Thaddeus's rocking chair glided back and forth in the cozy library, the soft creaking a gentle rhythm that matched the cadence of his thoughts. Sabrina sat across from him.
She observed him curiously. She could tell he was deep in thought. She knew what Thaddeus' quietness typically meant. It meant he was struggling with a difficult problem.
"What's bothering you? Every time, something puzzles you, your face scrunches up," Sabrina asked with a playful smile.
Thaddeus let out a sigh, and unfurred his brows as he recounted the challenge that had been consuming his mind.
"So, it's a new commission… Odin wants an epoxy conference table. But the problem is, in the real world, epoxy is made by combining resin with a hardener. You got the resin part figured out, but replicating the hardener in a virtual world where it doesn't exist is proving to be quite the puzzle?" Sabrina repeated, her eyes arched in genuine interest.
Thaddeus nodded, a mixture of frustration and determination in his eyes. "Exactly. But I'm hitting a wall."
"Yeah, but it probably be much easier if you had a girlfriend who was a chemist and alchemist right?
"Uhm…yeah" Thaddeus nodded before he realized his girlfriend was a chemist.
"Took you long enough, you should've come to with this sooner," Sabrina said leaning forward. "You know, your problem is similar to something that we alchemists are debating. Don't you think it's interesting that some elements exist in-game and others don't? What do NPCs breathe?
And why are there sodium, gold, silver, iron, and copper in-game, but not titanium, cadmium, palladium, or platinum? Most alchemists believe some fantasy elements have replaced real-life elements on the periodic table. Every alchemist in the game is working to develop the Heaven's Gate periodic table. Imagine discovering a new in-game element. What if we found chromium, then you could make stainless steel tools, wouldn't that be amazing?"
Thaddeus tilted his head in surprise. He never considered the idea of an in-game periodic table.
Sabrina's eyes lit up with excitement, her passion for chemistry evident in her words. "Think about it. Epoxy's chemical compound is made of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol. What if we create a virtual material that embodies those qualities? Something that is strong, durable, and a chemical catalyst. Can you imagine the potential?"
Thaddeus's eyes widened. Alchemists were investigating a new realm of possibilities. "I had no idea you alchemists were working on something so genius! This could change the game."
"I know right?" Sabrina chuckled, a hint of pride in her voice.
"Then the first step is to head to Ironwood and speak with Vakdraen. The dwarves are an old race, they may know something.
Traveling on horseback, Thaddeus and Sabrina made their way to the Ironwood. Along the way, they saw Hunter and Andrea setting up traps near the dam lake. When they got to the foot of the mountain, they rode up the earthen ramp to the cave entrance.
When they rode inside the cave, two dwarven shield bearers bowed and said, "Welcome Baron and Lady Brown to Ironwood. We sent a soldier to dispatch Lord Vakdraen."
Not long after, Vakdraen arrived on horseback riding a donkey with a company of soldiers in tow. Thaddeus noticed his brown and white beard, was whiter. At the same time, his 5-foot frame looked bulkier. When the soldiers saw Thaddeus, they all saluted by banging their right fist on their shields.
"Baron Brown, our ancestral benefactor, and Lady Brown welcome! What every you need, we are at your service," Vakdraen bowed.
"Thank you, Vak. We've come to seek your clan's wisdom," Thaddeus admitted.
"Our wisdom?" Vakdraen repeated curiously, scratching his beard.
"Yes, we need your help investigating new elements. We need information on bonding and catalyst agents," Sabrina added.
"Follow me, I'll introduce you to our elders who hold the secrets of our clan," Vakdraen pointed.
Thaddeus and Sabrina rode behind the dwarves down to Ironwood. Riding down the path, they saw dwarf miners hard at work, hitting the walls with heavy pickaxes. Seeing them, made Thaddeus remember fighting the kobolds with the Bright Guards and sleeping on the cold, mine-floor. Now, the mine was filled with signing and rail carts full of ore.
At the bottom, Sabrina saw Ironwood for the first time. The village looked like it was carved from the mountain. Rock houses and bridges filled the bright, warm, landscape. A large, majestic waterfall completed the background.
"It's so bright and warm?" Sabrina whispered in surprise.
"It's the sunlight and volcanic magma. When the kobolds lived here, they reposited the mirrors to keep it dark. Since returning to our ancestral home, we've worked hard to restore the city to its former glory," Vakdraen explained.
"And the heat?"
