The bells it had taken in processing had strained Julia’s patience, but it was clear rushing would be dangerous. However, conversation with Usd’ghi while waiting had at least borne useful fruit. With wands, an onyx ring, and a pair of grimoires added to her collection. Usd’ghi had taken the Bracelet of True Faith off her hands, almost cooing about the chance to take its enchantments apart.
The grimoires required study, practice, and most important of all, time that she didn''t have at present. Elemental strikes from the wands would hopefully weaken the Dedicated. At least enough that her mana should let her make more significant inroads. Best of all, the onyx ring was a spell multiplier that doubled Julia’s mana limits, even if Usd’ghi seemed dismissive of its ‘basic’ capabilities.
Once outside the city, the return trip to the Pyramid took hardly any time; Julia hoped this excursion would provide better results, even if the brawl of her previous visit had been fun. With the plateau clear of any sign of the Dedicated, Julia flew down to land near the courtyard’s upper rim. As she moved forward to peer down into it, Julia froze. Though she’d been planning to use Dark Sight to look out shadows toward the left archway, she’d spotted Dedicated on the right side. Dark Sight let her look out through various shadows and it became clear why. The courtyard and its wall had mirrored arches on each side, with Dedicated waiting in the adjoining chambers.
Though each chamber wasn’t a waiting place, it contained the top of a curving staircase. Its path descended towards the front of the temple before curving outwards underground. On nearly every broad step twisting down into the depths, the Dedicated waited. Moments dragged on with no reaction from them before Julia explored further with Dark Sight. Gaps in their formations going down seemed to show their losses, as before Dark Sight reached its limits, they packed every stair.
Among their forms and faces, some jogged memories of broken limbs and burnt flesh that now showed no battle damage. When she looked out of the shadows combining Dark Sight and Soul Sight, she could see black threads woven into their Soul. Lines that were stretching slowly away from their hosts, tightening as they pointed upwards. An attempt to try again with Mana Sight showed her nothing of them, even though she could see the Mana in the stones and binding their forms.
Do I still have a grip on their Souls? Or is that something else?
It doesn’t show up to Mana Sight. Is there a Soul or Spirit affinity? If I had them, would Mana Sight show them then?
None of the arcane lore I’ve learnt so far shows it exists. Then again, I need more time studying theory and not just learning spell forms.
I need to get some theory books instead of only grimoires with spells.
Too many questions J. Need answers on more than just Energy Drain.
Repeatedly, power would pulse through the very rocks and then subside. To Julia’s count, the pace of its occurrence was as regular as a clock’s minute hand. The screams heard previously still rang out, distant echoes in the otherwise still air. Dark Sight allowed her to look deep into the surface level of the Temple. With it letting her skip between shadows, she found the Temple building met with expectations. Depictions of Set’s Power on the wall continued to lessen Julia’s already low view of him. The remaining eighty metres of the Temple building were hallways of worship and various ceremonial preparation rooms that contained only furnishings.
[Time Sense [J](4->5)
Dark Sight [Ap](12->13)]
Need information, Usd’ghi wants the Souls, but there is someone still alive in there.
So the only way is down? I just need Sarah to comment about men’s underwear.
I hope they’re doing better than just surviving.
Protean shaped her into a pebble, and holding steady with Flight, Julia used Teleport to reposition herself against the staircase’s ceiling. The undead lines below didn’t even stir in reaction, and she started further and further down its curving path; the horde turning into thousands the deeper the stairs ran.
{{Don’t look fellow, my nub’s hard. }}
<<So much divine resource set in this place far from its Power base. What is it scheming? >>
Julia internally shuddered as feelings of concern and strange thoughts twisted beneath the surface of her mind. Visualisation of a waitress attracting male colleagues’ attentions with her peanut smuggling came to mind. In stark contrast to concern regarding the amount of divine power the legions she’d passed represented.
<hr>
The path down the broad stairs finally changed, and instead of turning yet again, it opened up into a vast gallery overlooking a massive drop. With a location picked out by Dark Sight, she teleported again and used her available senses to examine the place. The gallery curved away to either side, forming a massive cylinder beyond which another set of stairs led upward.
