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Lin	Traversing the Eastern quarter - quiet and sparse ever since Great Forks lost a significant chunk of its military - one periodically hears the ringing of a hammer against metal and anvil. A steady CLANK CLANK CLANK. One of the few real signs of life in the shamed quarter. And one of the few smithies here is new. Very new. As far as size is concerned, the building's nothing too impressive. A wooden house-and-shop combination, with a sizable brick chimney column spearing the center just like Mt. Meru rests in the center of Creation. The walls are painted a plain white. Plain, but exactingly. And every timber has been carefully fitted into place. The door's a simple arrangement of nailed planks on a very robust hinge... and if one opens it, it does ring a bell. Not that the bell's noticeable above the ringing of metal on metal on metal. A blacksmith is not a very glamorous place. It's a wide-open floor with the brick forge, glowing red-hot with amazing heat and fed by a pair of bellows, at the very center, and several different-shaped anvils and many tables spread around it. There's buckets of unknown liquids and the walls are covered in tools and finished products hanging on hooks. The floor is clear to walk, but only a daring person would approach the forge as the redhead who's manning - or would that be womanning - it is pounding away - with careful but sure, measured strikes - on the (GLOWING RED HOT) side of a large cauldron that bears the sigil of the Great Forks House of Learning. No doubt used in its kitchens. Or maybe for brewing medicines in batches? Who knows. The cauldron bears a distinct crack, and Lin's working to mend it. At a glance, the shop is clearly All Business and The Work. Not a lick of effort has been put into making it glamorous or stylish. Everything within has a function to perform in the work, the art. The shop is kept clean as is feasible though - great windows help to ferry out smoke and ash, and the ceiling is just slightly slanted to encourage excessive heat to head out an open window that requires a leadder to reach...
Ragara Sanaz	No neighborhood is truly empty when the Realm comes in. Even in Great Forks, far from their spiritual home, the Dynasts still have power aplenty. Jade spends everywhere in Creation, and no coin is better than the Realm's coin. So thought the Eastern Quarter might not be busy at all times, the presence of Ragara Sanaz enlivens it for now. Two members of her entourage move in front, clearing the street and ensuring a path. Behind them, a carriage rolls at a leisurely pace. It is simple. Drawn only by a single horse of stately character, the walls elaborate bamboo slide-panels depicting of no meaning aside from their own beauty. Behind that the greater number of attendants and personal staff walk in their fine garb. They are followed by the laborers, a mule cart carrying the purchases and acquisitions of the day's shopping. The laborers in turn are trailed by the small hoard of hangers on, beggars and cast offs hoping that they might, by osmosis or by slip of a finger, receive some of the Dynast's wealth. It is this that pulls to a halt in front of the smith. An attendant from the rear coming up to take a cherry-wood step mounted to the rear of the two-wheeled carriage and set it on the ground. He kneels while another, more refined attendant walks a few steps into the shop and clears her throat. "To those who might hear," she speaks, loudly and clearly into the blacksmith. As if addressing a crowd despite there being only one woman within. She dresses well, but not elaborately, in the modest styles of the Realm. A lightly dyed silk dress, her hair pinned back. "Ragara Sanaz, of House Ragara, wishes to admire your wares. Would the owner of this establishment please come forth and attend to her needs?"
Lin	Perhaps most Dynasts would expect a shop to drop everything and attend to their every whim at the drop of a hat, but when Lin sees that a carriage just STOPPED IN FRONT OF HER SHOP via one of the windows she raises herself up from her work, stares out the window... and then proceeds to CAREFULLY set the cauldron down on the anvil with great care and make some adjustments to the various crude slides and valves that control airflow to the forge. The heat begins to drop. Strangely enough, despite hammering away, the redhead doesn't seem the last bit winded or even sweaty. Not even a smidge of dust clings to her as she tosses her hair back and takes a closer gander at the lady who's gracing her entrance... A much closer look. Her jaw inches open in clear awe - or, perhaps, disbelief. A few seconds pass... hen, the redhead's look of amazement creeps outwards, evolving into an infectious, zeal-filled grin. The kind of look that just screams of a person who's just drunk on the THRIILL OF LIFE. "Huh..." With a WHUNKLANG, Lin rests her hammer's head down on the second anvil she's standing near, and her hands atop each other on the grip. "The owner of the establishment... would be me. Lin of Grantine!" The girl proclaims firmly. It's clear from the look on her face that she's a teensy bit nervous - who wouldn't be - but not the sort of person to cower in the face of anything. Not even one of the mighty Dragon-Blooded. "Welcome to my smithy. Looking for anything in particular? Been mostly filling orders for tool repairs 'n stocking up on necessities of life... but if someone of stature's got a challenging comission for me, I'm all ears!" Hardly the most... formal or deferential way of addressing a Prince of the Earth. But the girl's eyes are full of spirit and passion for the trade. Definitely not obols.
