Name: Novas Laquis (No-vas La-koys)
The Inventive Smith
The Art of Creation
There was little that Novas couldn't make. From door handles, to jewelry, to weapons of war and giant machines of destruction. As a child, he had learned that there was little he couldn't make, with the proper materials and a good imagination. He had always been in awe of the travelers, despite their reputation among the more upstanding citizens. There was little they couldn't do, and they always had tales of monsters and magic and the world beyond.... The thing that fascinated him most however, was the magic of creation. The ability to create items out of a material, such as ice or metal, with magic sigils and a few words.... Novas dreamed of learning more about this... Art of Creation.
Learning His Craft
Novas apprenticed under his father, working the smith from a young age. By the time he was 12, he was proficient in making most things, able to craft a sword, a spear, or even fashion a necklace from silver. His father was a great craftsman, but working the forge for 40 years was beginning to take its toll on the man. His father began to teach him more. Secret ways to remove impurities, special additives and processes to make the metals stronger or shinier. With his father's teaching, Novas quickly became a very influential blacksmith in the city, working the walls and reinforcing them.
The Approach of the Traveler's "Guild"
When he was twenty, Novas was running the shop alone. Both his parents had passed, and he had no siblings to speak of. No wife or child either. He would later figure it was this reasoning that the two masked men approached him. They entered his house and sat, speaking to him of a proposition. These men and their associates wished to create a specialized marketplace where travelers could find materials, items, and weapons that were restricted from the common folk. They wanted the travelers well equipped for some odd reason, which they chose not to disclose. What they did tell him was that they would pay him handsomely for one of a kind products. Novas knew that with these men, he would be able to come closer to his childhood dream, to discovering the truth of the Art of Creation, as he now referred to it. The magic of creating something out of something else. Novas agreed, and began to use his imagination and skill to craft special weapons, as well as odd devices. He was the first smith to create a rifled barrel, greatly increasing the accuracy of his firearms over his competitors. This discovery gave him a singular edge in the market, and he only sold these advanced weapons to the men from the "Traveler's Guild", and in this way, kept his design from being stolen while still making money from it.
Hope of Discovery
Four years passed since he had begun selling his wares to the guild. Now he saw his opportunity to go out. A traveler would be good protection, and would be a good source of knowledge. He had no ties here. No chances of ever moving forward, of ever finding his dream. At the age of 25, He gathered his most prized possessions, paid his home forward for the next ten years, (Thanks to the funds given by the Traveler's Guild) and headed for the gate. On his back was a single rifle of his own design. On his hip was a single edged sword in the eastern style, called a katana. He had named the sword, as it was his greatest work. The name was imprinted in gold leaf on the leather sheath. "Sheep Biter" (To be changed later.)