Above Julia, the cylinder’s top arced upwards towards the cylinder’s middle point to form a domed cap. Just under the dome’s apex, a black crystal Ankh some four to five metres in height floated in midair. As Julia watched, a Soul swam towards it out of a channel cut in the dome’s side. When it neared the Ankh, it sent them lancing downwards far faster than they had approached it. Shortly after it hurtled down, a mana pulse came upwards through the stones. Analysis of the Ankh returned simply unknown, yet the spike of pain showed the relative strength of its magic.
If that channel leads towards the glyph, I’ve come down a long way.
Not now, dear, I’ve got a headache.
{{Were you born with one then? }}
<<You poke the bear and crack jokes. Admitting fear is a surer place to start. >>
Beyond the rim of the gallery, the construction plunged downwards far into the darkness. Irregular light sources showed its descent, fading pools of light showing additional galleries spaced along its course. With no sign of any wards, the shadows cast by the pools of light provided target points. Julia, still using Dark Sight to target, each Teleport planned to take her from the shadows above one gallery to the next.
Yet the numbers of Dedicated on the galleries continued to climb. Undead bearing weapons started in the mix of their numbers, Archers, Spear and Swordsmen thickened their ranks. When she used Analysis on them, while their undead level remained consistent, their class levels climbed the further she went. The sound of the screaming also grew louder, but still with no visible source.
{{Way down we go! Crank it up, baby. But can we get out again?}}
<<The stone feeds the screams, so they carry strangely. >>
Well, at least the song stuck in my head changed from the mission impossible theme.
I just hope I’m not sticking my head into one of Usd’ghi''s sort of traps. They’ve got an army hidden down here. Why?
A thought made her paranoid, and about to pass the tenth gallery, Julia teleported back above the courtyard instead.
So I can get out—more than a kilometre below the dome, with no bottom in sight.
Greater Teleport took Julia back again and setting paranoia aside, she continued the descent. Yet a few galleries down the sight ahead made her pause. While the further she had descended, the weapons and armour had grown more ornate. Now ahead, things changed again as the usual check for wards revealed enchantments rippling against her Mana Sense. Though the troops arrayed on the gallery below were fewer, energy set into enchantments lay over the weapons and armour that hung from every figure.
Each section had only ten or twelve standing guards in the same amount of space that had held hundreds. Studying a Khopesh carrying warrior among them made her mind ache. The sickle end of its sword seemed shrouded in a mix of mental mana and two others she couldn’t determine woven together.
[Species: Dedicated of Set
Class: Hope’s Reaper
Level: <Unknown>
Health: <Unknown>
Mana: <Unknown>
Defence: <Unknown>
Melee Attack Power: <Unknown>
Combat Skills: <Unknown>
Condition: <Unknown>
Details: <Unknown>]
Analysis [Ad](1->2)
Further attempts fared little better with class after class returned clearly being prestige, Oblivion Knights, Plague Lords, Light Eaters, Void Stars, and Gloom Lances, mixed among other less ominous names. Though even what powers the likes of Fortress Breakers and Siege Banes possessed, she gained no clues. By the time Julia finished, carefully checking those she could see, Analysis was painfully happy, though its progress had already slowed.
Analysis [Ad](15->16)
Julia spotted the next location and skipped again to find the stonework about her changed. Instead of laying stonework, they carved the galleries from the bedrock itself. Still, it was a dozen galleries or more before shadows hinted at a floor below. Pillars circled a rough-edged pit, illuminated when another Soul hit, and the prisoners chained upright against them screamed. Though whatever power it released that caused them such pain remained unfelt by Julia, and as soon as the pulse died, she repositioned herself atop a pillar. Dark Sight peeking through a nearby shadow showed the pit’s rough-hewed edge, but only prisoners about and no guards in sight.
{{Anyone for ribs? Well, one at least. }}
<
>
<<Child. I do not know what Set seeks, but this is truly dangerous. >>
A strange sense of familiar longing and dread stirred across Julia’s awareness as she took in the awful scene. Not knowing what caused the homesickness, Julia focused on the task at hand. With the manacled hands of an unconscious woman nearby, she focused on them and used Analysis.
[Name: Khenut
Species: Human, Egyptian Descent
Class: Wizard
Level: 42
Health: 32 (294)
Mana: 0 (1,470)
Defence: 0
Melee Attack Power: 0
Combat Skills: Dagger [J] (4), Various spells form - Fire, Lightning, and Spatial Affinity
Condition: Exhausted. Unconscious. Abyssal Blight (Severe). Mana suppressed. Diseased.