Ragara Sanaz	With the owner present and the arrangements accepted, the door in the rear of the carriage slides open. It could be none other than the announced Ragara. Sanaz steps with care from the carriage, to the cherry, to the street. Dressed in blue, trimmed with white and run through with golden threads that give just the faintest glimmer of metal. The real thing. Tightly woven, of highest quality, and immaculately clean. She is small, delicate, of fair complexion. Eyes without whites- only more and more blue. In short, a Dynast. "Good afternoon," Sanaz speaks softly. Her cadence slow, as if she'd planned out each word before hand and now simply needed to repeat from her script. "Lin of Grantine. It's a fitting name. I hear that you have caused a stir already. In fact, two days ago, my kitchen staff came to me to request replacement of all of his staff's tools with your works. He seems to believe they're more than worth the expense." As she speaks, Sanaz looks around the large, open shop. Observing. It's clear from her expression, even as she talks, she has truly no idea what she's looking at. Has she ever been in a smith in her life? It seems unlikely. But she does at least seem amused. "Do you not employ any staff or apprentices? I'd been lead to believe that few masters worked alone."
Lin	A full replacement of ALL OF HIS tools?! The news - and coming from a Dynast no less - causes Lin's eyes to briefly but noticeably pop open wide. She's quick to regain her composure... but it's clear that this girl's the sort who wears her feelings rather loudly. "H-... high compliments indeed." She's TRYING not to splutter, but the praise IS getting a blush of pride to appear on her cheeks! But then... the question. Lin presses her lips together thinly at the critique. Bunches her shoulders up. "Yeah... you'd be right 'bout that. Wasn't too long ago that -I- was an apprentice though. Title of 'master' just doesn't feel right... but I 'spose it's time. Had five or six folk stop by already askin' about 'prenticeship..." Realizing she's rambling, Lin offers an apologetic grin. "So. Full gourmet chef's set of knives, pots, pans, tongs, the works?" Asking this, Lin pulls out a piece of wood and a brush and begins to jot down order details...
Ragara Sanaz	Watching the craftswoman get two steps ahead of herself is a pleasure. Ragara Sanaz can't resist the urge, letting a hint of a smile touch at the corners of her lips. A fan quickly produced from the sleeve of her robes. Opening to mask her face with a single gesture. It doesn't hide the pleasure in her eyes, though. "Oh, let's not get too carried away?" Sanaz interrupts with a smile. "Perhaps we will start with a single set of knives, and, say, one set of pots? You'll have to speak with one of my attendants on the details of what precisely is required. A list was made." "But, first, perhaps, some other items? Do you only make peasant tools, or do you have experience forging items of more noble pursuits?" she asks, head tilting to a side as her fan lowers.
Lin	'Noble pursuits' says the Dragon-Blooded. Lin's expression skews lopsidedly as she works to parse that.... but it doesn't take her long. She purses her lips thoughtfully... and folds her arms. "Arms 'n armor, you mean? Or... elaborate fences and gates fit for a lord's manor decor?" This topic is one she does sound a bit unsure of. And, with those few seconds to think on it, a decision is made. Her ponderous look transforms into an almost wicked smirk.... THUMP THUMP-THUMP. Lin stomps the ground a few times with a sharp, precise rhythm. There's a CLICK-RATTLE-BANG-- And a HUGE chunk of the ceiling opens up and swivels down, slowed by a few springs bolted to the hidden compartment. It's weapons and armor. Simple but sleek designs without any ornamentation to speak of, but the swords are sharp, the warhammers made with exacting balance, and the armor looks finely articulated and of solid construction. "Haven't gotten many requests for such things, still working on designs. My Master didn't teach me these, they're my own work. No tradition, no heritage.... wanted to 'prentice myself to a master in town bt after I setup shop and started producing THAT line of questioning dried up." Naturally, no master wants to give their secrets to someone who can beat them at their trade. It's a shameful affair, after all!
