Team Builder
Part 11
Rivendell. Eriador.
After doing some more research into the idea of imbuing objects with spirit so as to make them something akin to enchanted items without actually needing to use magic, I discovered that while I'd been on right track more or less, my understanding of the nature of spirit was lacking.
I had failed to see the difference between spirit and soul, as while they are linked they aren't quite the same thing.
That was the important difference between the Horcruxes, the One Ring and the powerful objects created by the elves.
The dark lords Sauron and Voldemort placed part of their souls into special items not just some of their spiritual energy. Until I understood the true difference between soul and spirit I wouldn't be able to create a Ring of Power without endangering my soul.
Hermione pointed out that the rules governing spirit and soul might work in unknown ways in different worlds, and since I had no intention of making a Ring of Power while Sauron was around, I might never be able to forge a proper Ring of Power if it wasn't possible to do so outside of this world and we'd likely leave this world once Sauron was dealt with.
While this was disappointing I still had my own magical abilities that could allow me to enchant an already existing item and I could still learn to forge items of great quality for later enchanting. It would just be a shame if I would never create powerful objects that could endure for thousands upon thousands of years.
With the intent of going back to research into matters of the spirit later when I had a better understanding of the non-physical world, I turned my focus to using alchemy to create mithril from gold.
Transforming gold into mithril might seem impossible, due to mithril possibly being magical in nature, but I was convinced otherwise and it turned out to be easier than expected to perform the transmutation.
The inside of the tent looked more like the lair of some mad wizard locked up in his tower. There were books scattered around the places and pieces of parchment covering almost every surface.
There were blackboards, Hermione had created via transfiguration, they were being used to display diagrams and magical formulas that I only partly understood because I'd been given a vast amount of knowledge of the magic of the Elder Scrolls world.
We'd have had no chance if not for the fact that my memories of being the Dragonborn including reading the Spell Tome: Transmutate and spell tomes aren't like normal books. They vanish once you've read them and you never forget their contents.
I had my own theory about why this was the case and if the merchant I could summon ever got his hands on a few spell tomes for me as I'd requested it would interesting to find out if Hermione could make use of one.
As an experiment, Hermione had let me try out her wand and I'd only been able to make some sparks so either the wand wasn't compatible with me because it had chosen me or I just couldn't use one.
I suspected that if I had more points I could select an option from the CYOA that would allow me to start using a wand as my companion did, but since neither Hermione nor I knew how to make a wand for me, it seemed pointless to bother giving me access to wand magic.
Speaking of Hermione, she had studied alchemy a little, mostly when looking into Nicolas Flamel during her first year and at other times when coming across bits of knowledge on the science when studying other subjects, but she'd never really gotten into that branch of magic until we discovered how the science of alchemy in her world and that of the Elder Scrolls universe were very similar when it came to transmutation.
Transmutation differed from transfiguration in that the latter changed one object into another, were as transmutation changed one element into another. Another big difference was that transfiguration was reversible and I got the feeling that transfiguration didn't alter an item's spirit because you can take a living thing, turn it into an inanimate object and back again without killing the living thing.
You also can't transfigure something into food, you can't turn a desk into a pig and then eat it, which made me wonder why anyone bothered with transfiguration at all, it didn't seem very useful out of duels and schoolwork.
Transmuted elements were different in that you couldn't just cast a spell and return iron that has been transmuted into some silver back to iron again because it has truly become silver. You could transmute it again, but that doesn't make it less real.
As such when we finally transformed some gold into mithril we didn't have to worry about it turning back into gold over time or doing so if we melted it down.
"I didn't think we'd really be able to do it" commented
Hermione as she held the small lump of mithril up so that she could better see it "Even Flamel only turned less valuable metals into gold. Assuming this all went right then we've turned gold into a magical metal".
We hadn't needed a magic stone to do our transmuting. Further proof that the Dragonborn was indeed superior to any silly wand waver.
From the books, we'd consulted we knew that mithril is extremely rare by the end of the Third Age, the time we were in now, due to it only being found only in Khazad-dûm.
Once the Balrog known as Durin's Bane, destroyed Khazad-dûm, the kingdom of the Dwarves in Moria, the only source of mithril ore was cut off.
Well as far the natives knew, my magical map did show that were a few deposits scattered around, but I didn't think they'd be easy to get to. I did wonder if the dwarves would pay well for information on mithril deposits, but to find the exact location of the ore, they'd need my map and I wasn't going to lend it to anyone.
Before Moria was abandoned by the Dwarves, while it was still being actively mined, mithril was worth ten times its weight in gold. After the Dwarves abandoned Moria and production of new mithril stopped entirely, it became priceless.
Mithril was a remarkable metal if it lived up to the hype. According to the books we'd copied information from the metal could be beaten like copper and polished like glass. From it, the dwarves could make a metal, light and yet harder than tempered steel.
Its beauty was like that of common silver, but the beauty of mithril did not tarnish or grow dim, as such it couldn't be a variation of silver. Perhaps it was some sort of gold that had been altered by being exposed to something magical over a long period of time.
Yet for all its rarity and supposed supernatural qualities, it was a mineral you mine and craft with such as iron, silver and gold, and once I'd managed to convince the elves to give me access to a small amount of the substance that they kept for study, I had begun to analyse the metal.
The only reason I'd been allowed to take Rivendell's only remaining bit of raw mithril was that I was able to purchase weapons forged in the Elder Scrolls world from metals that didn't exist in this world.
The elves also wanted to study exotic metals as they had a strong desire to acquire new knowledge, and Lord Elrond liked to put interesting items on display for his visitors to admire as well as to study.
While the spell tome provided me with the knowledge to transmute iron into silver and silver into gold using a great deal of magical energy, the spell was taxing even for me.
Also, I had to understand mithril to order to transmute gold into it. I had to know how it feels, what its weight is like, how brittle it is, and so on. Being able to visualise what you want to do is an important part of practising magic.
"I'm only disappointed in the quantity we were able to create" I mentioned to my witch "We are losing a lot of material when we convert gold into mithril".
When I transmuted a sample of an element it became heavier and smaller in size. I suspected that some of the mass was being lost to fuel the transmutation, but that was mere speculation.
"It has something to do with density," I said "I don't fully understand it, but we are losing mass when transmuting"
I knew that the density of gold is 19.03 grams per cubic centimetre. The density of silver is 10.49 grams per cubic centimetre. The density of iron is 7.87 grams per cubic centimetre. Mithril must be denser than even gold.