"We reopened the old vents to magma below. Unfortunately, several of the vents needed to be replaced, so that took us longer than expected," Vakdraen answered.
While Sabrina and Vakdraen spoke, Thaddeus' eyes turned to the corner where he died for the first time in-game. He still remembered waking up in a high school classroom and walking to the waiting room before he could return to the game. But he put those thoughts away and watched Sabrina take in the marvel that was Ironwood.
"Thaddeus, I can't believe you own such a beautiful village. This is just…stunning. I can't believe this is my first coming here," she said happily.
Vakdraen led them to an old multifamily house. Holding up his hand, he cautioned, "Wait here."
A few minutes later, they were invited in. "Let me introduce you to our Elder Council, this is Gimli, Dorin, Thorin, Ferin, Besahilda, and Flor."
Thaddeus recognized Durin from the forge, when he worked alongside him, while Huey and Earl von Calvin explored the settlement. From his discussion with Vak, he knew dwarven elders represented different sectors of society. There was an elder who supervised the mining, forging, defense, commerce, building, schooling, and church.
"Speak, what wisdom do you want from us?" asked Besahilda, an annoyed dwarf woman.
Sabrina explained why they had come.
"So, you're looking for a way to bond two things to increase their hardness and durability?" Vakdraen's gaze swept across the Elder Council as if seeking their collective insights.
Durin, the familiar dwarf from the forge, leaned forward, his hands resting on his knees. "Indeed, young crafters. Bonding materials to increase their strength is a noble endeavor. Remember your craftsmanship lies in the essence of mana. Forging the right balance is challenging."
Gimli, a dwarf with a bushy mustache and a twinkle in his eye, spoke up. "The essence of bonding lies in understanding the harmony of elements. The earth we mine is a blend of ores, stones, gems, rocks, and dirt. You need to mine dirt first before you reach the ore."
Thorin, his beard streaked with silver, added with a nod, "Aye, the secret is in the balance. Too much of one element can lead to brittleness, while too little can result in weakness.
Ferin, an elderly dwarf with a contemplative expression, stroked his beard thoughtfully. "In our smelting processes, we use specific minerals to facilitate the fusion of metals. These minerals act as catalysts, speeding up the melding of components."
Besahilda's annoyance seemed to wane as she leaned forward, her tone becoming more intrigued. "Do you understand now?"
Thaddeus frowned, "Not, exactly."
Flor smiled warmly, "Think of the main material like the dough when you're making cookies. It's the base of everything. Then, imagine you have a special ingredient that you add to the dough to make it turn into cookies. That special ingredient is mana.
In our world, there are different kinds of materials you can use. Some materials are like a certain type of dough that you use to make cookies, but mana is what you use to make the dough turn into cookies faster.
Now, sometimes, when you're making crafts, you want them to be strong and durable. So, you use your mana. As a terramancer, when you cast [Rock Wall], what makes the wall strong and durable? Mana makes it happen. So, practice with your mana until you find the balance you want?"
Thaddeus's eyes lit up with a newfound understanding. "I understand, I should use mana to bond and harden tree resin."
Gimli's hearty laugh filled the room. "Aye, lad. Forge your mana with precision and passion to craft quality."
As the Elder Council nodded in agreement, Sabrina turned to Thaddeus with a grin. "Looks like you've got a solution."
"I have, but we're also curious to learn if you know of any rare elements?" Thaddeus asked. Telling the Elder Council about Sabrina's search for new metals, or metalloids.
"Indeed, mithril, orichalcum, and triduum all exist but are rare. As you know mithril is silvery in color, lighter and stronger than steel. Orichalcum is copper in color, heavier, and 10 times stronger than steel. It's also rarer than mithril.
Lastly, triduum is flaky white metal, that's soft enough to cut with a knife. While it may seem useless when coated on silver weapons it becomes the natural enemy to the undead. Triduum is the rarest of all metals, but those long-eared bastards keep the location secret," Vakdraen explained.
"Do you have a piece of orichalcum, I can study?" Sabrina asked hopefully.
"When our ancestors fled, they left tell of an old orichalcum mine, but we haven't found it yet. If we do, we'll notify you at once Baron Brown. However, we can offer you Ironwood leaves. They are a key ingredient in the Resistance Potion," Gimli declared handing her the leaves and recipe.
"Thank you, I've been looking for this recipe for a while. Unfortunately, the guilds keep it a secret from unaffiliated alchemists," Sabrina said excitedly. Since opening her shop, Adventures had asked Sabrina for Resistance Potions. The potion temporarily increased a player's defense.