Details: A native of Memphis, Khenut has been a member of the Charter house association since completing her apprenticeship. The slave manacles of Set are currently suppressing their mana, defence and attack capabilities. ]
[Name: Ipy
Species: Human, Egyptian Descent
Class: Ranger (Bast)
Level: 48
Health: 90 (456)
Mana: 0 (288)
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Defence: 0
Melee Attack Power: 0
Combat Skills: Heavy Blades [Ad] (47), Short Blades [Ad] (39), Short Bow [M] (2), Various minor blessings
Condition: Exhausted. Unconscious. Abyssal Blight (Moderate). Mana suppressed. Diseased.
Details: Normally employed as an expedition member of the Charter house’s questing teams. Ipy also escorts faithful of Bast between their postings. The slave manacles of Set are currently suppressing their mana, defence and attack capabilities.]
As Julia looked over each prisoner, she found various empty pillars among them, and those prisoners occupying pillars were all in a battered state. However, those with the worst Abyssal blight seemed consistently closer to death. While she tried to determine who needed help first, a pair of humans moved into the chamber. Like most of the Prisoners, the newcomers were Egyptian in appearance. They wore leather kilts and a chest piece engraved with the emblem of Set. As they passed each prisoner, they rechecked their manacles and, ignoring the filth on the floor about them, forced something into their mouths. Telepathy shared their thoughts quickly enough, though many she simply filed away under debts to be paid.
#These fools won’t last much longer. Their suffering won’t hasten the work as much as he hoped. We should have hundreds of villagers here, not sellswords and fools.#
#Stupid Demons, they should have kept the villagers alive, not butchered them. He told them to take them, not kill them. Blight will kill these faster than the food and tonics we have on hand to keep them alive to suffer. #
Yeah, loopholes they were obeying orders. Guess they want to make your boss out to be a fool.
Analysis
[Name: Sabni
Species: Human, Egyptian Descent
Class: Priest
Level: 32
Health: 384
Mana: 768
Defence: 32
Melee Attack Power: 34
Combat Skills: Staff [Ad] (1), Dagger [Ad] (2)
Details: Attracted to the service of Set by jealousy of his older siblings, Sabni revels in the power his worship of Set brings him. He offered his eldest sister as a sacrifice for the completion of his novice vows.
]
[Name: Djar
Species: Human, Egyptian Descent
Class: Alchemist
Level: 23
Health: 184
Mana: 598
Melee Attack Power: 21
Combat Skills: Dagger [J] (1)
Details: Employed by the Church of Set for various projects, Djar is a non-combatant specialised in the creation and processing of magical materials.
]
Their feeding isn’t gentle, but I’ll see about getting the prisoners out when they leave.
Julia looked over the rough edges of the pit and held herself back from exploring further. The pair had barely started feeding the prisoners when Khenut’s skin started weeping black liquid.
Two bags, eight thousand kilograms total capacity, for forty-six prisoners should be enough. Not sure Khenut can afford the wait. Time to go.
Between one blink and the next, Djar’s head exploded, and as blood sprayed over him, Sabni turned at the sound. A gore-soaked foot met their gaze as a snap kick drove forward. The impact crushed them into a pillar, and the force of the Ki Strike broke through their skull and cracked the stone. Focused on the prisoners, Julia ignored the remains slipping from her to the surrounding ground. Her transformation from pebble to full height inside Djar’s mouth even gorier than she’d expected.
Still floating in midair, Julia locked her gaze on the blood-soaked prisoner near her.
[Combat Summary:
Humans x 2
Total-Experience to be distributed: +1,868
Blood Monk <Monk> : + 800
Succubus ?? : + 1,068
Silent Kill (1->2)
Death Strike (1->3)
Stealth [J](27->32)]
“I sure hope some of you speak Norse because this is a rescue,” Julia said, trying to keep her voice firm, but it carried low against their cries of pains.
“Gross, I’m so sorry, we need to move fast,” said Julia as she pulled the bags from inventory.
I sure hope this doesn’t make things worse.