Mithril in its pure form was rather soft and malleable according to the books. It could be used in various alloys to produce extremely lightweight, hard and durable armour.
Given that it had properties similar to gold it shouldn't make for a good metal to be used when forging armour even as part of an alloy, not unless magic was involved.
"I can't help wondering if it's just Platinum that we've made" I mused.
Upon checking my book that contained all of the knowledge of my world I noted the similarities between platinum and mithril. Of note was that platinum has a density of 21.45 grams per cubic centimetre, greater than of gold.
Platinum used to be worth more than gold in my world and would be worth more in his world due to them having advanced mining methods, but I didn't think the subjective value of a metal decided by humans should matter when density makes more sense in explaining why it's easier to transmute some elements than others.
It takes less magical from me to transmute iron into silver, and these metals don't differ as greatly in density as gold and silver do.
I repeated my findings to Hermione who gave the matter some thought.
"What we need to do is get some copper and then transmute some iron into copper," she said "Copper is only a bit denser than iron so it should take you less effort to transmute iron into copper than it does to transmute into silver".
That should be easy to test and the elves do have smiths so they must have a supplier of raw materials who I can purchase some ore from. Rivendell doesn't use money internally, but they do trade and the people they trade with should accept money from me.
"Going back to the mithril. Maybe the dwarves do something to platinum to make it seem magical" Hermione mused "The goblins of my world do something to silver so they can make magical weapons out of it even though silver isn't a good metal to use to make a sword".
The sword of Godric Gryffindor was made from silver and decorated with rubies, making it rather impractical to use as a weapon, yet Harry Potter used it to kill a large magical creature so the idea the sword was imbued with some power that made it a great weapon made sense to me.
"I don't think it can be platinum even if it is similar to mithril," said Hermione "You were focused on transmuting gold into platinum. The process worked".
I'd seen platinum jewellery before, and it does make for lovely decorative items, but it would make for crappy armour even if you made an alloy from it. So either mithril just seemed similar to platinum or something magical was going on.
My intention had been to create mithril so unless some outside force had interfered then it should be the right element.
"I need to talk to one of my tutors," I told Hermione.
The elvish smiths here in Rivendell also worked with the metal so they should know for sure if I made the right element.
"Can you transmute some gold into mithril more for me?" she requested "There are some spells I want to cast on some mithril to see if it has magical properties".
We should have enough gold ore to make a little more of the metal. The CYOA did supply us with materials to be used in our crafts, just not in large amounts so I doubt I'd be making armour out of mithril anytime soon, not unless I can get my hands on a lot o gold ore.
I had an idea about that, something to think about when I had some more points to spend. For now, I would just need to focus on creating small objects that could be enchanted with the hope that making them from mithril would allow the created objects to endure.
"Master, you might want to shower before you go" advised my witch "And change your clothes".
I sniffed myself and wondered how long we'd been working in this tent. I hoped that our host wasn't offended by our absence.
"Good advice, Hermione," I said before heading for the bathroom.
Better to attend to that, rather than to stink up Rivendell and annoy my hosts.
Team Builder.
Part 12
Rivendell. Eriador.
"Marek, you look nice in those" commented Hermione as she entered the forge where I awaited my next lesson "Have you been shopping or can you sew as well as everything else?".
Since I could work leather and cloth into sets of armour it should be possible for me to use those materials for more fashionable purposes.
I had access to all human knowledge after all, and I was eager to learn to do more with my existing talents. Although I'd rather devote my skills to forging weapons, armour and magical items rather than concern myself with making nice clothes.
Not because I thought making clothes was womanly work, some of the great clothes designers are men, it just didn't have my interest.
I much rather be working on items that would last for centuries and play roles in historical events. My pride as a Dragonborn would allow nothing less and I kept the goal in mind.
People tell stories of great heroes with magical swords, enchanted armour, and powerful rings, no one cares what kind of socks they wore.
"A gift from our grateful hosts" I replied, knowing that she was referring to my new boots, tunic and trousers that were all made from a fine-quality fabric "They are very happy to have a source of mithril even if we can't provide them with much".
It had been risky to show Elrond that I could produce mithril, but I'd needed his expertise to confirm that we really had transmuted mithril from gold and not just made platinum.
Besides, I needed the help of the elves to secure a supply of ores for my alchemy and for them to teach me what to use mithril for.
"They have some plans for the mithril I can supply them with. It seems very important to them" I mentioned to my witch.
Our work in the field of alchemy had borne fruit. We had indeed created mithril by transmuting gold. It did seem to be platinum with some altered properties as far as Hermione and I could tell.
I couldn't help thinking given the fact there was so much of it in the depths of Moria, with only small amounts found elsewhere, that its magical properties had something to do with why there was a Balrog hanging around all the way down there.
Mithril was too pure to be the product of metal being infused with some sort of magical energy from a Balrog, but could there be something else down there?
Something powerful enough to affect the minerals in that part of the world and also draw a Balrog to it? I'd love to know if my speculations had any substance to them, but I wasn't going anywhere near that demon of shadow and fire.
Even with the powers of the Dragonborn I simply wasn't ready to go up against such a foe and even if I did take it that monster down without getting myself killed as Gandalf did, the hordes of goblins in those mines could take me down with their sheer numbers unless I had an army of my own with me.
"How are they going to supply you with enough base metals for the transmutations?" Hermione enquired "It's not like they have any mines here".
A very good question.
"The dwarves of the Iron Hills can supply more than enough, but it will take a long time for a delivery to get here," I told her "Elrond mentioned something about the dwarves of the Blue Mountains, but they are quite far away from here".
We might be done here by the time a large supply of ore was brought to Rivendell.
"If the dwarves find out what we can do they'd likely go to war with Rivendell to possess us," I said to Hermione "More so if they knew about this".
I took a lump of black ore out of my expanded bag. I didn't need to tell her what it was as we'd discussed it and the possibility of transmuting gold into it.
"Oh, you got some" Hermione said with a smile on her face "I've been wanting some to cast spells on. I bet it has all sorts of interesting properties".
She was pleased to see that our daedra supplier had been able to get me a sample of Ebony in its natural state. The material is a hard, durable, black glass-like substance that can be forged into high-quality armour and weapons.
In my world, ebony is a type of hard, black wood, traditionally used to make piano keys and in Hermione's world ebony was sometimes used as wood to make wands from.
