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  • The Gondsman's Guide to Geneses

    Heavy and solid, this well-formed tome bears a sheet of brass upon its cover, stamped in the shape of a gear, along with a rather unintelligible title. The cover-page within is significantly more readable.

    le cukta cu clinoi sefi'e fi skezu'e vau
    The Gondsman's Guide to Geneses : A Layman's Manual to Fabrication
    Authored by Artifax J. Frazer
    Edition Nought-point-One
    <<Insert date of printing here>>

    *The price of this manuscript is not to exceed production costs*
    *Any required subsidisation may be brought to the Fabricator's Collective*


    Chapter Contents:
    0. Introduction
    1. Tailoring
    2. Armor-craft
    3. Arms Fabrication
    4.
    Basics of Alchemy
    5.
    Magical Enhancement
    10. Mechanical Systems and Devices
    11. Resource Procurement
    12. Appendices:
    a) Materials
    b) Schema
    c) Organizations and Facilities
    Aftword


    DISCLAIMER: By utilizing this guide, the reader exonerates the Fabricator's Collective as well as any publishers or authors for personal inconvenience or loss of limb or property. Anyone following this guide is advised to read the relevant chapter thoroughly and completely before attempting to act upon its contents. This guide and its authors and publishers are not liable for any loss of money, property, or other concerns if instructions are not correctly read and followed. While the authors and publishers of this guide attempt to keep all data correct and up-to-date, it is anticipated that facts may have be miscalculated or unintentionally false. Please see your local Fabricator's Collective representative to ensure that this edition is current, and for any errata that should be changed before continued use.

    ((This is an ongoing project of mine to create a comprehensive illustrated crafting tutorial and may be subject to restructuring. I'll do my best to provide consistent updates, but if anyone has questions or comments, please PM me: coauthors may be possible. Also, if anyone knows Lojban, I'd appreciate input on the title.
    Cheers,
    Kit))

    Frazer Mfg. is a department of Frazer Fabrications, focused on the construction of high-end custom-crafted equipment and gear.
    Also part of Frazer Fabrications are:
    Frazer Armories - focused on resale of prefabricated arms and armorments;
    Frazer Merchantile - specialising in economic analysis and scaleable logistics; and
    Frazer Laboratories - the leading independent R&D for sundrite theory, arcane and mechanical engineering


    James Frazer: Anthropological Gearhead, Techsmith, Arcanaphysisist, Renown Proprietor
    AKA: Artifax Grade B Exigo Corporation Syndicated Associate VP, Professor, Quartermaster of the Schild Whurest-ExiCorp Joint-Operations Facility, and 'Annoying Mechanist'
    Theme: Stil Alive

    Grid vs. Squeegle, not Good vs. Evil

    Distances and travel-times for the Sunderian Peninsula:Free Version 1.0

    Crafting changes are a dead-horse topic, but feel free to ask me about crafting: If I can't answer it, I bet I can direct you to someone who can.
    To those who are interested in making or have crafting-oriented characters, please check out the Fabricator's Collective and how to get FC-certified.
    crafting tutorial.

    Unfortunate truths:
    Intention: [DM > Crafting > Faction Store > Drop > Regular Store]
    Reality: [DM > Faction Store > Drop > Regular Store> Crafting]

  • #2
    Chapter Nought: Introduction and Basics

    General fabrication is a broad subject, easily filling small libraries on singular subjects, while taking monstrously large facilities to contain many master's writings on their trades. Fortunately, you have chosen to select this tome out of such a magnitude of options, rather than any other. While this manual is far too short to discuss the full range of options available to every discipline, it shall instead attempt to describe the most common practices and trades to the extent that the reader should be able to begin their own journey into the wondrous and exotic domain of technical ability.

    Every chapter in this book shall be broken up into a number of sections, each easily identified and parsed based on bold headers. The first section in each chapter is a brief description of the art or trade being discussed, much as this.

    The Basics:
    The second section describes any requirements before one can begin.
    Despite the rather eclectic selection of trades discussed herein, most crafts share a significant number of similar requirements. From facilities to tools, schema to materials, every trade needs certain aspects to be effective.

    Facilities: Almost every trade has a number of tools impractical to carry, or are tied to locations to be effective. Be it an anvil or workhorse, a laboratory or finely calibrated clamps, even including a crystal resonating with ley-energy, each of the trades discussed in this document require somewhere to work, often set up and maintained by an individual or organization. These groups often provide common reagents likely to be consumed in production. It is customary and expected to leave a small sum equal to the materials used so the facilities may be restocked for future use. This price is usually listed in the schema for the object you are fabricating, although some organizations may request a service charge as well.