Teleport returned her to the Khenut’s side and bracing her upright. Julia’s hand slapped the chains, and she willed inventory to store the manacles. As another pain-wracked prisoner watched in disbelief, Julia slipped Khenut’s hand into a storage bag and willed it to hold her. Julia moved among the unconscious first, some of whom’s skin wept even darker fluid than Khenut’s skin had shed.
“Does anyone speak Norse?” Julia asked, as her ability to translate brought questioning words and venomous hate.
I should have at least appeared like me, and not my sex bot Succubus form. I wanted to grow to myself. When did it become that?
I hope Telepathy works.
#You all have a choice. I can free you and leave. Otherwise, you can come with me and live. The unconscious can’t take any more of being here; they’re in dimensional storage.#
“We don’t have gear. How can we fight you or them?” asked an older man, shaking the manacles at her.
“I’ve no plans to fight you. I’m here to help.”
“Why should we trust you, Succubus?” he asked, grunting out pained words in Norse. Julia shrugged and appeared beside him, and the manacles soon vanished from him.
“I’m the only option that doesn’t end with you dying in this pit. If I wanted you dead. Well,” Julia said and gestured towards the two dead men. “You’re wasting time. While the dimensional bag has air, I don’t know how much.”
Julia held the second bag to the man, and when he stuck his hand into it, she willed him away. Prisoner after prisoner joined the others in storage before she returned to the blood-soaked man. Freed, she extended the bag to him and watched him put a shaking hand inside it. Teleport took her to the Pyramid’s top as soon as he vanished, where she willed the older man free again on the black soil.
He looked at her in confusion, flinching back as she drew forth the conduit.
“It’s ugly, I know, but it’s a planar conduit. My ‘Use’ name is Eakc?, and it’s your choice, accept my bond.” said Julia, offering an Allegiance bond to him. “Do we get them out of here? If so, you walk through and call me out when you get to the end. Or do I argue with a bunch of them till I find one that speaks Norse and says yes? Or you can all walk back to the Temple. It’s just there.” Julia said, pointing across the open graves to the building of Set.
“Where are you taking us?”
“Norse town of Eyrarháls, you all need healing, but this conduit doesn’t open in a controlled fashion. You could end up anywhere on the planet. Though I’d love to chat, your friends are running out of time,”
“If you betray them, Succubus. Somehow I’ll find a summoner and have them seal you in a circle for all time,”
It was a moment longer before Julia felt them accept the Bond.
[Allegiance Bond Formed: Neferu, Chapter house leader, has accepted your Bond]
[Haggling [Ap] (22->24)
Allegiance Bond (10->11)]
{{Haggling aka pushing someone up against a wall and fuck them over till they say yes, baby. }}
<<Haste shouldn’t be a reason to lose compassion. >>
When the bond snapped into place, Julia put the wiggling conduit into his hand
{{It’s the right length, but it’s got teeth and sometimes spines. Oh well. }}
“Now repeat after me,” Julia said.
{{With this dildo, I do plunge. }}
<<Child, I would advise you to get things under control. >>
Focus kept Julia from shivering against an awful thought as she spoke the command words for Neferu to repeat.
<hr>
A raging blizzard had almost ended Neferu before Julia had gotten through the conduit. She was sealing it away as he fell, shivering to the snow-covered ground. Julia put him back into the dimensional bag and teleported fast, the cold making even her ache from it. Soon prisoners were being released into the night air south beyond the farms outlying Eyrarháls.
“Tell them not to go anywhere. They’re diseased. I’ll ask a High Justice of Tyr to come help,” said Julia.
“You’re a Succubus. You expect me to believe you’ll seek a High Justice?” Neferu asked.
“Yeah, of course not, and I wouldn’t help any of you back to the material plane either,” Julia said, rolling her eyes at him as she released another prisoner. Julia sent Ki down the bond between them and enjoyed the look of Neferu’s eyes widening in astonishment. The shivering wracking his body ceased, and wounds knitted together. Lightly touching the bond, she started drawing the Abyssal energies back from him.
“I’d suggest you know absolutely nothing about me. So shut up and tell them. I don’t want to hurt them, but I will if I have to. They’re safer now, but whatever diseases they have need curing first. Plus, they’re all naked, covered in shit and piss, with no actual idea where they are. Make sense now?” asked Julia.
“The night is warmer yet too cold. Some will sicken further before any recover mana,” said Neferu.
