Private In cloth of gold, Iron will hold...

[Obran]

Music Theme


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Obran had begun to branch out. Take commissions on his own, for those needing armor repaired, a weapon honed, or even new armor forged. Any mando'ad worth their beskar would know how to hone their own weapons. But when the hallmark of your skills was the study of weapons to such depth you made swords that felt alive in the hand and armor that wore like a second skin.... You were apt to be able to put an edge on things that few could really compete with. Daily he spent hours toiling in the forge, stripped to his leather apron and leggings, tattooed torso free and soot streaked. But also daily he spent drilling with the weapons he created.

Range time with pistols, testing draw-fire, at distance, and more. Room clearing drills. Sword forms and theory, from teras kasi to Echani swordmanship to even Thyrsian and Matukai techniques. The more he knew, in his philosophy, the better that which he made would serve those he made it for. Though rare on the battlefield, most would agree a Goran, the traditional title for a Mandalorian beskar smith and lore-keeper, was a terrifyingly diverse and deadly foe.

But today he merely worked on repair orders, currently patching a seam on a chest piece of euk'gar for a vode while he waited for someone he had been told was aiming to pay him a visit for a custom suit, from head to toe. This was an honor to a budding goran, and a mark of his slowly growing reputation of skill. A fellow Mandalorian trusted his work enough to invest in a whole cuirass, and he wouldn't disappoint. But until they arrived, the fires of other needs awaited his toil.

Talohn Atar

 

[Talohn Atar]

Obran's attention would soon be caught by two people entering the forge. One pair of normal footsteps, and the other pair distinctly of heavy steel in nature. One organic, one droid. When he turns about to look, he'd see two folks standing before him. One grey furred cathar, and an imposing yet lean formed bipedal droid. If Obran has been with the enclave for a while, he might have heard of these two. Talented supposedly, if not a bit on the crazy side. Weird stuff goes about regarding the both of them. The cathar, Talohn, the man who fought a being possessed by a thousand sith spirits, and didn't win, but still cam out alive. Quite impressive in it's own way. Though the word on the block is that his specialty is heists, he's quite the slicer and vault cracker, but he can gun with the best of them as well. Though there's a downside. They say he didn't join the enclave for true belief in the manalorians, but instead to secure a future for his child, Monari, should he ever end up dead.

Then there's the droid. This is where the outlandish stuff comes in, this droid. Quite a fine droid too. Plated with beskar, armed to the teeth, internal heating systems to stop cryo, even hydraulics in the limbs for extra strength. This unit could fight sith with what's it's equipped with on the surface level. Though the outlandish part is the tales of i's brutality, the pleasure it tales in hurting it's enemies, and on top of it all, the rumors say the droid is sentient. Only Talohn himself could tell the truth of that matter, but it would make sense if that were the case considering Talohn put the droid in a layer of beskar.

Talohn, currently in his Mandalorian armor, save for the helmet, which he has under his right arm, patiently waits along with his droid until the smith is ready to stop. Talohn, being one who works on making weapons as well, knows the process and doesn't want to interrupt art in progress or anything.

Obran

 

[Obran]

The droid Obran gave a passing glance, then dismissed. While he didn't hate them like some of his brethren, he did carry a deeper mistrust than many on their reliability and capability. Some had earned grudging respect, and he made use of them from a pragmatic standpoint. But trust like Talohn Atar seemed to his companion was not something that had, or likely would ever, happen. Stepping from his work, he pulled the dimming goggles he wore off a rugged face and placed them on the bench next to the chest piece. A little polish and finish and it would be repainted, good as new. Euk'gar, like any metal, had it's tricks and secrets. And even though those who pioneered the alloy made it to resemble beskar at a time when it was scarce, one was a fool if they thought working them was the same. He was learning this in a pointed fashion, likely by design as he studied with the The Quartermaster at the Enclave.

Nodding, the goran gestured to the forge and area he occupied, then the newcomer in armor.

"Su'cuy vod. I am Obran. What can we of the forge do for you?"

 

[Talohn Atar]

The droid remains silent for the moment, allowing Talohn to speak up. "So uh...I'm...new here. Very new. I'm not sure how all this works. But I've done a few heists, stolen beskar back from various pirates and imperial fools. So....I can provide the materials. Do I like...pay credits? Or is there some other currency I missed?" He questions, a bit lost. Where he's from, people don't give eachother stuff for free. The droid seems to be carrying a small box of some sort, likely full of the previously mentioned beskar. The droid can lift it with one arm. Impressive for it's lean size.

"Do I need to help? I know my way around a forge. Though it's only guns and blades. I'm not sure how to make armor, really. I'm willing to help any way I can though." He's being careful, it's obvious. He doesn't want to cause any offense. He was just adopted into house verd, and he has a lot to learn of mandalorian culture. Though, he's willing to try.

Obran

 

[Obran]

The earnestness threw him. For a moment, the goran was a bit taken aback, and silent. But it was clear this silence was in consideration and almost gratitude, rather than being upset. Upset smiths were easy to tell. They were usually beating your skull in with their hammer, or some variant therein. Slowly, Obran shook his head and smiled to Talohn Atar .

"Usually there is charge. Credits. Trade. Something. But for you? The one who is "new" but knows better than most old? Sit.. Talk with me. We will plan your armor, and payment is later, if ever. You have an honesty that reminds me of young me. I will help you... So tell me, how do you fight? Blades? At great range? In heavy or light armor? I must know this to make a cuirass for you..."