That wood could in no way be related to the ebony in The Elder Scrolls series, which is more like a type of volcanic glass than can be shaped like a metal.
A closer equivalent in real life would be obsidian, though ebony's use in making armour and weapons suggest that it is far tougher and more malleable than obsidian, which is hard and brittle.
Perhaps it is obsidian that has been altered by exposure to something magical. It wouldn't surprise me at all as the entire of Mundas is a freaky place that often makes little or no sense.
"The lore says that it is the crystallized blood of a god or gods," I told Hermione, although I might have already "If so then no amount of alchemy should allow us to make more of it, but we would see for ourselves in time".
Given how little mithril we were getting from iron I imagined that I'd never gain enough ebony from transmutation to make armour and weapons. But I could use small amounts to make jewellery that could be enchanted.
Unless I could purchase Ebony armour and weapons directly from the daedric merchant before melting them down so that I could reuse the metal. The expense would be incredible and the supply would not be dependable.
"Can I start running some tests on it?" Hermione requested.
I let her have the sample of the ore so that she could begin her research. I imagined that we'd be spending many hours trying to turn the ores supplied to use by the CYOA into even a small amount of ebony.
Density and the value of the metal seemed to be important factors in the transmuting of metals, or perhaps it was something to do with the mystical properties of the metals.
Certain metals held enchantments better than others. Iron could be enchanted, even steel as the Hogwarts Express proved, but the best magical items were always made of rarer metals, and it wasn't just because it added to the value of the object.
As Hermione and I had expected transmuting iron into copper didn't require much energy when compared to transmuting iron into silver. Although given our limited supplies that didn't matter much.
"What we really need is access to large supplies of iron and even gold ore," said the witch "Otherwise we're are never going to get enough mithril to make weapons and armour".
She was correct and I already had an idea about that, but it would have to wait. We had other things going on in our lives we could focus on.
"So Hermione, what have the elves been teaching you recently?" I questioned.
The former Hogwarts student looked pleased to be able to tell me about her studies. I must make a big change from Harry and Ron who never took much interest in academic matters. At least not when compared to her.
"I'm learning about scrying using bowls of water, mirrors and crystals," she told me "That's the magical art of seeing far-off places even in different periods of time. I'm not very good at it, but I was able to see you here. I've always been bad at divination so it surprised me that I could see anything. Of course, it helps that the tutors here aren't drunk on cooking sherry".
When setting up using the CYOA I'd not purchased a means of protection from stuff like scrying because I'd needed to spend the points elsewhere and while there were the Seeing Stones in this world that could be used to spy on me there were few of them left.
If I could be so easily seen by people like the elves in something as simple as a bowl of water, then I would have to invest in better protection from remote observation when I reached the next world.
I would also like to learn about the art of scrying myself if I found the time while in this world as it wasn't a branch of magic that the Dragonborn I'd gotten memories from had ever bothered to learn about. Hermione would have extensive notes on the subject and be able to teach me the basics once she had mastered them.
"Speaking of tutors my smithing teacher is here," I said.
Lord Elrond had been truthful when promising to find me some tutors. I trained as a warrior with his son Elrohir to master the bow, sword and dagger, and when it came to crafting I studied under an elf called Dammion.
Hermione quickly made her goodbyes so that I could focus my attention on the elf who was taking time out of his long life to show me how the elves forged great items of beauty that endured through the centuries.
He wasn't a blacksmith, he didn't forge swords or beat metal into ploughs, but rather he was an elven jewelsmith meaning that he'd created much of the fine jewellery worn by all the elves who lived here.
Those fancy circlets all the elves wear in these parts are made from mithril and while I didn't fancy crafting anything so delicate looking I had to admit they were well made.
Their decorations looked fragile, yet I felt sure that they had been owned by the same elf for centuries as elven crafts tended to last. Something I envied as I knew that my own works would not endure for so long unless I learned more about crafting.
I didn't need aid in learning to forge a decent set of armour or a sword. What I needed was instruction in the finer arts of the craft. I wanted to learn about cutting jewels and shaping mithril, now that we had some, and most importantly I wanted to know about imbuing spirit into an item.
Dammion was one of the few remaining Gwaith-i-Mírdain which he had told me much about during earlier lessons when he'd tried to explain the theory behind his work.
This was something I had trouble grasping, partly because some of the terms used don't translate directly into Westron and therefore I don't hear them in English.
Dammion had trouble finding ways to explain the details of his craft with someone who wasn't an elf and I had no skill in learning languages. Even if I did my time here wasn't unlimited.
What I did know was that thousands of years ago some elves from Lindon led by Celebrimbor settled in Eregion near the dwarven kingdom of Khazad-dûm. Which is now known as Moria.
Because they were interested in the making of crafts and jewels, they became close to the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm. They created an alliance based on friendship and peaceful commerce. Elves and dwarves seemed to get along better back in those days.
The elves prospered and grew immensely wealthy for centuries, but Sauron, ever hungry for dominion over Middle-earth, was jealous of their power according to historical records.
He approached them while disguised as a being called Annatar (The Lord of Gifts), and the elves, ever eager for more knowledge, accepted his gifts and his instructions.
They also followed him because though they loved Middle-Earth, they wanted to have the bliss of Valinor which they missed greatly.
That land across the sea was very different from Middle-Earth and the elves had limited success in trying to recreate a bit of Valinor in this part of the world.
With this new knowledge, they forged most of the Rings of Power with the help of Sauron. Celebrimbor alone forged the Three Rings, which were not corrupted by Sauron's hand.
Sadly the smiths were betrayed and deceived when Celebrimbor discovered that Sauron had forged the One Ring to rule all the others. They then took off their Great Rings and hid them, something Sauron got rather pissy about.
He demanded that the Three Rings be given to him, perhaps so he could use them to corrupt some elves who weren't so wise, and when they weren't handled over he declared war on the elves.
Eregion was destroyed and Celebrimbor was slain along with many of his jewel-smiths. Some of them were evacuated to Rivendell with the help of Elrond and Dammion was one of them.
Like the other elves here he kept a certain emotional distance from me and acted stoically, yet he was willing to teach me his people's ancient ways so he couldn't be a total stick in the mud.
"You need no further instruction in beating steel into shape," said my teacher "I will teach you the finer uses of the smith's tools"
He was correct. I could craft a nail, forge weapons and repair tools with ease. Those were useful things to be able to do and there was no need to go over the basics as we had been doing.
