The thing was, while I have Stone Shape in my 'tome of lore' (a fancy way of saying the journal that all my magic was written in), I did not know the spell and I didn't have a focus for it. Now, most people who work with a D&D or Pathfinder spellcaster would wonder how that happens? Well, its because the Magos class had a few trade offs. On the one hand it opened access to every single spell list to me (minus the psionic ones and some prestige classes), but in the end I was something like a Dresden Files wizard.
I had it in my book, I could shape and adjust it on the fly, feeding it power and adjusting things on the fly... but if I lost control for an instant it would explode in my face and burn me. Which is where foci came into play. By investing time, energy and resources into a focus, I could use the spell safely. It would still take me a while to cast it, a lot longer than a normal spellcaster, but I had a rapidly refilling pool of energy. For me, magic was less about blasting and more about utility.
Oh, and then there were spells that I had mastered (once I got the right mythos) to the point of not needing a focus any more. And of course, KI could eventually reach a point where my mastery of magic was so complete as not to need foci for spells of a certain circle, increasing as I bought more instances of the mythos. But that was a long, long way away. Hell, even the ability to make a third circle focus was likely some ways away. And so, casting Stone Shape, again and again for hours at a time?
Yeah, I had exhausted myself because I used my magic like a muscle, as it took me an hour to get a five foot cube of stone shaped and moved. Which honestly, was somewhat better than I thought it would be about four and a half hours per five foot cube, based on some simple calculations of the fact that a five foot cube was a hundred and twenty-five cubic feet, and I could only do fifteen cubic feet per casting. If that sounded like a LOT of math babble? That's because unfortunately, there was a lot of it in making a building. And translating spell effects.
Because unless it was working inside some system of the world I was not entirely aware of (which given how weave worlds were low tier eldritch worlds, entirely possible)... well, it should have taken me nine solid hours as the sun rose and moved through the sky to make a simple thing ten foot long by five tall and wide into the cliff surface. Now, I instead had an area ten feet deep, ten feet wide by eight feet tall, with some additional simple ledges and cubbies and room for expansion.
Granted, all of that was somewhat secondary to waking up in my new owners arms as she cuddled me from behind, being the big spoon as it was. And you know, the thing was, I did not mind strong toned women. And while the effect could, as with so many other things, be ruined by having too much of something? Solryl was a healthy looking woman, and she did mention something about me being hers, so...
It took a little effort to slip from her arms without waking her, though she probably woke up quickly once I started kissing and licking down her stomach, teasing along her abdomen and stomach. And as my eyes darted up to her wide eyes? Oh, she was more than awake, breathing still even as the tips of her ears twitched. Neither of us said anything as my hands slipped under her ass, pulling her up as I was between her legs, the sun setting as I started to kiss and nibble on the the folds of her sex.
She let out a pleased whimper, even as juices, as sweet as pure leaf ice tea glistened and gleamed. The thing was, as I bit and nibbled at her sex? She was tough. Like biting on metal tough, as I lapped and sucked and stroked her sex, as I captured her clit and nibbled and kept looking right into her eyes, humming as my tongue traced English letters onto her clit. She finally gave a cry of release... and those strong legs of hers hooked around the back of my head and pulled me in as she bucked.
The sun had well and truly set before this little wake up call was finished.
Now, given how I was aware that this was going to be an uplift and awakening mission, I had spent the ten points total to have my 'oh shit, the nukes were used and we survived, here is how to rebuild' library on hand. In the little pocket yes, but I had it available. Among which was 'The Book; The Ultimate Guide to Rebuilding Civilization.' Which from the name and the hype you would think would be enough right? Yeah, that lasts until you get to the disclaimer about how its general knowledge and nothing they don't have permission to print.
Which means that it works more as a general reference book and a general overview than an in depth guide. As part of the library (albeit one of the more visually impressive ones) than as the be all, end all. Meanwhile, after grilling Solryl, it seemed that the elves made use of plenty of the technologies in 'Primitive Technology: A Survivalist's Guide to Building Tools, Shelters, and More in the Wild'. Largely in the textiles department, but they also had pottery and updraft kilns in addition to spears throwers and slings.
As it is though? Metal largely unknown, and the Dancing Stone People (which was the local elven clan/tribes name for themselves) did not really have a lot of need for clothes. Yes, they had belts and harnesses for carrying tools, but their skins were literally as hard or harder than the rocks and so it clothing was either practical (used to carry things) or decorative, as they had no nudity taboos. Yes, fabrics, made from a type of desert scrub brush, were made into rugs because they were more comfortable, but they were not needed. Which actually explained why they were cave dwellers.
You see, the caves offered good shelter, were comfortable and could be modified and expanded with some work, but most preferred to just add in some rugs, some dividing screens and call it a day. A cave like the one I provided, expanding and smoothing out what had been a rough hole in the wall? That was the sort of thing that normally a very powerful elder claimed as her own, or she would if it was larger. But the fact that a spirit made it in a single day? That was going to be as much proof of magic as anything else.
Yet at the same time, there was some nervousness as we went back to the main set of caves, even if it took a little longer with me walking on my own, as Solryl was light on her feet... and seemed amused at the fact that she was able to be just out of reach of me. At least, until we came to the central caves, before the cistern and we began to cast, as more and more water fell into the storage well.
It was something that the crowd of males noticed and seemed to be interested in the fact that water was magically appearing. Still, nothing was said, as Solryl nodded and we went to one of the caves, Naryl waiting, two rolled up rugs, eight clay pots and ten woven baskets as she nodded, watching as we placed the baskets together, and the jars inside the baskets, rugs on our shoulders. It did not escape me that there was also a mortar and pestle among the furbishing's. "It has been some time since the Dancing Stone People have had one that earned a spirits favor. And now, we have two."
There was something thoughtful in the older elf's tone, musing as she looked between us. And then she nodded. "Solryl! As your grandmother, and as an elder of the people, I charge you thus! You are a shaman of the Water-Making Spirit and so let none of the people be without water. If they come to you, you shall use your blessing to fill their jugs and ease their thirst. Do you accept this, Solryl the Water-Giver?"
Now, there was pride, as she pulled herself up, as she smiled. "I, Solryl the Water-Giver, accept this charge. So long as I have the blessing of the spirit, none of the people shall be without water. I shall give of them life and bounty, for they are my people."
There was nodding and cheering, slaps on her back from other women who came out, nods of respect. There was likely a lot of cultural things I was missing. Then again, that was true back even in the one I was born in, so nothing new there.