Since the lighthouse, Iggy has convinced himself he needs to become a better Maker. The most significant way to do that is to learn more of the secrets of the Makers by advancing in Degree.
But so far he’s explained his motivation to several Makers, and none of them have come out and said, “here’s how to achieve that”. Why might that be?
Iggy thinks there’s three possibilities. They don’t think Iggy is ready but haven’t told him that They think Iggy might be ready, and someone is watching him to see what he does next. Or, this isn’t how it happens at all. He doesn’t want to consider that third possibility - he’s got enough to worry about.
But no matter what, he’s going to create the project he’s been designing.
Why? If someone is watching, he shouldn’t be passively waiting. He should be proactive. And whether or not somebody is watching, he thinks the project is worth making in and of itself. And it should be, shouldn’t it. He shouldn’t just craft some random toy to get promoted - he should demonstrate that he can produce useful, interesting, valuable items. And if he’s going about seeking ascension the wrong way, it’s still worthwhile for him to gain practice in the primary thing Makers do: Make.
It’s possible that some proctor will approach him and say “make this particular specific item and we’ll judge you accordingly”. Well, nobody has done that. And Iggy’s more interested in the thing he has in mind.
The project is something he calls the Unjust Scales. Two parties are going to enter into a bargain of some kind. But how much does it matter to them? The Scales will answer this question. There are two weights. One person infuses into a weight some sense of how much the deed will weigh on them - the risks, the cost, the time. The other person infuses theirs with the weight that’ll be lifted from their hearts to receive the deed - the relief, the necessity. In a transactional world, where only equivalent exchanges happen, the scales will balance. But in a world of kindness - where the giver’s small gesture changes the receiver’s life - the scales will tip.
“This is who I want to be,” his creation says. “This is how I think the world should work.” It’s a message to the Makers what to expect, if he’s promoted. And Iggy does think that’s how the world should work. The world spell, the Legacy, all the Actuality, is like a world of growth and potential. In that garden, there’s all these stories, growing like flowers. Nurturing those stories and helping them grow is something he can do, and the smallest seed can become the largest tree.
Iggy estimates that he has another week with the “quad” before he’ll feel really ready to make things on his own. And he has to walk a fine line. He’s being taught by these people. He wants to make his own creations, and he’s learning how to do that from the quartet, but he also can’t steal business from them. The answer, to him, is commissions.
He voices his suggestion when the group is relaxing between work.
“People come to you for specific things. Guns, blades, explosives. Your specialties. But it must be possible that you get more requests than you can handle at a time. Or maybe people want you to make things outside of your purview. I’ll make things that meet your standards - or if they don’t, I’ll pay for the materials.”
The individual reactions are varied as the group discuss it with Iggy and amongst themselves. Thumbelina is first. “Eh, I don’t know. How much woul you be charging?”
Pinky is more enthusiastic. “I think it’s a great idea! He’s been very helpful for Pointdexter.”
Midus is the voice of doubt. “Sure, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t going to rip us off if we trust him.”
Pointdexter has been Iggy’s primary teacher, and the voice of compromise. “We would have to discuss commissioning prices, and what you are currently able to make, of course. But otherwise, I think it would be a wonderful business opportunity.”
“I can subcontract,” Iggy suggests. “I sell to you. You sell to the customer. You don’t have to buy what I sell if it’s not up to snuff. I bear the risk in that case. You don’t buy unless you’re satisfied. We both know you’d immediately resell it to your real customer.” He has another reason for this. “The real customer doesn’t need to know that. They continue to get good work from you. I don’t plan on using your names to become famous. I plan to do that myself. I have to, in fact. If people are going to trust me, they need to know me. They way you four became known. By doing the work. Proving yourselves. I need to do that on my own. You’ve just given me the skills to do that.”
He thinks back to his project. This is the moment for its first use. “Give me a week, and we can test my device. It’ll show you whether this is a good deal or not.”
Pointdexter grins. “Ah, an entrepreneur, I’ll give you that. You’ve grown a lot since we first met way back when, my studious assistant. I’ll agree to this, and I look forward to seeing what secret you have up your sleeve.”
Pinky and Thumbelina vigorously nod their agreement. Iggy smiles in relief.
A week later, Iggy is ready to begin making the Unjust Scales.
The shell is metal, and Iggy uses an ironvine mold to do the casting. The resulting shape flows more like a living plant than exhibiting the boxy right angles of conventional construction.
As the process advances, Iggy brings into play the essential substances that will tune the scales’ behavior, harnessing precepts of the Actuality in the same way a pharmacist would employ chemistry to achieve medical outcomes. Ice, to leech the heat of the heart from the scales’ users. Salt, to ward off evil influences from outside. Liquid silver, to trap the voices and vibrations of the world and stabilize the sensations the scales must evaluate. Elderbrin tears, holding the terror and fear of being trapped in a single form, and thus making the weights mutable. Roc feathers, bringing the paradox of a massive bird who can nevertheless fly lighter than air. To animate the scales, essence of jermaj, extracted from a strange plant native to the Indigo Sun’s world. It spreads like kudzu, and slowly grows in reverse, from flowering stems and stalks back into a seed.