    Schema: Every trade has a collection of recorded schema, purchased from vendors or traders, passed down from masters, or shared through cultural interaction. Each trade tends to refer to such schema using their own terminology; Plans, Patterns, Designs, Drafts, Imbuements, Sketches, Incantations, Schematics, Recipes; For purposes of this document, these are considered Schema, and any of the terms may be used to describe a document with instructions for fabrication.
    Learning to read schema is an important skill, as it allows one to judge what one needs, how long one will be working, the difficulty of the project, and if one needs to obtain outside assistance for the project. An example format is presented below. Not all patterns have all fields, but are listed here for succinctness.
    Originally posted by Example Schema
    Location(s) Needed: A straight-forwards field, listing what facilities one will need on hand. Some projects may require more than one facility, and due to how work progresses, it is advised to have in close proximity.
    Please consult Appendix-C for various facilities and suitable combination-locations.
    Tools Required: Here will be listed any specialist instruments that you will need, such as sewing kits, smithing-hammers, or forming molds. Any such tools are not consumed during production.
    Feats(s) Required: If a project requires a specialist talent, such as magical integument or arcane armament construction, it will be listed here.
    Spell(s) Required: Obviously absent from mundane production, if a particular project requires some form of arcon-flux to proceed, the requisite rituals or incantations will be found here.
    Skills Required: Often absent from magical crafting, projects with a mundane crafting component will list their trade-skill and estimated difficulty, so as to make it apparent which schema are intended for master-crafters and which for apprentices with a graduated numeric scale.

    Item(s) Needed:
    Any and all required raw or exotic materials will be listed in full on this line. Some components are rare, some easily purchased.
    See Appendix-A for a comprehensive assessment.
    Cost: As mentioned earlier, use of facilities will often require consuming provided materials. The advised cost of facilities and and related fluxes, thread, finishing products, and assorted components will be listed here.
    Incurred Fatigue: The number present here indicates the maximum expected time for a successfully completed project, as expressed in eight-hour workdays. A ambitious craftsman can work for eight hours and adventure or otherwise spend their remaining daytime without significant detriment, although this guide advises against working daily for longer than one month at a time without suitable respite.

    Appearance Changeable/Dyes Changeable: If a given schema supports a customized appearance without compromising its beneficial attributes, these two fields will be listed as 'Yes'. If only one is listed as 'Yes', it may have a constrained colouration or form-factor.

    Description: The last field on any schema will describe the article or effect is is intended to produce.
    A reference list of all schema known to the Fabricator's Collective at time of printing and their products may be found in Appendix-B.

    Molds: Many mundane trade-skills require specialized form-factor tools known as Molds. These are wooden, ceramic, or metal die-casts that can be used to obtain a more uniform and refined result from the component materials. Whether as a retainer for shaping molten metal or as a convenient pin-cushion for holding fabric in place, these tools save a savvy crafts-person far more than their cost in time and effort.

    Fitting Dummies: While not strictly requires for many projects, this guide advises the use of humanoid models when developing garments and armaments. The ease of use for tailoring the design to a particular physical profile can significantly outweigh the simple cost of purchase or production. Each fitting-dummy is carved and produced with measurements the the standard deviation and physique of a given sex and phenotype. This guide advises preparing for any project with a fitting-dummy bearing the correct measurements for the intended recipient. While an incorrect dummy may be used if pressed, using the wrong tools will not guarantee fidelity-of-form across different body structures. Using no fitting-dummy at all will severely limit the designs one can create and shape, as proper comparison of dimensions will be considerably more difficult.

    Materials: Every project needs to start from somewhere. Pots are rarely constructed on idle wishing and handwaving <although this guide notes that there have been recorded historical precedent>. Similarly, each schema will have some type of required reagents of raw-materials before any fabrication can begin to convert them to a finished work. Ensure you have all listed materials before attempting any project, and it is considered good practice to bring spare materials in the event of spectacular failure or success. Details on various materials and their acquisition may be located in Appendix-A, while the required materials for a selection of schema may be located in Appendix-B.