“Yeah, I have a plan for that. We need to get everyone out and breathing clean air first. I grabbed the unbroken tonic flasks. Get them into the worse of those we’ve freed.”
“We’ve? I did nothing.”
“Without your agreement, I had limited options. Some of which would not have gone well.”
State some of these are in, I wonder if going to the grey fields would have caused their death.
Julia listened to him repeating her instructions. as Translate got to work improving with Egyptian, she was already freeing the last of the Prisoner from storage. Some others came forward to take custody of the tonics and unconscious; meanwhile, Julia ripped blankets from her flesh.
Wax on, wax off.
[Translate Languages [J] (16->17)]
<hr>
[Mental Hardening [Ad] (3->4)]
Rip yourself apart for fun and skill levelling
Julia was still considering the last skill increase while she stood waiting for Verdandi to arrive. Her hand cloaked in lightning; the energy illuminated the surrounding night like a halogen light bulb. The distant beating of wings attracted her attention away from a shivering prisoner. They were gripping their blankets tightly as Julia considered if she should use health and make another round. While she had expected flight to be involved, the four Pegasi was a surprise. As Julia caught sight of Verdandi, Farhad was suddenly right nearby, appearing in a flicker of motion.
“Master Farhad,” Julia said. A force of will alone had kept her from vanishing away. The shift of air letting her recognise the sign of his arrival at the last moment.
[Perception [J] (36->37)]
“Eakc?. You have returned with some of Moke’s missing, I take it,” Farhad said.
“Moke? He organised this?” asked an elf who’d been staying clear of Julia. The moon elf was a beauty to Julia’s eyes, even if she looked as much of a mess as the others. With the elf''s words showing she knew him, it made her wonder how they’d gotten on with Moke’s flirting. The moonlight made the elf’s skin almost translucent, though in the clear light, it was greyish white. Short cut hair looked as if someone had painted it with liquid silver. Despite her being close to Julia’s height standing, her features and build were deceptively delicate.
“He never told me their names, but it seems so,” said Julia, addressing Farhad’s question.
“Moke organised nothing, merely told Eakc? of your situation. Eakc? offered to venture into the darkness to seek you,” Farhad said, moving to kneel beside the elf. “May I have your name, child?”
“Child! You know little of Elven lore, human,” said the elf, an indigent tone entering her voice.
I’ll put it down to stress.
“You look close to one hundred. Your elders that greeted the fleet centuries ago looked ageless to me. You look like a child in their place,” Farhad said. His words in High Elven, were the first Julia had heard spoken besides the Grotto’s song.
“Best not to assume,” said Julia. Her use of fluent High Elven, adding to Farhad’s, made her look ready to stroke. “You look good for your years, Master Farhad,”
“The Ki practices can lead mortal flesh to an Immortal path if followed by an enlightened Soul,” Farhad said.
“So a few of your path about?” asked Julia.
“I was the last on the material plane. Though despite my intent not to teach again, it seems the heavens have other plans.”
The look of distrust directed at them both miffed Julia enough to be rude.
Analysis
[Name: Lastriel Sylvgove
Species: Moon Elf
Class: Ranger / Priestess
Level: 60 / 30
Health: 150 (1,320)
Mana: 90 (1,500)
Defence: 54
Melee Attack Power: 110
Combat Skills: Short blades [M] (16), Long bow [M] (15), Short Bow [M] (16), Spear [M] (5), Long blades [M] (4)
Condition: Abyssal Blight (Severe). Diseased.
Details: Lastriel Sylvgove, youngest daughter of the current King of the Moon Elf people. Chosen to be his heir by her people’s magic, she left to seek adventure rather than abide by her father and the Elven council’s direction.
]
[Elven Lore (1->3)]
“Her name’s Lastriel. Her father and people might be glad their heir is alive,” Julia said, watching the elf’s eyes flinch wide for a moment.
“At least I have people. You whorish little water serpent,” said Lastriel, her voice cold with contempt.
[Perception [J] (37->38)
Sense Motive [Ap] (10->11)]
I know I have to be paying proper attention to level them.
[Perception [J] (38)]
Arse!
“Meow. Do you need some milk, kitten? I’m not the one that ran out on my family, now am I?”
“Eakc?,” said Farhad, his voice reproving as he held out hands glowing with a welcome blue mist to Lastriel. “Just hold your hand above mine, Princess, the healing energy of the Ki will aid you. Eakc? rescued you, Princess. Doesn''t that act alone warrant some manners?”
