Jodiah Ayreg wiped some sweat from his forehead, soot-stained forearm leaving a broad black streak across the ridge of his brow. He had been working for days now -- almost as long as he had been finished with Tara's specially ordered sword. Minus the soulstock to truly finish the weapon, of course.

The tinkering of the gnomes brought a great idea to Jodiah's mind, so he opened his purse again to begin the construction of a suit of plate for himself, designed and partly constructed with the ingenuity of the gnomes.

Zorbenastrocalipermeneotullis (otherwise known as Bob) designed Tara's sword, as he designed the suit of armor. He had been working on a new way to smelt iron to make the steel, and so far it seemed to be going well. The steel plate he made as a test of the new smelting process was harder, stronger, and less prone to damage than the original. It seemed as if one could make the suit of armor lighter, then, since full plate made with this new process did not have to be as thick.

In any case, the gnomes worked in a fury, their little hammers clanking and banging, and their.. more bizarre tools working bolts, screws, and far more odder things. Gears, servos, sprockets, metal twine, cogs, slapping grease and globs of tar where it was needed. It was the most confusing of cacaphonies that Ayreg had ever heard, watching the gnomes diligently work on the armor.

The same clever sliding and interlocking plates that went into the sword went into the armor, as well. Ayreg had tried on the pauldron, first, flexing his arm to test it. Though it was far from being completed at the time -- it still needed engraving work, and needed to be tempered, amongst other minor details -- it felt almost as if it was a velvet coat, save only for the added bulk.

Jodiah Ayreg was impressed.

At least until Zorbenastrocalipermeneotullis (otherwise known as Bob) accidentally sent a small bolt into the wrong thing when working on the cuirass, causing a shrill whistle and expelling a thin stream of powerfully projected steam into the air. The gnomes were cursing, in their own way, using lots of nautical terms Ayreg didn't understand. He suspected however, that work on the cuirass would need to be restarted.

Nevertheless, they continued their dutiful work for many, many, many hours. The door opened, and Thistle the Gnome trudged in shouldering a heavy bag of bronzestock. The gnomes seemed to think that with the steel itself being as thin as it is from the new smelting process of the iron ore, the plates themeselves that made up the armor could be backed in something called fortified bronze. Ayreg was unfamiliar with the term, but they had not led him astray yet. He agreed.

Steel plates were coated in black enamel after they were engraved, giving Ayreg the appearance he will desire. Pauldron and vambraces were donned, as well as the greaves. The servolinked, autoactuated clockwork armor was the first of its kind that he had ever worn, and most likely the first of its kind the gnomes had ever made. As they fit the newly-restored and black-enameled cuirass over his torso, Ayreg grunted.

"It's heavy" he said, softly.

"O' course it be, lad, it ain't powered up!"

"Powered...up?" Ayreg's eyebrow raised. The gnomes grinned to themselves, pulling a box out from beneath a blanket.

"We dinna' wann'a ruin th' surprise, I-Reg." Joshel the Large (the Gnome) said, taking a long drink of rum.

Zorbenastrocalipermeneotullis (otherwise known as Bob) moved over to Ayreg, and tapped a place on the breastplate. Jodiah didn't exactly see where it was or what it would look like, but the front of the breastplate seemed to slide open to the left, revealing a small, square-shaped hole. He turned his head in speculation of just how much that weakens the suit of armor as a whole.

Knowing the gnomes and their penchant for tinkering.. probably not much.

The box was opened, and a soft blue glow issued out into the room. Even Jodiah stared in awe. He had heard about these things, of course, but never expected to actually see one in his lifetime. He almost wished he were a mage so he could fully explore the benefits of having one.

"A mana stone?"

"Aye... but, in thi' case, it be a mana battery."

Zorbenastrocalipermeneotullis (otherwise known as Bob) plucked the glowing mana stone in his tiny fingers, aligning it just so with the small square hole, and set it down into the tiny arms designed to hold the thing, and he closed the sliding plate over it.

"Battery? I do not know this wo--...woah." In the instant it clicked into place, Jodiah felt an empowering surge of strength roll through his body, and the faint whistle of steam erupted from the right shoulder of the cuirass, expelling the superheated air out harmlessly overhead. Jodiah lifted his arms, looking at the vambraces and bracers covering his arms and wrists, and the gauntlets over his hands. He flexed fingers, his arms, and almost laughed with joy. Almost.

"Gnomes are truly a marvel. You and your clockwork tinkerings." Jodiah said, flexing his fingers more. The sliding, interlocking, jointed, swiveling plates of steel affixed to chainmail was like wearing the finest silk glove he ever had. The entire suit of armor, except for the added bulk of actually wearing it, felt almost like the high-collared coat-and-breeches combo he normally wore.

Where there wasn't machined platemail to guard his body, the links of his blackened-alloy chainmail could be seen, worn beneath the heavier armor.

Jodiah's thin lips twitched in almost rapturous delight. It felt good to be home, his entire body wrapped in the product of blood, sweat, and iron.