"Listen to me Master Marek, before you can begin to shape gold, silver and gems, you must ensure that you have the right tools for the task" I was told.
I presented the toolbox I'd been given by the CYOA.
"Why would I need more tools, Dammion?" I asked.
I had more than I needed.
"You lack the correct implements for more delicate work" he explained "A jeweller's tools need to be more precise than those used by other smiths. You wish to match elvish work then yours will need to be even more so".
I had those tools as well so they must not meet eleven standards if he wanted to forge proper tools with me.
"Since you have a very limited supply of mithril we will use an alloy of it for your tools" I was informed.
Mithril in its pure form was rather soft and malleable. It could be used in various alloys including a type of steel according to my tutor.
"We will also require the ring you took from the barrow-wight, it can be purified and melted down" I was told.
Adding gold to steel wasn't a good idea as expense aside it would soften the steel, but we were working with magical metals so the normal rules didn't apply. I needed to learn more about that and focus my efforts on making my tools, so it was time to get to work.
Team Builder.
Part 13
Rivendell. Eriador.
Olórin, Mithrandir as he was known to the elves, or Gandalf as he was called elsewhere, enjoyed his visits to the home of the elves. Rivendell was a place of peace and well-suited for spending hours in quiet contemplation.
Sometimes Gandalf needed to think about important matters without any risk of interruption. The elves here were always willing to give him the time and space he required.
The Shire was his favourite place to go when he found himself tired due to his endless work and he felt the need to renew himself. Yet he visited Rivendell more often due to his role.
During his travels when he came across some issue that he could not solve on his own, he would come here to seek out advice from one the few beings who'd lived upon Middle Earth for even longer than he had.
This time he had been summoned to Rivendell by Lord Elrond himself, and this was odd as while he was always welcome in the home of his old friend, the elves preferred to mind their own affairs as much as possible.
Elrond would not have sent messengers out into the world to find the wandering Gandalf unless it was a matter of great importance. An issue that superseded all others.
Whatever was going on around here it hadn't seemed to have affected life here in Rivendell. The elves were going about their business as normal, yet Gandalf could sense that something was different from the last time he'd been here.
He didn't sense any danger, there was no need for him to be alarmed, but there was something that greatly concerned Elrond, the wizard was able to tell as much simply by looking at the elf lord.
"Mithrandir" his old ally greeted "I am glad that you are here".
Elrond had known that the member of the Istari order would be tired from his travels and he had made sure to serve refreshments before they began to talk.
"Your messenger was quite insistent that I come here as soon as possible," said Gandalf "What has you so troubled, Elrond?".
He did indeed look worried.
"Weeks ago two humans, going by the names Marek Dovahkiin and Hermione Granger, came to Rivendell in the guise of traders" the elf began explaining, "I thought for a time that a dragon might be in the area so I had the roads until the two humans were brought to me".
A certain dragon had been on Gandalf's mind of late so the mention of one being sensed elsewhere in the world concerned the wizard.
"I discovered that what I'd been sensing was a man who claims to have the soul of a dragon" Elrond went on to say "He came here in the company of a woman who calls herself a witch, but she is no user of the black arts".
Gandalf was glad that there was plenty of wine on offer. He had a feeling that he was going to need it.
"A man with the soul of a dragon and a witch who doesn't practice the dark arts" mused Gandalf "Tell me more".
Elrond was glad to have someone to share this with. Any news of the One Ring needed to be restricted to as few ears as possible, and he didn't wish news of his guests to spread far either. He trusted his household, but there were others who visited Rivendell and those who had ways of seeing and hearing in far-off places.
"The man who I sense is somehow connected to dragons, he is might, Mithrandir" informed the elf lord "He is one of the most powerful beings I have ever met I am sure. His companion is not so dangerous I think, but she wields magic unknown to me and does so with ease".
Gandalf was starting to see why he needed to come here so quickly. It had been a long time since any strangers from a far-off land had entered Middle Earth and it rarely boded well when they did.
"If they are so dangerous why have you allowed them to stay?" questioned the wizard.
Elrond refilled their glasses before speaking further.
"I don't think they mean us harm. I just believe that they have the potential to be dangerous," the elf lord told his old friend "If anything they'd been good guests. They are eager to learn from us and are using their magical arts to aid us".
Gandalf wanted to ask about that and he would, but he got the impression that his old friend was leading up to something important.
"What concerns me is that Marek, who claims to have the power of a dragon in a mortal body, has with him a special map that shows the location of important people and objects" Elrond was now saying "With it, he has been able to locate the One Ring. Assuming that this is not some trick then it is not far from here, beneath someplace infested with goblins".
Gandalf didn't know what to say to that so it was good that his host did.
"I'm aware that this could be some trick of The Enemy," said the leader of Rivendell "But Marek seems to be telling the truth and if he is then we could claim The One Ring, take it to Mordor and cast into Mount Doom before Sauron become strong enough to threaten Middle Earth".
The wizard spent some time thinking about the matter. The One Ring had been missing ever since Isildur was killed during an encounter with some orcs many centuries ago.
Without the One Ring, Sauron could never return to full power, but he could still come to dominate Middle Earth unless the Ring of Power was destroyed.
"You've had time to think this over," said Gandalf "Do you have a plan?".
Indeed he did.
"According to Marek, the Dark Lord will soon begin to marshal his forces, calling The Nine to him at Dol Guldur" informed Elrond "If Sauron is there, even in spirit, then we can strike at him, or rather I plan to with the aid of Galadriel and Saruman. You must take a group and go for the One Ring while Sauron is busy elsewhere. Find some way to Mount Doom and destroy the Ring".
The wizard was not convinced.
"Is it wise to divide our strength?" he asked.
The elf lord had given this a great deal of thought.
"If Sauron discovers that we are seeking the Ring then he will move sooner than he would have" stated Elrond "He must be distracted while the source of his power is destroyed or will find ourselves in another war, and will be a conflict I am sure we can win".
Gandalf had been concerned for a while about the dragon Smaug and been making his plans, however, he knew that destroying the One Ring was more important than anything else.
"I wish to meet with Marek Dovahkinn and Hermione Granger" declared Gandalf.
Elrond had been expecting this.
"I already sent for them," said the elf lord "Their lesson with Dammion should be finished by now".
Rivendell. Eriador.