Ragara Sanaz	The sudden appearance of the armor platform gets a startled jump from the Dynast. Sanaz steps back, fan lifting to hide a momentary gasp. Her eyes, blue out to the edges, grow wider. But as Lin talks, she begins to venture closer. Looking over the works silently. A hand raises, directing an attendant to come closer. The one who takes the direction is an older, stern looking man. The two huddle close for a moment, passing whispers between themselves. They don't speak in Rivertongue, but in High Realm. Hidden behind Sanaz' fan. It lasts a few moments, but the man departs without a word to Lin after. "My apologies. I had intended to mean things more... Of an artistic bent. However, my husband commands a group of our household troops. I think he may be interested in seeing more of this sort of ware, if you offer it for sale," Sanaz says, her smiling still present. Behind her, one of the lower level attendants goes running off.
Lin	"Artistry, huh?" A little disappointed - or maybe chagrined - that Sanaz didn't mean arms and armor, Lin taps the floor again. The hatch slowly closes, hoisting the wares back up into their hiding place in the ceiling. Some genius mechanism must be involved there. This humble little smithy could be more than it appears! She does nod understanding about the alternate business. "Ehm... artistry. Rare thing to find in a blacksmith shop. What you call 'peasant wares' is kinda the specialty of a blacksmith. Someone's gotta make the pots, the hoes, the knives, the door handles and the nails that hold carriages together! Wasn't trained in... artistry..." This is, quite obviously, an overly modest declaration. Likely borne of an artist's self-critique. Few artists are SATISFIED with a work, after all! Recovering from this trail off, Lin clears her expression and forces back a more attentive look. "What sorta pieces are you shopping for, if I might ask? If there's a demand, I'll see about supplying it!"
Ragara Sanaz	Sanaz closes her fan with a move of her wrist. "And I thought you were being falsely modest. You must never have taken an artistic commission. At least, not from..." She lets the statement trail away, "Rarely would I ask for a specific work commissioned. Rather, I would invite an artist to my home and allow them to take in the space. From that, they would determine their efforts." "Things of beauty aren't pots and hoes. Their beauty is their purpose. To seek them out with form in mind would be antithetical to their nature," and Sanaz is now back to looking around the shop. Slowly walking between the hammers and anvils. Her eyes going up for a moment, trying to figure out the mechanism behind the storage system. But she doesn't spend long on it. "I hope you pride yourself on more than the simple function of your wares. Beauty is an underestimated virtue, I have found."
Lin	"Not from anyone with the time and money to appreciate filling their home with decoration, no." Lin answers bluntly and honestly.... doing her absolute best to not SNORT. She clearly does not appreciate or think much about noble lifestyles. But she hasn't turned obsequious in this exchange. Not once. Still, her eyes narrow at this criticism. One can just tell from looking at her as her gaze glasses over that the gears in her head are churning and grinding at lightning speed. "Funny thing... my master said something KINDA similar." Lin concludes in a mildly humbled tone. "About the beauty of the form and function... but I'll take that as a challenge! See what I can do. Artistry, huh.... might as well give it a shot!" YEP. This girl's... different from the usual shopowner. Because she starts to grin and rub her hands together as IDEAS fill her noggin'... THEN she once again remembers herself, wrings her hands out and returns to a more composed stance, eyes on Sanaz. "Hm. Give it a week and I'll hammer out some... artistry."
Ragara Sanaz	Sanaz's smile does not falter through this all. Watching Lin carefully, even if only from the corner of her eye as she wanders the shop. "Do that. Thank you. This has been an extremely productive afternoon. I do wish your shop well. My attendant, Joa, will see to whatever matters it is you require." The Dynast turns, and slowly begins to make her way back toward her carriage. The stern looking man steps forward again, this time with a ledger book bound in leather in hand. "I have here the requests from our chef..." And the carriage door closes.