"You're welcome, it's our pleasure to assist Baron and Lady Brown. If you're not in a rush, please join us for a sumptuous feast and party," Vakdraen suggested.
The next morning, Thaddeus woke up with a splitting headache. All he could remember was eating fried duck with mugs of wine, after that everything was hazy. Snoring next to him was Sabrina who looked equally as hug over. Thaddeus wobbly walked over to the basin and splashed water on his face. He tried to remember what happened last night, but he kept drawing a blank.
Ten minutes later, a large pounding knocked on their bedroom door. To Thaddeus knocking sounded like a jackhammer drilling into his head.
"What is it!" Thaddeus shouted wildly swinging the door open to see a scared dwarf maid at the door. Thaddeus could tell the maid was barely knocking so as not to upset him.
"Lord Baron, I apologize for arousing you, it's just, that Vakdraen wanted me to check in on you. After dancing on the table with him, you became ill. I was assigned as your maid and checked on my lord and lady throughout the night. I just came to return your soiled clothes," she said frightened.
'Soiled clothes? Just want what happened last night?' Thaddeus wondered.
"If you desire, sir. I could replay the evening's events. The dwarves were…quite entertaining," Alfred replied.
Thaddeus watched him turn from well-mannered to blitzed drunk. The maid was right, at one point he and Vakdraen danced on the table to the festive music. While dancing Thaddeus vomited wine on the table. It was a graphic and embarrassing sight. But dwarves only laughed as puked and rallied to sing and dance again. He also saw, his quiet, introverted Sabrina, become an extremely extroverted party girl. All in all, it was an embarrassing evening.
"Thank you. Please tell Vak, we'll be down shortly," Thaddeus told her.
"Stop shouting!" Sabrina shouted from bed.
Thaddeus winced at the loudness of his own voice, immediately realizing how sensitive his head was from the previous night's festivities. He glanced back at Sabrina, who seemed to be experiencing a similar level of discomfort.
"Sorry about that," he muttered, rubbing his temples. "We'll be down shortly for the feast."
The maid nodded and left the room, leaving Thaddeus and Sabrina to deal with their hangovers. Thaddeus moved more carefully, now aware of the pounding in his head, and walked over to the small table by the window. A jug of water and two cups had been placed there, and he poured water into both cups before handing one to Sabrina.
"Here, drink this. It might help with the headache," he said, his voice softer this time.
Sabrina accepted the cup with a grateful nod, taking a cautious sip. She winced at the taste, but she knew she needed the hydration.
"Thanks," she muttered, her voice reflecting her own discomfort. "I can't believe we got carried away like that."
Thaddeus took a sip of water himself, the cool liquid soothing his parched throat. "Well, it was a festive atmosphere, and I guess we got caught up in the moment. At least the dwarves seemed to enjoy it."
Sabrina nodded, taking another small sip. "True. They know how to celebrate."
They sat in silence for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts and physical discomfort. Thaddeus glanced around the room, noticing the scattered clothing and the general disarray that was likely a result of their less-than-sober state.
"So, what do we do now?" he asked, a touch of amusement in his voice. "Face the dwarves after that display?"
Sabrina chuckled softly, a sheepish smile on her face. "I suppose there's no escaping it. We should freshen up, get dressed, and head down for the feast. Maybe a hearty meal will help with this hangover."
Thaddeus agreed, setting down his cup of water. "Sounds like a plan. Let's just hope the food doesn't make us feel worse."
As they slowly got themselves together, trying to shake off the effects of their celebratory night, Thaddeus couldn't help but be amused by the situation. It was a reminder that even in a virtual world, some experiences were all too relatable.
Once they were presentable, albeit a bit worse for wear, Thaddeus and Sabrina made their way downstairs to join the dwarves for the feast. The dwarven hall was lively and filled with laughter, music, and the clinking of tankards. Vakdraen, with his hearty laugh and wide smile, waved them over to a large table where some familiar faces from the Elder Council were already seated.
"Baron and Lady Brown!" Vakdraen boomed, his voice carrying over the merriment. "Glad to see you've risen from your slumber. Join us! The feast has just begun!"
Thaddeus and Sabrina exchanged a glance, sharing a silent moment of understanding and amusement. As they took their seats, Thaddeus couldn't help but shake his head with a chuckle. What a way to remember their visit to Ironwood – a hangover and a memorable celebration with the dwarves.