"I've never seen anything quite like it," Dammion admitted.
Even with the elves being able to secure me a moderate source of iron ore from traders, it would still be some time before enough iron arrived for me to transmute mithril in the amounts the elves desired.
So for now I was focused on using our limited supply to create items of beauty that were useful to my hosts as a way of expressing my thanks.
I'd thought about creating jewellery or a dagger for Elrond, but in the end, I had decided to give the matter more thought and to make something really special as thanks for the elf lord's hospitality.
"In my world, these are everywhere," I told my teacher "It's hard to imagine growing up without them".
For a moment I wondered if Hermione would make some remark about using quills at her school, she didn't as the young witch was more interested in looking over the design I'd copied from my book of all human knowledge.
Thanks to that book, it had been simple enough to come up with instructions and a design for a crude fountain pen.
This first model was made from steel/mithril alloy with an ebony nib. Hermione and I had been able to transmute some gold into a very small sample of ebony, but the amount produced by the process was even less than what we got when transmuting gold into mithril.
While disappointing it made sense since ebony is supposed to be god's blood or something like that. I had been rather surprised that we'd been able to transmute any at all. My magic was truly powerful, or the CYOA was letting me cheat.
Sadly, unless I got my hands on a massive source of gold ore I was never going to be able to produce enough ebony to make armour or swords. That was something to concern myself with later.
As for Hermione, she'd decided to learn the basics about smithing so that she could assist me in the future. Sometimes it was handy for a craftsman to have an extra pair of hands nearby.
"There will never be a pen quite like this one," I said to my teacher.
Not only would the others be made by elves who would do things differently, but they also would not use ebony for the nibs due to how little of it I could supply them with.
"Lord Elrond will be grateful" stated Dammion "Rivendell doesn't trade much with outsiders, so we will likely make simple pens as gifts to our allies and let them make their own. You will long be remembered as their inventor, Marek".
I'd not invented anything. Although the people outside of Rivendell would have no way of knowing that and there was no sense denying credit from the general population since I wasn't going to be around to accept any.
If nothing else creating this fancy pen had been a chance to make use of my mithril-alloy tools that were custom-made for such delicate work.
"A good thing to be remembered for," I said.
This CYOA required me to have influence over this world and becoming known as a great inventor could certainly lead to that. However, I hoped that when people spoke of Marek Dovahkinn in the future they would compare me to great heroes of different ages, those who faced the dreaded Morgoth, the cruel Sauron and the evil Witch-King.
"Master Marek, Mistress Hermione," said Erestor
"Lord Elrond requires your presence at once. Please follow me".
Erestor was Elrond's steward, he was not someone sent on errands so if he'd been sent to fetch us then this was important.
"I will tidy up" offered Dammion.
One of the first things the jewel-smith had drilled into me was the need for a craftsman to keep his workspace clean and organised. Every tool had its proper place and needed to be cared for.
Once I had the pen boxed up, Hermione and I quickly left the forge and headed for the meeting place. Elrond preferred to have his audiences outside. The gardens of Rivendell helped him remain calm.
I knew Gandalf at once. The wizard was impossible to miss due to his pointy hat and beard. He wasn't making use of his pipe and I wondered if this elvish settlement was one big no-smoking zone.
"Marek, Hermione," said Elrond "This is Mithrandir or Gandalf as he is known elsewhere. I've been telling him what you told me when you first arrived and discussing our plans".
Before I can reply to that the wizard inquired about the box.
"It's a gift for Lord Elrond" I explained.
I handed over the box and the important elf inspected its contents.
"It's called a pen," I said "In my world they replaced quills".
I then went on to explain how it worked.
"This is a thoughtful gift," said Elrond "If it works you say I will find my letter writing to be a more pleasant pass time".
Even if Rivendell didn't get involved much in the business of other realms it made sense that our host would communicate with the other elven kingdoms and I already knew that he employed messengers.
"I'd left the design with Dammion" I let Elrond know "If you like the pen he can make more".
Having used a quill a few times while taking notes I knew how much of a luxury a pen could be.
"Do we have a new Annatar come among us?" asked Gandalf.
Elrond spoke in elvish using the name Mithrandir as he did and he sounded upset. I didn't know if that was because the joke was in poor taste or if it was because he didn't like having his guests offended, it could be both for all I knew.
Hermione and I had been here for a while so perhaps we were more to him than mere guests.
"Who is Annatar?" Hermione asked.
I'd told her about what Sauron got up to back in the Second Age, but I'd never been good at remembering names so I'd not mentioned that one.
"Annatar, The Lord of Gifts, is the name that the dark lord used when he came to the elves while pretending to be an emissary from the Valar," I told Hermione "Annatar was the one who guided Celebrimbor as he made the Rings of Power. He acted as a friend and taught the elves about crafting, but he was using them as part of his scheme for world domination".
It wasn't hard to guess why the wizard had compared me to Annatar and I was rather disappointed as aside from Merlin, Gandalf was the most famous wizard in all of fiction, and I'd hoped to learn from him when I had the chance. Hopefully, we'd start to get along better.
"I'm not one of the Maiar," I told Mithrandir "I'm sure you'd know".
The Istari looked a little abashed.
"My apologies," he said, "but you are unknown to me and the information you offer seems too good to be true. Sauron is not sometimes called The Deceiver for nothing.
I'd been given time to prove my good intentions to the elves, and I needed to convince Gandalf to trust me if we were going to avoid a massive war. To that end, I took out my magical map and showed the wizard the location of the One Ring.
"We need to secure the Ring, Mithrandir" insisted Elrond "It must be destroyed before Sauron is ready to wage war again upon Middle Earth".
Gandalf didn't really have much of a choice in the matter. Yet he didn't simply accept what the map told us.
"I want Marek and Hermione to go with" stated Elrond "Along with a team of my people. With your talents combined I believe you can safely make it into Mordor and destroy the Ring".
While I didn't want to go near that thing I was a smart choice for a team due to my range of skills, and I might know a way to speed up the journey thanks to something I'd discussed with Hermoine.
Team Builder.
Part 14
Rivendell. Eriador.
We didn't just go rushing off into the wilds to find the One Ring and this was good as such an act would be foolish, to say the least, and likely result in at least some of us getting killed.
We took weeks to prepare and during that time I began working on a proper suit of armour for myself as I was going to need the protection once we left the safety of Rivendell.