    Dyes: Many projects with a striking visual appearance may be coloured according to the desires of the maker. Different projects will require different means of application; metals usually have layers of tinted lacquer to produce the desired result, while woods take stains and clothing can often by dipped in diluted dye. However, each such process is often a requirement for properly treatment, and a well-brewed sulfur-based dye can often be incorporated into the finish of the product without additional steps. The breadth of colour one may produce can be astounding, but care must be taken as the resultant shade is affected by the underlying workpiece. While this guide shall cover the application of dyes more thoroughly in the various chapters, a full spectrum of sulfur-based dye-concentrate is presented below <See Fig. 1>

    <Figure 1>

    The Process:
    The last section of each Chapter will detail the standard procedure for fabrication for the listed tradeskill. Similar to the material requirements, most disciplines share a similar general workflow, although the particulars of each stage will often be unique to the material and how it must be worked. Each relevant chapter will explain in greater detail, but usually consists of:

    The Setup: This stage consists of ordering one's tools, ensuring that the facility is properly stocked, all required materials are present, and setting up any fitting dummy, if appropriate.

    Development: Any customization with worked materials will be sorted out here. Certain trades such as alchemy require almost no developmental stage, whereas most garment creation may take a while to sort out the details, designs, and colouration to the client's taste and preference. This guide advises preparing to spend at least an hour-and-a-half consulting with the client for the developmental stage of worn-attire, and half-as-much for the perfection of weapons.

    Finishing: The point-of-no-return, this stage consists of fixing any designs and stains or lacquers. Until this point, any changes should be rather simple to recover and any invested materials re-used. During the finishing stage and any all preferences are made permanent, and the finished project is produced. If one's skills are not up to the task of completing a project, it will be in this stage that notice will be made, resulting in wastage of simple materials, and in rare cases of particularly dramatic failure the entire batch or project may be beyond any repair and must be scrapped without any retention of materials.
    Last edited by Kitsunestume; 12-09-2013, 06:53 PM. Reason: two charcters added

    Frazer Mfg. is a department of Frazer Fabrications, focused on the construction of high-end custom-crafted equipment and gear.
    Also part of Frazer Fabrications are:
    Frazer Armories - focused on resale of prefabricated arms and armorments;
    Frazer Merchantile - specialising in economic analysis and scaleable logistics; and
    Frazer Laboratories - the leading independent R&D for sundrite theory, arcane and mechanical engineering


    James Frazer: Anthropological Gearhead, Techsmith, Arcanaphysisist, Renown Proprietor
    AKA: Artifax Grade B Exigo Corporation Syndicated Associate VP, Professor, Quartermaster of the Schild Whurest-ExiCorp Joint-Operations Facility, and 'Annoying Mechanist'
    Theme: Stil Alive

    Grid vs. Squeegle, not Good vs. Evil

    Distances and travel-times for the Sunderian Peninsula:Free Version 1.0

    Crafting changes are a dead-horse topic, but feel free to ask me about crafting: If I can't answer it, I bet I can direct you to someone who can.
    To those who are interested in making or have crafting-oriented characters, please check out the Fabricator's Collective and how to get FC-certified.
    crafting tutorial.

    Unfortunate truths:
    Intention: [DM > Crafting > Faction Store > Drop > Regular Store]
    Reality: [DM > Faction Store > Drop > Regular Store> Crafting]

    Comment


    • #3
      Chapter 12: Appendix A - Materials

      All craftsmen must, at some point, consider their medium. Fine works of art are made better though use of the highest-quality materials, but such a correlation is far from guaranteed. In the hands of a true artisan even the most poor of resources can construct a masterpiece, while under the ambition of the inept costly materials can be rendered to waste. It becomes, therefore, as much a matter of skill in determining the correct material for the project and the craftsman as it does the implementation of the project itself. The following appendix shall discuss the benefit, detriment, and source of many commonly used materials, organized according to grade and material.
      Availability is rated into one of four frequencies - High, Moderate, Low, and Rare.
      * High Availability materials may be purchased in bulk from market sources.
      * Moderate Availability materials lack permanent market presence but may be acquired or located with reasonable frequency in regions appropriate to the resource.
      * Low Availability materials have occasional market presence but may be acquired though dedicated arrangements or expeditions.
      * Rare Availability materials have no known market presence and require extensive preparations for any probability of acquisition.


      Fabrics:

      Linen - One of the staple fabric in Sundren, this flax-derived fabric comes in a variety of grades making it suitable for everything from laborer's outerwear to fine suits and dresses suitable for court. The materials natural tendency to both absorb and lose water rapidly while remaining comfortable may be found greatly appreciated amongst the common weather of the Northern Sword-Coast and is often found in accessories.
      * Availability: High, purchasable at market distributors.

