The Chronicles of a Scalebound Sage: Wandmaker Vol.2

WM [21] Bad Vibes

There was an nearly electric excitement in the air as Tanisha opened the storage crate containing the items she would need to perform the cold infusion. First, and also the largest tool, was the infusion basin and its stand. The item would have cost her a small fortune as it is usually purchased by alchemy companies not a single traveling alchemist.

Her infusion basin was smaller than an industrial one but was a broad, shallow vessel, roughly three feet in diameter, with sides that gently slope inward to a flat base. It is made of a gleaming silvery metal called vintmoore ice silver which is known for its durability and resistance to both heat and magical energies. The surface of the metal is intricately etched with arcane runes and sigils, each one meticulously inscribed to channel and focus magical energies during the infusion process.

Wow, it is gorgeous. It looks more like it should be in a museum. I thought it would be years before I got something like this. I wonder how much it cost.

The basin had to be mounted on a sturdy but elegantly designed tripod made from the same metal. The design wasn't merely decorative but also extremely important to the functionality of the item. The intricate nature of the tripod came from the additional runes that covered nearly the entirety of each leg. There was a specific place in the middle of the wagon that it had to be secured to. The end of each leg had a hook designed to securely hold the basin to the ground during some of the most volatile infusion processes. The wagon had a female connector for those hooks so she could do her work safely.

"That looks good," Tanisha said excitedly as she looked over the instruction manual again. "Halfway there!"

Next she attached delicate ice silver tubes to the drainage channels in the basin. The channels would, of course, direct any excess essence or reactant from the metal being treated. Not only that, but also separate the substances into containers for future use.

Tanisha had to be careful to attach them properly as spillage of reacting essences was not something she wanted dripping anywhere in the wagon or on herself. Once she had doubled and then triple checked the connection she summoned water with her Divination Hydromancy. She filled the basin and watched for any leaks. After a few tests she dismissed the water leaving her basin sparkly clean.

Lastly was the catalyst stones which are highly processed magic crystals that Tanisha could only dream of one day being able to make. They were made by large alchemy companies and were used by most professions that required infusing magic into an inanimate object. They could be substituted with magic crystals, but the end result was always less than using a catalyst stone.

She placed the six egg shaped catalyst stones into holders around the outer edge of the basin. There were small recesses designed to hold them securely. As she inserted them, there was a subtle but noticeable change in the ambient mana. The stones and the entirety of the basin and tripod glowed faintly as mana was drawn in and purified. A shimmer of light appeared over the open top of the basin which had a gentle and almost rhythmic hum. This was a barrier that would prevent the basin from boiling over or dangerous gasses and volatile magic from escaping. Equally as important, it prevented ambient mana from interfering with the reactions inside.

"Some infusions have tolerances so tight that without this barrier just a person being in the same room as it could cause an explosion," Tanisha said to herself as she talked her way through the process. "The catalyst stones should direct the flow of magical energies into the metal evenly. It is going to be up to me to ensure it stays stable."

Tanisha activates her Ringularity Sage Core ability which allows her control over mana, maya and aether. She further pushed the ambient mana that wasn't being used to power the basin out of the wagon, sterilizing the space of any possible interference. As she did, she took out the remaining tools she would need to get started. Luckily with cold infusion the only other things she needed were the vintmoore ice silver tongs and the essences Joel had brought her.