Barnite just kept on answering all my questions like he was a mind reader.
“Yeah, but this is the first I’ve heard of magic and miasma being part of the same thing,” I said.
“It’s common knowledge among cavekin,” said Barnite plainly. “When you use a lot of magic, you lose a lot of magical energy. To recover it, you need to convert miasma, and that leads to ambient miasma levels dropping. When you’re all out of miasma, your magical energy won’t replenish, and over enough time you’ll lose the ability to use magic entirely. But with all the monsters wandering around, that’s not particularly likely.”
Barnite said that most races fought monsters with the aid of magic, and that’s what kept miasma levels low.
“But when miasma is too thick, you convert so much that it becomes poisonous. But it’s because we’ve got magic that we’re all alive and kicking... Basically, they say that magic originally came about as a means for lessening the miasma.”
And with that, Barnite led me to the refinery where they did the smelting. I could tell he was way more excited about explaining this to me than he was lecturing me about magic and miasma. The refinery was the biggest stone hut in the whole place, and according to Barnite it was also the linchpin of their operations. It was all part of the plans to make steel for our workshops, which would in turn make us all sorts of tools.
“We’re going to make you some great tools, Lord Dias!” said Barnite. “Some really amazing weapons and armor too, just you wait! Life’s going to get a whole lot brighter! You watch us go! You’re going to be amazed!”
He shot me a big grin and I nodded.
“I can’t wait,” I said.
“And before I forget, let me show you something!”
Barnite dashed into the refinery, and I took another look around while he was gone. All the chairs and tables were stone, there were no windows, and all the light came from lamps and the fires from the furnaces. I’d only expected to see furnaces, but there were places for crushing and mixing materials too. There was also a giant mill, and even the furnaces themselves came in different sizes.
Those furnaces look more like they’re for tools than steel, so I guess the steel furnaces are deeper in?
All the smoke produced from the furnaces was funneled up towards a chimney in the ceiling. It was a bit smoky outside, but I figured it was even smokier for the cavekin who did their smelting and whatnot up close and personal.
That smoke can’t be good for them, but I guess with their beards purifying the air, it doesn’t really bother the cavekin at all. Miasma, smoke, toxic clouds—those cavekin beards sure are handy.
I was fine here because I had my pendant on, but I didn’t think Balers would be too comfortable in a place like this. I wondered if maybe I should get him some cavekin protection as well. But then I realized that the idea of wild animals being weak to miasma was a curious topic. How did they get around it? Did they just flee places where the miasma was too thick? Or could they use the magic in their own bodies too?
I figure I would have heard more about that kind of thing if animals were capable of magic, but I haven’t heard anything about it. Not even once. And on that note, what about baars? I mean, their wool doesn’t produce magic, does it? Then again, if there were animals that helped disperse miasma, that would naturally keep the levels low, which makes sense.
“Lord Dias! Over here! Come here! Get a look at this! It’s a raw metal, and it’s a real beaut! Tough as nails, and listen to the clang when you knock on it! Sounds like a song!”
He handed me a squarish lump of metal, and I gave it a knock with my fist just like he said.
“Yeah, that’s a real piece of work, that one!” said Barnite. “We’ll be able to make some fine tools and armor with that, let me tell you! With better tools, work only gets easier! I’m talking everything from sewing needles to hoes to full sets of armor! The cavekin have got you covered! That said, at present all the raw metal goes to the boss. That’s our main job right now!”
Barnite boomed with laughter again while I took a good, long look at the metal in my hands. I knocked on it again and tilted my head. There was just something about it... It looked like beautiful steel, but the sound it made was strangely distinct from any steel I knew, and I couldn’t help wondering about what made this so different.
“That’s Lord Dias for you!” said Barnite. “You’ve noticed, haven’t you? That steel there’s got some coal and magical stone mixed into it. Makes it more resistant to rust! Strengthens the stuff something fierce too...but makes it pliable and easier to work at the same time, which is a real godsend when it comes to processing. Used to be called magical steel back in the day, but that doesn’t have much of a ring to it, does it? I reckon we call it Baarbadal steel. No! Just baar steel! Great!”
I held the metal by the edges and tried bending it. I was just curious as to what Barnite meant when he said it was pliable.
“Steel’s something I’m familiar with,” I said, “but steel with magical stones in it is a first. Then again, I’ve never actually put much thought into what the difference is between even iron and steel before. I thought it just referred to where it came from or color differences, that sort of thing. Hmm... For pliable steel, this stuff is hard to bend.”
“Look, Lord Dias, it’s one thing if it’s a sheet or a pole, but a clump of metal doesn’t just bend. We make it like this so it’s easier to transport, but... Whoa! Holy smokes! You’ve put a bend in this thing! Not even the cavekin can do this, Lord Dias!”
Barnite held the chunk of metal at eye level and stared closely at the surface. It had bent—just a tiny bit. I guess I’d put a little more into it than I should have, but at least I knew the stuff was good and tough. And if it was easier to smelt and work, then all the better.
“I wonder if we’ll be able to sell baar steel the way we sell baar wool?” I mused. “I mean, it’s not just iron, so we have to be careful about it, but what do you think, Barnite?”
“Well, for sure selling it straight is an option, but I reckon it’s better to sell it as part of a finished object. You’ll make more money that way, and that’ll ease what’s got you worried—we don’t want to be putting weapons in the hands of potential enemies. Best to be cautious.”