If we got into some fights I'd have to serve as the group's tank to borrow a D&D term. Gandalf was a wizard and Hermione was a witch, they were best left to casting spells from a distance if possible.
Knowing my role, I'd forged for myself a new set of armour made up of a steel chest plate, some boots and gauntlets, with the rest being leather gained from different sources, and cloth woven by the elves that offered more protection than it should.
I'd based the design on the Steel Soldier Armor set I'd seen when playing Skryim and having downloaded some extra features. There were better sets, but I had limited resources to work with.
The steel I was using was actually an alloy that had a bit of mithril in the mix. Some of the metals ordered from the dwarves had finally arrived so I had enough to create my armour with a little mithril left over for whatever it was the elves needed it for.
This suit of armour was forged using elvish secrets and human designs. When forging the armour I'd focused on my intent to create something that would protect me and I'd attempted to put something of myself into the set, as such the armour had some spiritual power to it as well. Assuming that I actually understood what I was doing.
Even if I'd gotten the process wrong the armour was physically sound. The mithril made it lighter than it should be, something I would be grateful for once we started on our quest and had to traverse so many miles on foot.
It was much more durable than the armour I'd been equipped with at the start of my adventures. I knew that I would be grateful for the extra protection should we face hoards of goblins and creatures such as trolls.
If the Nazgul turned it wouldn't help at all, but they should still be dormant and if I did face them I would make use of my magic.
Since I had Orcist I didn't need a new sword, and the elves had gifted me with a good bow, so I focused some of my time on forging myself a dagger done in Nord style that was also made from steel along with some mithril.
I hoped that having a bit of the magical metal making up the blade would give it more bite against mystical creatures that had some residence or outright immunity to normal weapons.
Overall I was pleased with the armour. It was hardly what I would consider the work of a master craftsman, but it should serve my needs. It would offer some decent protection while remaining light enough not to hamper my movements in battle.
Hermione already had her set of thieves guild armour and her style of fighting involved keeping her distance and remaining mobile so giving her only light protection made a lot of sense.
I'd enchanted her armour before we'd even reached Rivendell using our limited stock of small soul gems that had been delivered to us already filled. The enchantments were weak, but they help her to move around more quietly and nimbly.
"Marek, may I talk with you?" someone asked.
I was just finishing up so this was as good a time as any for a chat.
"Mithrandir," I said "What can I do for you?".
Normally only elves called him that, but he didn't seem to mind me referring to him as anything other than Gandalf. I was glad the wizard wasn't so hostile towards me as I was a big fan of his and had I been my old self I'd be acting quite differently around him.
I noticed that he was carrying Glamdring, also called the Foe-hammer or the Beater, it was a hand-and-a-half sword, and the wizard was wise enough to know that he would need such a weapon in the future.
The blade of the weapon would glow blue when orcs were near and it had been forged with the intent of it being a sword meant to kill goblins. It would still serve the wizard well against other foes, but against orcs, it would be more effective.
"Lord Elrond has convinced me that you can be trusted despite your strange nature," said the wizard.
Both of us looked like men, yet we weren't, although I had been born as a mere mortal, there was nothing truly divine about me as I didn't think I was a real child of Akatosh. I had simply been altered by a very powerful being and sent off to amuse it.
"He tells me that you are some sort of man with the power to slay dragons," said the Maiar "Is this true?".
Being an immortal creature he was no doubt thinking of his long-term plans. Even if Sauron was defeated Smaug would still be out there and the dragon could burn entire kingdoms.
The dragon was content for now to sleep upon its treasure, but nothing lasts forever, sooner or later, either Smaug would decide to take the skies or some fool would wake him up and piss him off.
"It is" I stated, "I am the Dovahkiin. A mortal man with the soul of a dragon. In another world I have the power to slay dragons, but the dragons of this world are not the same as in others".
That was what concerned me about going up against Smaug. If Dragonrend worked against him then it would be possible to take the dragon down with some help, however, without that Shout, it would be much more difficult.
Smaug did have a weak spot, and perhaps with a strong enough arrow or spear, he could be slain, I'd seen it done.
Even with that, I would need a team of warriors, to act as my Blades, a group of elven archers to cripple Smaug's wings would be helpful.
Hermione might be able to wound Smaug if she could strike his eyes with the right spell.
"Would you be interested in joining a company I am hoping to put together?" Gandalf asked, "If we are successful in dealing with the One Ring I plan to travel to the Lonely Mountain and deal with a dragon who is a threat to all of Middle Earth".
I had mixed feelings about the idea. Part of me wanted to prove myself against Smaug, to break him or subdue him, to prove that I was mighty, but I also had no desire to be roasted alive by a dragon. It might not matter because I helped to destroy the Ring I might be leaving.
Doing either might be enough to allow me to leave this world and collect more points that I could use to make myself even stronger. Yet I would rather deal with the One Ring as Sauron was the bigger threat.
"Let's discuss it after Sauron is dealt with," I said "We need to stay focused on one evil at a time".
No sense in getting distracted, and if for some reason helping to destroy the One Ring wasn't enough then I could plan what to do next.
"Has Lord Elrond decided what team we'll be taking?" I asked.
Gandalf stood up from the stone bench he'd been using as a seat and gestured for me to follow him.
"The meeting will be starting soon," he said "You can ask him yourself".
Rivendell. Eriador.
The elf lord did not like holding back information from those she considered to be his friends, yet he had listened well when Marek Dovahkiin had told him about the future of Middle Earth.
He had to avoid that future for the sake of all that was good in the world, not just his own people.
The idea that Saruman the Wise could not be trusted to help destroy the ring worried him, yet he knew that even the Valar were not above the temptation of power.
If they had been free of it then this world would be a very different place as there would have been no Morgoth or Sauron, only Melkor and Mairon.
If Saruman had indeed developed an unhealthy interest in the One Ring then it would be vital that the wizard was directed to aiding himself and Galadriel as they assaulted the dark fortress of Dol Guldur rather than be sent out to destroy the One Ring.
Elrond had considered hiding the fact that they knew the location of the One Ring from the white wizard, however, the Maiar was smart enough to realise that if Gandalf didn't go with them to Dol Guldur then he must be doing something else important. As such, they would need to convince the wizard to devote his efforts elsewhere.
Saruman could be difficult to convince once he had made up his mind about something, but he wasn't so stubborn that he would withdraw his help should the others support Elrond's plan.
"How can we be sure that this Marek can be trusted?" asked the wizard in white.
