It all started in the morning when you had to present your offering to the spirits typically this involves minerals or metals. I being the poor orphan had jack to take to the offering of the spirits. This offering is what determined the starting point for your armor the metals and minerals give properties to your armor and weapons. Gold is strength, Steel is sharp you get the picture or at least I hope you do but at 8 years old there is nothing I could bring. The amount of material needed is about 4 kilos worth and as much as I could dig out nails for iron I'm missing 2 feet, as in mister left and mister right to the knee.
As an orphan, no one would spare the metal for even a wheelchair so I drag my sorry ass everywhere. which means 2 hours of dragging my sorry self to the offering point. It was my only chance people that produce armor your soul is what moves your armor so if your missing parts you can still be whole. Which brings me to me, Lance Magnus, I'm about to break everything all the rules of the armor offering. People that start with nothing go nowhere think of it as equivalent exchange, not even nobles can get pure minerals or even the full 4 kilos of material. So a poor wretch like my self is going to break all the rules the weeping willow just outside of town is free so you know what ill use that. I don't understand everything but I know 3 things : Item 1 the tree is pure tree : item 2 I can get 4 kilos of pure tree: item 3 and last but not least trees stand. I would hope they extend this courtesy as well.
So here I am I crawled my ass tho the huge ass tree outside of town bright and early knocking on a tree.... yes you saw correctly. I need the permission of the dryad living there. "Miss, Miss I need a favour could you lend me a hand please?" Of course, being the snarky bitch she is ."I thought you needed 2 new feet"...."I got nothing the only thing pleasant about you is your tits and even that can't make up for your mouth. Could I please get 4 kilos of willow ....Ms. Willow." The mouth on this cranky bitch will not stop" Certainly just crawl your vagabond ass over and pick up what I drop I'm due for a trim anyway." Not to worry I have spent years begging for money when everybody else whished I died already the smile and cheer is on lock."Thank you very much Ms.Willow I will find a way to pay you back I promise you." I swear if there was a legal way to gag a nymph aside from whatever naughty things an adult does I would take it." Well, when your crippled ass can stand oh and also dropped left nut and right nut come to give a propper romp." She said with a smile.
Now ill be honest with you I would not touch this skank with the thief masters dick. And I hate the bastard takes 60% of my begging if I don't deliver he has me beat. The only thing that gets me clear is this offering And this skank seduces every swinging cod that walks by without soul steel to toughen up there backbone ...due to people not having enough material for the offering or just not the talent to produce soul steel. Or not the right lineage or enough of it those with a direct line like Charlemagne, the tsars, or anything else like a clan or house or coat of arms. Funny thing the coat of arms reflects what type of power your soul takes. Gives a caste system of its own so there are insect people, earth people, beast people, and then there are the myth people. Keep in mind I'm speaking of the soul which is a tier of its own the offering is a perk all it's own and can even influence your elemental direction. But people only use metal I don't have the dosh for that so.... tree it is freely given of Gaia's child.
After crawling for what felt like ages picking up vines bark and leaves and tying a bundle to my back under my ragged cloak. I get to start dragging my sorry ass to the appointed place it always changes luck on my side this time it is in town. The guards didn't stop me on my way in they saw me go out and forage for food often they don't begrudge me or won't till I cant produce soul steel. Nobody wants to burn bridges before necessary even the thief master keeps a tally you wind up hitting the lottery he returns everything the second the first steel is produced you leave the bounds of mortal man nothing the average can mess with. Next step the offering.