“Can you heal Abyssal blight that way?” asked Julia
“Not to my knowledge, Eakc?. Why?”
“She’s got a severe case of it. I think it’s causing the murky fluid her skin’s leaking,” Julia said, gesturing towards the sores showing on Lastriel’s hands.
“Verdandi and Torm will be here shortly. I’m sure one of them can help with that part," reassured Farhad, as he focused on healing.
“Okay. I can draw it out through an Allegiance bond, but I wondered if the Ki was part of the reason,” Julia said, thoughtfully.
“When you don’t drown a Soul in Ki itself?” asked Farhad.
“I wasn’t drowning Livia. I had to provide something when I removed Abyssal energy from her,” said Julia. As a memory emerged, “Do you tell Moke what is safe to eat while travelling, princess?”
“The only thing he knows to eat is what others prepare. He’d chew on twigs if his music distracted him,” Lastriel said, her tone now polite even as her gaze avoided Julia.
Yeah, so you don’t want to admit I even exist.
[Sense Motive [Ap] (11->12)]
“How do you do that, Farhad?” asked Julia, trying not to snort at a mental image of Moke chewing a wooden spoon.
“You call the Ki to drift in your hands. Imaging it warming the surface of your skin and the energy shining through. Not as Ki Armour guarding, but a fireplace on a snowy night.” Farhad said,
Julia knelt and watched the Ki radiate along the surface of his hands, let Harmony set her mind adrift with the night. The Ki radiated with a light of a clear sky, brilliant blue catching her eyes and senses. The Abyssal heat in her own hands blocked the Ki’s flow till she peeled it back as when freeing Souls. As it came away, a golden-hued light glowing brighter than a spotlight came rising through her skin.
<<Is your Soul not beautiful, Child? You remember the Song. >>
On seeing it, the song remembered from the Grotto echoed in Julia’s mind.
[Mana Affinity Unlocked: Life
Universal Life Unlocked.
Universal Life (1). ]
Oh, good Universal Life. Reiki, why didn’t you say so, Farhad.
“By the merciful Goddess,” Farhad breathed, his eyes fixated on Julia’s hands.
“By the Song,” said Lastriel, her words a mere whisper in the beautiful High Elven.
The sound of trotting horses interrupted the moment, and Julia let the Ki withdraw.
“Julia?” asked Torm from the approaching group. While Verdandi had been easy to pick out amid the four Pegasi riders, but Torm’s size had blended with the other guards he’d brought to escort the High Justice.
“Yeah, we’re here. Lots of sick stinky folk, so we''d better take it easy,” said Julia, “cousins of yours?” she asked after a moment’s pause and gestured towards the two guards.
“Indeed. Very distant cousins,” Torm said. Julia glanced over to see him and Verdandi ground hitching their Pegasi and starting towards the group.
“But of course,” said Julia. Smiling at the pair of them in welcome.
“How many undead did you remove to get them free?” Verdandi asked as she moved among the group.
“Only two hundred. After they swarmed, I figured sneaking in was a better idea,”
“You’re the Soul Eater,” said Lastriel, her voice startled.
“Who said anything about that?” Julia asked, looking at the elf who seemed ready to take an interest in things.
“Before I last passed out, a Priest was yelling about a Soul Eater messing with the Garrison,” said Lastriel, “he was talking about setting wards to block rogue undead from entering the temple. I was almost hoping one would come to destroy us before we furthered their plans.”
“I didn’t see any wards in place, and not undead, unfortunately for them.”
“Thank you, Julia, Farhad. I have a blessing from Tyr that should handle purification of their flesh and healing. Julia, if you would please keep watch on the far side. I’m not sure how the blessing might affect yourself.”
“How much clearance?”
“At least a hundred rods to be safe,”
“Alright, High Justice,”
Teleport carried her further away than the thirty metres the knowledge in her brain translated the rods’ distance. Though the rod measurement seemed shorter than feet, some things weren’t worth taking a risk. As she listened to Verdandi’s rolling chant carry through the quiet air to her, a thought struck Julia, and her lips curled in a predatory smile.
Time to take the gloves off. First, I’ll see if there is a mage that can shape metal and then I’ll head back.