Gandalf had been concerned as well at first and that had been wise. Galadriel didn't question it and Elrond wondered how much she already knew about the Dragonborn and his companion. Had she sensed him and been concerned about a threat? Had she used her powers to spy upon Elrond's guests?
Any leader in Middle Earth would give much to have Marek within their court. Just his ability to transmute metals could in time transform a kingdom and his knowledge from other worlds could tip the balance of power quite easily.
Elrond held the pen that Marek had created for him in his hand. It was such a small thing and yet it made writing so much easier. To the Dragonborn, the pen was an everyday item, never given much thought because they were so common.
Elrond had spent time wondering about what advances Marek could offer the people of Rivendell if he could stay here. His people would leave these lands one day, but not too soon, and they could leave behind a great legacy.
"I trust him," said the elf lord "Marek Dovahkiin and Hermione Granger have done nothing other than be good guests. I've seen no sign of any hostile intent. In any case, it is not your concern who I let into my home. We are here to discuss my plan to deal with Sauron".
Elrond hoped that Saruman was simply being cautious and not trying to discourage an assault because it would interfere with dangerous plans.
"If we strike now before the Dark Lord is ready to move then we will save many lives" Galadriel stated.
When Gandalf returned, having volunteered to bring Marek Dovahkiin and Hermione Granger to the meeting, the wizard and the two elves, exchanged looks, saying much without speaking a single word.
There had been much spoken between them without the need for many words. Elrond could feel Galadriel's concern and eagerness to deal with Sauron. He could sense Gandalf's concern and hopefulness as well.
Should Sauron be defeated then the duty of the wizards would come to an end and they could leave Middle Earth. They had been in service here for centuries and their work had a toil upon them.
"I have warned you before about Dol Guldur," reminded Gandalf "You preached restraint before. Now we have further reason to be concerned. We must strike before Sauron is ready to move".
Saruman was not so easily convinced by Lord Elrond's plan or Mithrandir's words.
"I do not believe the word of this stranger" Saruman stated as he gestured to the Dragonborn "This may even be a trick of the enemy to lure us into a trap".
Of course, they had already considered that. Elrond had watched his guests more closely than they could have realised. He'd gotten a measure of them and found that he trusted them.
"If needs be I will go alone" stated the elf lord "I sense that we have a chance here to change the future, to end this evil. I will strike".
Elves were not normally ones for rash action. Living for so long gave them a perspective different to that of mortal men, yet they were capable of acting quickly if the situation required it.
"You will not go alone" promised Galadriel.
She too seemed to understand that they were was a chance to end here what their people had begun so long ago.
If Gandalf could ensure that the One Ring was destroyed and they could banish Sauron then their ancient enemy would become lost in the Void, never to threaten this world ever again.
"It appears that I am outvoted," said the white wizard.
Elrond couldn't help noticing that Marek had some hostility towards Saruman. It was subtle, he was trying to hide it, but the Dragonborn did not like the wizard. This contrasted with how he acted around Mithrandir. Marek seemed to admire that wizard.
"So is it decided?" questioned Gandalf.
Neither Marek nor Hermione had a vote on this matter since they were not even of this world. Elrond had wanted them here in case either Galadriel or Saruman had questions. There didn't seem to be a need for any.
There had never been any doubt that Gandalf would go and carry out his part of the plan. It would just be better for the strike team they were sending if Sauron was distracted while the One Ring was dealt with.
"It is," said Elrond "I will go with Lady Galadriel and Saruman to Dol Guldur, to find any trace of Sauron and banish it before he can gather his dark forces to him. Gandalf, Marek, Hermione, and my sons will recover the One Ring, then they will travel to Mordor, to destroy the Ring once and for all".
That was it then. They would risk themselves for the future of this world. Now all they could is make their final preparations.
Team Builder.
Part 15
Rivendell. Eriador.
There had been a delay. We were supposed to have left by now, but the plan had been changed, or perhaps refined was a better word.
Instead of having two teams sneak out the new plan was to make it look as if a large group was leaving Rivendell to go visit Lothlórien, also known as Lórien, one of the other elven kingdoms in Middle Earth.
The idea was that the strike team I was going to be part of would break off from the main party and go look for the One Ring once we'd left Rivendell and entered the Misty Mountains so as to make it harder for any spies to guess what we were up to.
Elves did make state visits to each other and a slow-moving party that was carrying a lot of luggage did seem as if it would provide some cover for our activities.
I wondered if that was all needless given that Sauron couldn't have fully returned yet, but there was no real need to rush and the extra secrecy might be a good thing if I was wrong about how much influence Sauron had over this world.
Who knew what sort of creatures might already be reporting to him? He might even be able to scry and spy on his enemies, the elves could do it, although they wouldn't attempt to scry and look for Sauron in case it tipped him off.
During the planning, it had been suggested by Saruman that we all go to face Sauron and then go after the One Ring as a larger group once we'd recovered our strength so as to ensure that the One Ring was not lost.
I didn't know if that was because he was simply being practical or because he wanted to go after the Ring later once Melkor's chief lieutenant had been dealt with, at least for a while.
Elrond shot down the idea, correctly pointing out that Hermione and I would not be assets when facing Sauron as neither of us had ever tangled with an enemy who would be present in spirit rather than flesh.
Even if that barrow-wight, itself a spirit rather a totally corporal enemy, hadn't been that dangerous, I didn't think a Patronus would do much to a being that could be compared to a fallen angel.
Okay so I could recall dealing with ghosts and Hermione had dealt with Dementors, but Sauron was on a whole other level in terms of power, and while I did have a Shout that could harm something spiritually, such as wights, I simply didn't know how to defend myself against the Dark Lord.
Hermione for all her intelligence and magical power was still a mortal woman, I just didn't think she'd be able to do anything to combat Sauron.
Our skills were much better suited to fighting orcs and seeking out the One Ring.
It stung my pride that I was afraid of Sauron, as a dragon I should be able to dominate or destroy any foe, however, my human mind reminds me that I can dominate anyone or anything if I am dead. Besides, I would destroy the One Ring and defeat Sauron that way.
While I was a talented mage for sure, it was just that I was better suited to fighting threats that you could hit with an axe, and my more spiritual powers were focused on dealing with dragons and monsters. I would [prove my superiority by slaying any goblin that foolishly dared get in my way.
