Omen: 2, 13

‘I still can’t believe I bullied Fred like that,’ Adam thought, thinking about how he had treated Fred the day before. He had apologised a few times, but it still didn’t sit right with him. ‘Aren’t I his boss? I can’t just go around bullying my workers like that…’

He spent the day enchanting, rolling poorly. He thought about using his Omen, but decided against it. He had rolled a 2, and though a 13 was good, there was no need to use his Omen.

Omen: 11, 19

Mana: 18 -> 17

Enchanting Check

D20 + 7 = 10 (3)

Omen: 11, 19 -> 11

19 + 6 = 26

Adam plucked a Thread of Fate, and thus Fate was forever changed.

‘Damn it!’ Adam thought. ‘How can I roll poorly for my Omens, and then when I roll for enchanting I roll poorly again? This is bull!’

In his utter annoyance of the situation, Adam set forth a chain of events which no one could have possibly predicted.

Omen: 11, 20

“Nice,” Adam whispered to himself in the morning.

“Are you feeling lucky today?” Sonarot asked, waking Lanarot up to feed her.

“Yes.” Adam smiled.

Elder Zijin watched as the Half Elf approached him, and he thought for a moment as to why Adam had come. “You are feeling lucky today?”

“Yes.”

“How lucky?”

“The absolute best, but only for one instance of enchanting,” Adam said, revealing more than he realised to the Elder.

Zijin spent a moment in thought. They were still in the process of figuring out Adam’s abilities, though they understood a large portion of his enchanting already. However, there was one thing which was still being studied.

“Would you like to use the luck for yourself?”

“I’m not really feeling it right now,” Adam replied. He frowned. “Actually, I would, but I think it would be best to help the Iyr, since there’s a bunch of weirdness going on.”

Zijin smiled. He had seen the way Adam frowned at his little white lie. There was a word Adam used to describe his children and his Cousins, and Zijin couldn’t help but describe Adam the same way. “Is that why you have not troubled me?”

“Do I trouble you?” Adam joked, flashing a cheeky smile the Elder’s way. “Let’s say that’s true.”

“Very well. Will you create a Greater Enhanced enchantment for the Iyr?” Zijin asked.

“Of course,” Adam said. “You tell me the enchantment and I’ll try to figure it out.”

Zijin thought about the situation. Adam had just enchanted a staff, and he had already given Jaygak and Jurot such great magical weapons. There was one family which Adam had not yet gifted a great magical weapon.

“A greatsword with the ability to strike true more often, which can hold several charges to strike with holy might,” Zijin asked.

“How many charges?” Adam asked, already making the enchantment within his mind.

“Ten?”

“Ten?” Adam thought, thinking if that would be possible. “They wouldn’t be very powerful, but I suppose I could?” ‘I probably can’t use D6 dice, but D3? Or maybe just flat damage? But then when it critically hits, it won’t scale.’ “I think it would be more powerful with fewer charges.”

“How many charges?”

‘Phantom was 9D6 total, right?’ Adam thought, rubbing his chin. ‘Though Phantom also had another ability too, I think.’ “If you want the same strength as Phantom, then three should do it. If you’re okay with slightly less might with each charge, then four charges? I’m not sure about five…”

“Four charges would be acceptable, Adam,” Zijin said. “We will pay you at the same rate, but we will certainly recall this favour.”

“I’m only able to live peacefully because of the Iyr,” Adam said. “My children too.”

Zijin smiled, bowing his head. He wrote Adam a letter to allow him to claim a greatsword and set him on his way. The Orcish Elder leaned back on his chair and sighed out. The conversation had left him feeling empty. Not only did Adam not tease him for asking for a Greater Enhanced enchantment on a greatsword, no doubt teasing the Elder not to use his position to empower his own family, but the Half Elf had also thanked the Elder for the Iyr’s treatment of his children.

‘I will need to inform the Chief,’ Zijin thought, finding that the situation had become even more complicated. His heart was firm for the Iyr, but Adam’s words had caused him to doubt himself for a moment. ‘What a scary, but cute, young man.’

Adam plucked a Thread of Fate, and thus Fate was forever changed. He continued to enchant, following the same rules he had set previously.

He would take a break if he rolled poorly on both of his Omen rolls.

He would enchant if he rolled at least a 10 on any of his Omen rolls.