      Wool - Seen with similar frequency to linen, wool is a protective warming layer shorn from a variety of animals. Different sources and treatment methods produce a variety of insulating and highly weather- and wear-resistant fabrics and felts. As a result, wool finds plenty of use in travel though the mountain passes, and can be tailored to offer a fair modicum of protection from both the cold winds and combat.
      * Availability: High, purchasable at market distributors.

      Silk - More costly and maintenence intensive than its common counterparts, silk is the product of verminous endeavors, often either moths or arachnids. Such materials are surprisingly light and deceptively durable, and carry an attractive lustre that is often found amongst the finest garments.
      * Availability: High, purchasable at market distributors.

      Thistledown -
      * Availability: Rare, supply is at or near zero and requires extensive effort.

      Shadowsilk -
      * Availability: Low, requires dedicated acquisition arrangement.


      Pelts:

      Coarse Fur - Rough but insulating, treated fur hides offer a cheap and highly available barrier against frigid weather and disagreeable surroundings. Gathered from the pelts of fallen or hunted wolves and wolverines along the Spine, it can be constructed into a variety of lighter armors effective at staving off the dangers of the Cold-Climb.
      * Availability: High, purchasable at market distributors.

      Leather - The standard for light-yet-durable, tanned animal skins are universally appreciated for use in any number of tasks and purposes. Used in everything from backpacks, armor, and scabbard to belts, boots, and britches, leather is suitable for both the rough-and-tumble of exploration and the elegant finery of civil-wear. Production tends to require the pelts of larger animals, such as deer, bovines, and bears.
      * Availability: Moderate, obtained where appropriate without dedicated expedition.

      Frostwyrm Skin - A rather enigmatic material, the dermis of a frostwyrm has no recorded use in production at this time, save for esoteric wrappings.
      * Availability: Moderate, obtained where appropriate without dedicated expedition.

      Frostfur - Prized for its pristine white and superior ability to weather the blizzards of the Cold Climb, the refined pelt of the Winter Wolf is a valued commodity. Garments of the material are deceptively soft for their resilience, and can allow the bearer of an outfit of frostfur to stalk the slopes of the Spine with the comfort of a blanket beside a bonfire.
      * Availability: Moderate, obtained where appropriate without dedicated expedition.

      Dragonhide - Fabled for both its durability and unique origin, the hide of the great Wyrms is often claimed to form the stuff of legends. While the Sunderian Peninsula has but a single example of local Dragonkith, surprisingly intact samples of similar material can occasionally be located amongst the reptilian populations, who may carry either sheddings or lineage tracing back to the great wyrm Ixisthras. A cunning craftsman can augment the particularly pristine sections of reptilian hide in lieu on true dragonhide, though such replacements lack the innate elemental attument normally characteristic to the material.
      * Availability: Low, requires dedicated acquisition arrangement.

      Lumber:


      Common Timber -
      * Availability: Moderate, obtained where appropriate without dedicated expedition.
      * Location: Sharahan Hills, Viridale Forest

      Icewind Fir -
      * Availability: Moderate, obtained where appropriate without dedicated expedition.
      *Location: Cold Climb

      Sheridan -
      * Availability: Low, requires dedicated acquisition arrangement.

      Zalanthar -
      * Availability: Low, requires dedicated acquisition arrangement.
      * Location: Slitherscale Caves

      Duskwood -
      * Availability: Low, requires dedicated acquisition arrangement.
      * Location: Untrodden Grounds

      Mossdale Pine -
      * Availability: Low, requires dedicated acquisition arrangement.
      * Location: Mossdale Forest

      Saeleus -
      * Availability: Low, requires dedicated acquisition arrangement.
      * Location: Mossdale Swamp


      Metals:

      Iron -
      * Availability: High, readily purchasable at bulk-market distributors.
      * Location: The Overrun Sharahan Mine, first tier of tunnels, two known veins; Stonegarb Tunnels, centrally located.

      Copper -
      * Availability: Moderate, obtained where appropriate without dedicated expedition.
      * Location: The Overrun Sharahan Mine, second tier of tunnels; Under Aquor, accessible from the Riverside Path.