Sooth results: the Rat (Companion - Survival, resistance, shadows, concealment) and the Revolutionary (Sovereign - Lust, sexuality, change, destruction)
Iggy meets up with the quad in the privacy of their workshop, located in Lower Taverswood on the shore of the river. He’s been here before, especially with Pointdexter over the past week.
The quad, excluding Thumbelina, are all sitting around a table in the middle of the room. Thumbelina is sitting off to the side. All are waiting to see what their apprentice has done with his time.
Iggy presents the scales, along with two weights that are kept carefully aligned to each other. He’s got gloves ready, for handling the weights - he’s still not 100% sure about the stability of the transfer trigger. “Shall we see how it works?”
Pinky is impresed. “Ooh, beautiful craftwork!”
Pointdexter’s businesslike appraisal comes next. “I am glad to see my lessons took effect.”
“Get to it,” Midus gripes.
Iggy sets out one weight, and hands over one glove for handling it. He reserves the other weight and glove for himself. “The weight will be cold. It will condense certain aethyric properties. Hold it with your bare hands. What did it cost you to train me? I don’t mean in orbs. I mean in risk. In time. In fear. What weight did my request lay on your heart?”
Pointdexter gently grabs the glove form your hand, brushing against your fingers in the process. He slips the glove on, while watching you attentively. “Mhmm.” He holds the weight in his hand.
Iggy holds the other weight, carefully attending to it. “On my side, what relief did it grant me to learn from you? What weight did it lift from my heart?”
“Both weights go onto the scales at the same time.”
Iggy holds his weight over the scale, ready for the simultaneous drop. “The gloves are mainly to keep your hands warm. They shouldn’t affect the outcome. I think. I hope.” He smiles, briefly, weakly.
Pointdexter smiles back with his regular charming smile from years of customer service and vending.
Both weights drop onto the pans simultaneously. And after some wobbling, the scales balance out, just slightly in Iggy’s favor.
“Do tell, what does this mean?” Pinky is leaning in very close.
Midus and Thumbelina are also watching closely.
Iggy looks closely, and looks up, from face to face. “If I was trying to make a quick profit, my weight would have been light. If I couldn’t make my mark as a con artist, I’d have just moved on - again, a light weight. I needed this. So you’ve seen what this meant to me. And I’ve seen what it cost you.”
Sooth result: Empty Gallows (Rescue, salvation, solution, favorable judgment, escape
) - a 2 means the item is depleted.
He smiles, strangely, as the Scent of Magic takes hold of him and he can inhale the miasma of the machine’s essential functions escaping it. The item has been depleted. He looks up and around. “It won’t work again. We got this one use out of it. So now you’ve got to see me do something else important. You got to see me fail.”
“Ha! Oh my student, I can assure you you are fine. What an impressive display!” Pointdexter claps his hands once in amazement.
“All of us have items fail from time to time.” Thumbelina says, and Pinky nods along. “Makers make and items break.”
Iggy nods. “Seed exteriors and eggshells are protection for what sleeps inside. But when it’s time to hatch or grow, the new life has to break through that armor. The shield becomes a prison, ensuring that the life has enough strength to break through and keep growing. This was a failure of that sort. I won’t let it discourage me. I’ll find out how to make it more reliable, and build another one. And more.”
“Someone read Demian back in the Gray,” Midus observes dryly.
Pointdexter takes the glove off, then extends a hand for a shake. “We’d be glad to work with you as a contractor.”
Iggy shakes gratefully. “I still intend to pursue promotion with the Makers. I don’t know how. Maybe the point is that like the sunlight, it’s waiting up there for me to grow out of my seed’s shell and reach it.” He glances at the scales. “But either way, this thing served its purpose and I’m pleased.”
“That’s the spirit!” Pointdexter slaps Iggy’s shoulder.
Iggy is staying at a friend’s, as he often does. At a late hour, there’s a knock at the door. It seems to be for him.
The caller is nothing more than a pair of hands. One holds a letter, and extends it.
A letter? In this economy? Paper’s expensive. Iggy takes hold of it anyway.
“Dearest Iggy We are aware of your desire to ascend to the 2nd Degree in our Order of the Makers. We have been keeping watch and observing the quality of your creations. We admire the scales. However, due to the scales having failed so quickly, we will not be promoting you to the 2nd Degree. If you would, we ask you bring your next creation to the house of your friend, The Narrative of Three Brothers, where we will do a proper examination. Sincerely, Those Above You”
Iggy folds up the letter with a big smile on his face. He spares a glance at his own appearance. His dress code is, essentially, “you must”. If he knows when he’s going to make his impression, maybe he should make a better one. It might be time to dress up a bit.
Awards: -1 Acumen for Crafting (Blacksmithing) 2, -2 Acumen for starting Establishment arc, +1 Acumen for the Opening of that arc. I also want to claim 1 Joy for “Create an original, magically imbued object of power for the first time” - from the Path of Joy for Makers