He would enchant a Greater Enhanced weapon for the Iyr if he rolled a 20.

He would take at least one day off a week, unless he rolled a 20 for his Omen, in which case he would think about it.

These rules defined his life as he continued his days within the Iyr.

Omen: 11, 20

‘Damn,’ Adam thought. It had only been a couple of days since his previous 20. ‘Elder Zijin’s going to be happy today.’

The Elder thought about what enchantment he should request. “Could you increase the damage of the weapon?”

“Do you want it to be a specific type of damage?” Adam asked.

“What could I request?”

Adam thought about it. “Any type of damage you can probably think of, I think. Fire, ice, thunder, lightning, holy, unholy, uh, you know.”

Zijin thought about he type of damage he could request, before his thoughts changed. “Could you instill within the blade the ability to cast a spell?”

“Which spell?”

“Shield.”

“Sure,” Adam said. “How many charges?”

Zijin remained silent, not expecting the question. ‘Can you enchant the weapon to hold multiple charges of the spell?’ It wasn’t something he had thought of, but if it was Adam…

“Three?”

‘Bell, what do you think?’

[It can be done.]

‘How much?’

[2000 gold.]

Adam whistled. “I’ll need gems worth two thousand gold.”

Zijin nodded.

“Basic bonus, extra damage, Shield three times,” Adam said, shaking his head. “You’re working me to the bone.”

“I trust your abilities, Adam,” Zijin said, writing down on a piece of paper, before handing it over. He watched Adam leave again. Last time he had watched Adam leave, the Half Elf had caused him to think twice against trying to poach his children, but this time…

‘Extra damage and the Shield spell thrice?’ Zijin thought. He had originally meant a Basic Enhanced weapon with the ability to cast Shield three times, but to think Adam could also increase its damage at the same time. ‘How frightening.’

Adam plucked a Thread of Fate, and thus Fate was forever changed.

Omen: 2, 7

Adam yawned, thinking about what he should do that day. It hadn’t snowed in a few days, but it was still chilly. ‘Should I do that? I really shouldn’t, since I should tease them both on their birthday, but…’

Adam meditated for a short while, before he trained lightly and then played with the children. He played sockball, though the children could see he was spaced out.

“Cousin Adam?” Turot called.

“Yes?”

“Okay?”

Adam smiled. “I’m okay…” ‘Right. I’ve already prepared, so I should do it.’ “Kitool?”

“Yes?” Kitool asked, holding her little sister’s hands, allowing the girl to move them around herself as she sat on her older sister’s lap.

“Would you be willing to spar with me today?”

Katool gasped, before looking up at her sister, her bob bouncing excitedly. Kitool could feel her sister’s gaze against her, and felt the way those tiny hands squeezed her own. The expectations of the girl’s eyes were a greater pressure than even Kitool would have imagined.

“You wish to spar?” Jurot asked, containing the shock in his voice. He had heard that Adam went to spar with Fred recently, and of course it ended up exactly as Jurot had expected, but to hear Adam ask for a spar from an Iyrman, it was certainly a surprise.

“I’m scared of Iyrmen, but Kitool is nice,” Adam said. “I’m sure she won’t beat me up too hard.”

“What about me?” Jaygak asked. “I’m nice too.”

“I would take too much pleasure in beating you up,” Adam admitted.

Jaygak snorted. “You don’t even have Phantom so…” Jaygak paused. ‘No, why wouldn’t he use Phantom against me.’ “I’ll show you mercy this time and let you go.”

“Okay,” Kitool replied.

“Let’s spar elsewhere, away from the kids,” Adam said. “Actually, could we spar with Elder Zijin watching us?”

“Elder Zijin may be too busy to officiate,” Kitool replied.

“Hah,” Adam said, smirking at the Iyrman. “I’m sure he’d be glad to watch, that way he’d get to know more about my abilities.”

‘That is true,’ Kitool thought.

“I can come watch?” Katool asked, her tiny eyes beaming up at the pair, her lips puckered shyly.

“I don’t want my cute little Cousin to watch me lose,” Adam said.

“You will lose?” Katool asked, staring up at the Half Elf with her head tilted to one side.

‘Yo! Don’t bully your sister like that!’ Adam thought. “I don’t know, but your sister is very strong, isn’t she?”

Katool leaned back to stare up at her sister. “Yes. Sister is very strong.” Her bob bounced as she nodded her head.