      Cold Iron -
      * Availability: Moderate, obtained where appropriate without dedicated expedition.
      * Location: Stonegarb Tunnels, following the walls clockwise; Sestra Zinc Mine, Slither-scale Nesting Area.

      Darksteel -
      * Availability: Moderate, obtained where appropriate without dedicated expedition.
      * Location: Stonegarb tunnels, following the walls anticlockwise.

      Sundrite -
      * Availability: Low, requires dedicated acquisition arrangement.
      * Location: The Overrun Sharahan Mine, second tier of tunnels.

      Pyrite -
      * Availability: Low, requires dedicated acquisition arrangement.
      * Location: Under Aquor, accessible from the Caravan Waystation.

      Silver -
      * Availability: Low, requires dedicated acquisition arrangement.
      * Location: Tunnels near the Chartel Lair, deep beneath Aquor.

      Mithril -
      * Availability: Low, requires dedicated acquisition arrangement.
      * Location: Entrance tunnels to the Temple of Gruumsh. Ingots may occasionally be acquired from the Forge of Runedarrym.

      Gold -
      * Availability: Rare, supply is at or near zero and requires extensive effort.
      * Location: No known accessible veins.

      Adamantine -
      * Availability: Low, requires dedicated acquisition arrangement.
      * Location: No known accessible veins. Ingots may occasionally be acquired from the Forge of Runedarrym.


      Minerals:

      Greenstone -
      Malachite -
      Obsidian -
      Fluorspar -
      Coldstone -
      Amethyst -
      Fire Agate -
      Quartz -
      Aventurine -
      Phenalope -
      Garnet -
      Alexandrite -
      Fire Opal -
      Topaz -
      Sapphire -
      Star Sapphire -
      Ruby -
      Diamond -
      Canary Diamond -
      Emerald -
      Jacynth -
      Beljuril -
      Blue Diamond -
      King's Tear -
      Roguestone -


      Alchemical Reagents:


      Cranberry -
      Blueberry -
      Carrot -
      Lemon -
      Firebeetle Belly -
      Indigo Leaves -
      Common Moss -
      Demihuman Skulls -
      Boar Tusks -
      Bat Wings -
      Quicksilver -
      Powdered Silver -
      Glittering Dust -
      Sulfur Dust -
      Mephit Corpses, Fire/Ice -
      Shambling Mound Moss -
      Diamond Dust -
      Treant Twigs -
      Demon Blood -
      Greater Shadow Dust -
      Drowned Lungs -
      Frost-Giant Hearts -
      Berzerker's Eyes -
      Soulsworn Hearts -
      Deurger Hearts -
      Dragon Blood -
      Lich Dust -


      <<Given that I've not worked on this guide in a year and a quarter due to procrastinating the tailoring section, I figured I'ld make the appendices and work on expanding them in bursts, rather than posting an entire completed section of the Guide. The appendices will be slowly pushed to their appropriate location once the interim material gets done with. Any questions, concerns, comments, or collaboration, please PM me or ask James in person :-)
      Cheers,
      Kit>>
      Last edited by Kitsunestume; 04-04-2015, 02:37 AM. Reason: Added locations for mineral veins.

      Frazer Mfg. is a department of Frazer Fabrications, focused on the construction of high-end custom-crafted equipment and gear.
      Also part of Frazer Fabrications are:
      Frazer Armories - focused on resale of prefabricated arms and armorments;
      Frazer Merchantile - specialising in economic analysis and scaleable logistics; and
      Frazer Laboratories - the leading independent R&D for sundrite theory, arcane and mechanical engineering


      James Frazer: Anthropological Gearhead, Techsmith, Arcanaphysisist, Renown Proprietor
      AKA: Artifax Grade B Exigo Corporation Syndicated Associate VP, Professor, Quartermaster of the Schild Whurest-ExiCorp Joint-Operations Facility, and 'Annoying Mechanist'
      Theme: Stil Alive

      Grid vs. Squeegle, not Good vs. Evil

      Distances and travel-times for the Sunderian Peninsula:Free Version 1.0

      Crafting changes are a dead-horse topic, but feel free to ask me about crafting: If I can't answer it, I bet I can direct you to someone who can.
      To those who are interested in making or have crafting-oriented characters, please check out the Fabricator's Collective and how to get FC-certified.
      crafting tutorial.

      Unfortunate truths:
      Intention: [DM > Crafting > Faction Store > Drop > Regular Store]
      Reality: [DM > Faction Store > Drop > Regular Store> Crafting]

      Comment

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