I wasn't concerned much about the change in plans that would require the team going after the One Ring to go to Lothlórien rather than directly to Mordor once we had found the Ring, we would need some downtime and to resupply.
We would require some new guides as well since the elves in that part of the world would know those lands better. Even with my magical map, we were going to need aid in our travels.
I was not greatly concerned about the team going after Sauron. They had succeeded in the original timeline when the Dark Lord was stronger and they knew what they could be facing. They wouldn't be walking into the fortress blind to what they faced and they were taking the time they needed to prepare.
I'd spent this free time making chainmail for Hermione and myself knowing that I would be able to finish the project since we weren't leaving as soon as expected.
With the aid of my smithing teacher, I'd found a good mix for the mithril alloy that allowed for chainmail that was light and would offer some protection.
Despite the effort, I'd put into the armour, I doubted that my work would compare to the chainmail shirt worn by Frodo and Bilbo Baggins, but I'd do better in the future now that I'd gotten some practice with my craft.
Forging a set of chainmail was not exactly difficult, rather it was repetitive work that took a lot of time so I was glad to have some help.
With my work done for the day, it was time to get some rest and after I'd gotten cleaned up I found Hermione packing away some of her books. No doubt she'd been working on something that she thought would help us complete our very important mission.
"I've been looking into making us some portkeys" she let me know in a tired tone of voice "I never tried to make any before because the Ministry has ways of tracking them, and I have to know where we were going, so I can't create one to take us to Mordor, but we can use one to get out of there. I just need to make a few practice ones before we try for a long trip".
Having portkeys would be good as destroying the One Ring might cause Mount Doom to erupt and we couldn't depend on the eagles coming to our rescue.
I'd read about them and they were an intelligent race that acted as they saw fit for reasons of their own, that was why we couldn't just call some up and fly them to Mordor. They weren't horses.
While I did have the mark and recall spell that could teleport a person to a location I had prepared in advance, it could only transport me and only to a single place, so it would only come in handy if we got separated.
"We can talk more about it tomorrow," I said.
Without warning I grabbed her and she squealed as I sat her on my lap. The t-shirt she often wore to bed didn't do anything to hide the fact that she wasn't wearing any underwear.
"I assume you're done for the day," she said.
She knew what I'd been working on and how much effort was involved, so I saw no reason to rehash the details with her when there was something else we could talk about.
"Were you hoping that I'd notice your lack of knickers?" I asked her.
Hermione blushed as she smiled at me.
"I didn't see any reason to get changed given how late is," she said.
She didn't need to make excuses. She was a lot more comfortable around me than she used to be and didn't see any need to hide her body from my gaze.
"Hmm, if I had my way, you wouldn't be wearing anything at all," I told her.
Hermione fidgeted in my lap as I began to gently rub her pussy, she tensed up a little when I slid two fingers inside her, but only for a moment.
When I began to finger her, she ended up trying to hide her face, yet she did nothing to hinder me as I played with her cunt.
As time passed she got more into it, she moved her hips, rubbing her butt so that my cock soon felt as if it was going to rip through my boxers and drive itself inside her even if it had to destroy my sleepwear.
Before long my digits were soaked. I took them out and put them in front of her face. She didn't seem to know what to do, and to be fair she might not get what I wanted from her as she wasn't experienced when it came to sex.
"Open your mouth" I ordered.
Most of the time we were informal with each other, but she knew a command when she heard one and she knew to obey.
"Yes, Master," she said.
She did as she was told and before long she was treating my fingers as if they were my cock.
"Good girl" I praised.
She took them deep inside her mouth and began making a lot of lewd noises. After a while, I went back to fingering her bare snatch that she'd done something to make very smooth.
Hermione took off the t-shirt so that she was now naked while sitting in my lap. She happily wiggled about, feeling my dick as she moved. It made me want to fuck her even more so I decided to move on to the main event before my dick rebelled.
"Go lie down on the bed" I instructed.
She eagerly moved over the bed and laid down with her legs spread. She knew what was going to happen and she was looking forward to it. I'd come to realise that Hermione enjoyed the intimacy we shared and I got the impression that she'd not been given enough affection when she'd been growing up.
After getting rid of my boxers I moved my cock as I pushed into Hermione's tight pussy. Hermione tensed for a moment as she felt me slide inside her and then she relaxed as she put her arms around me as best she could.
"Mmm, Master" she whispered.
I looked at Hermione as I began to slowly fuck her, she had her eyes closed, and she was biting her lower lip in that cute way she did. I couldn't help wanting to fuck her harder, to use her body for my pleasure.
Without warning, I began to fuck her vigorously. I drove my cock in and out of her cunt with hard strokes that soon had her squirming and squealing beneath me as I began to use her body.
She'd been holding onto me tenderly until I'd started to really get into it, and now her soft hands felt as if they had transformed into the claws of some fearsome feline given how they dug into my back.
"Ohhh, yes! Fuck me! Master fuck me harder!" she shouted out.
Normally I was the one giving the orders around here yet I couldn't help responding to her words and I began slamming into her.
It was a very good thing that her kind of magic user seemed to be built rather sturdy (any normal human getting hit by a bludger during a quidditch game would at least break some bones if they weren't killed outright) otherwise I might have badly hurt her.
Hermione was now using her arms to wrap herself around me. Either because she wanted to keep me inside her or because she was holding on for dear life. It didn't matter which as I wasn't going to stop.
I just kept forcing my cock into her cunt, which for its part seemed to be doing its best to keep my dick inside the young witch.
"Fuck me! Fuck me!" Hermione urged
I was doing just that and if I didn't slow down I wasn't going to last much longer, not that I cared. I just did my best to fill her well-used cunt with as much of my baby batter as I could, something that made her scream in what could have been delight or pain.
Somehow I managed to roll off her and we both just laid there for a while, neither of us speaking or moving for what could have been mere moments or half an hour. I'd lost all sense of time.
"I'm going to need some bruise salve" the witch commented as she reached over to grab a bag that she kept under the bed "You did quite a number on my poor little pussy".
She seemed happy about that rather than sounding as if she was complaining, and she didn't even whimper as she applied the creme, she just moaned some more.
"That's better," she said playfully "I don't think the damage was too bad even if you were trying to wreak me like the magnificent beast that you are".
I couldn't help feeling a little pride upon hearing that, and Hermione displayed her affection to towards me with more than words. She laid her head on my chest and snuggled into me as she drifted off to sleep.