basic adventuring supplies, as they had planned. However, Felix noticed a third pack being carried by Evie.
"Where's Vess?"
Evie frowned. "Not sure. Haven't seen her all mornin'."
"Hiyahh!"
A carriage rolled into the square from one of the busier thoroughfares, led by four matched avum and a driver wearing the armor of a Haarguard. It was followed by no less than fifty or sixty Haarguard marching in sharp formation. The crowd in the square cleared, giving them room to maneuver, and the carriage came to a halt just shy of Felix's position. A tall man in a pale green doublet and yellow half-cape stepped from the carriage. Parts of him were obviously bandaged, but it didn't seem to inhibit his grace as he turned and let a beautiful woman step out after. Perhaps it was the gown or the styled hair, but Felix didn't immediately recognize her.
"The Hand?" Alister asked in disbelief. "He's not nearly as hurt as I expected."
"Wow," Atar said, his face flushing. "She's beautiful."
"Oh, blood and ashes," Evie cursed. "This can't be good. Vess hates dressing up."
Vess? Felix blinked in surprise. Wait why's she
Vess took her guardian's hand as she stepped out, and did not relinquish it.
Oh.