 

[Talohn Atar]

"Uh...how do I know better than most old?" he asks. To him, he was just showing common courtesy. Was that so uncommon within the enclave? Talohn did not know. He opts to sit in the nearest seat across from the smith, speaking up again afterwards. "I should probably give a formal introduction. Name's Talohn Atar, of the Atar tribe on Cathar. Though I'm Also Talohn Verd. I prefer Atar since....well. I still love my mom and dad. No reason to cast their name aside." He shrugs. "Enough of those technicalities. The droid is Madlad."

"Greetings." The droid states simply, the white lense that is it's eye lighting up as it speaks. The droid is leaning on a nearby wall, arms crossed. An oddly organic pose for a droid to take.

After Madlad speaks, Talohn begins to answer questions. "I have a preferences towards blades, shotguns, slughthrowers. Close to medium range. Though I prefer to maintain relative mobility, I don't want armor as bulky as a mech droid or anything. Somewhere in between heavy or light, medium if possible? If not, I use uhhh...force speed I believe it's called? So I can make due with heavy. I just...need the armor to be protective, really. Something that'll make sure I come home to my little girl on my own two feet instead of in a body bag. Do you make blades too? I have a lightsaber...But catharese warrior training doesn't cover those, and I'd rather not lose a hand." He chuckles.

Obran

 

[Obran]

"Your natural attitude is what we train our children to be. Or what we should. Strength. Humility. Fierceness. Willingness to pay the cost."

Taking the control pad next to the forge, Obran began selecting designs and dies. Beskar, for rough shape, was easiest thus. Hammer forging was a possibility, but it produced no better or worse a thing in the end. And die hammered still required hand finishing. Same talents, different paths to the identical end. Eyeing the earnest man, he looked at the droid, and nodded. About as respectful and polite as he would be to the machine. Fierce eyes regarded the screen as he began selecting parts and composing a model to inspect. Frowning a bit, he changed the options for the leg armor. A voice like gravel over bronze rang out as he spoke with half-thought.

"Light-medium is a fine way to put it. Armor the upper torso, but keep it overlapping and segmented for mobility. Keep the lower torso light, armored skirting like a kama. I have seen Cathar blades and can make them. Or I can make a beskad like our people are famed for, with some modifications to help it be more like your native blades. And teach you the rudiments of using it. What say you?"

Talohn Atar

 

[Talohn Atar]

"All of those things are valued amongst the catharese tribes. We may technically qualify as jungle predators, but we're far from savage." Catharese are a warrior race after all. Strong ones at that, though they're prone more to stealthy ways. They're the other side of the Farghul coin. Where Farghul are cats without honor, cathar have it in spades.

"I can't help much with the armor itself. But I can help with the tech installed in the armor." He smiles. The cathar was a talented worker when it comes to tech, guns and weaponry in specific. The guns he made weren't pretty, but damn did they work. "I uh, have some slight designs drawn out actually. Though I hope it doesn't impose on your artistic vision." Smithing was an an art, and Talohn saw interfering with it intensely as a crime. He holds out his datapad. It's some armor. Not schematics, but a drawing of armor.

He points at certain parts of the armor. "I know it doesn't make it exactly easy to blend in, and you don't have to make the armor exactly like this. But the golden trim on the edges, and the shape of the helmet. It's meant to be reminiscent of my tribe's warrior armor. We had helmets with similar shape, but there was no visor. Sort of a gladiator helmet." He may have left his home, and joined the mandalorians. But it's obvious he still loves the cathar, and wishes to honor his roots. Respectable.

"As for the blade, I find straightswords serve me well. like...." He uses his finger to trace out the shape of a regular longsword in the air. "You know what I mean? Simple, versatile. I prefer that to the curved blades. I might get a glaive at some point, mom taught me to use one. But I can do that later."

Obran

 

[Obran]

"Glaives are simple enough when you are ready. I prefer spears myself. A longsword I can do easy enough too, that is the shape you drew. They're basic enough. The similarities I will honor. Those that came before are the key to those who come after. The visor though, that is something I'd advise keeping. It is pretty key to all things. But we can alter the shape to a gladiator's visor. Shouldn't impact the HUD."

The holo-image began to change, blending the original concept Obran had came up with, and the ideas that Talohn Atar had presented. The one side of leg armor, Obran kept, but made a three-quarters grave with the inside of the shin and thigh exposed. Artistic license and some combat usage. Blending both was a key to being a master smith. The layered, overlapping armor he enjoyed and left almost entirely as is, excepting to add engravings that resembled Cathar architecture and artform. A quick search of the HoloNet showed that, and he chose designs he felt comfortable reproducing.

The engraving added tot he helmet and armor on the left (heavier) side, Obran gestured to the image as it slowly hovered, cycling a total armored view and various individual parts of the sit.

"Well, how does that look? I tried to add a bit of Catharese design flair. To honor your tribe."

 

[Talohn Atar]

"No, no. What you have now is perfect. I like the visor. Being a tach person, I tend to install my helmets with overlays. Hell, I'd get a neural implant if it didn't make getting hit by an EMP the equivalent of a hangover. At least that's what I hear in terms of what it's like. EMPS make the idea of any cybernetics scary, really. I'd only get one to replace something lost. Organic limbs are already efficient enough on their own." He shrugs.

He looks over the set of armor projected before him once again, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "So, we're also installing some tech? I have some ideas, but I want to hear from an expert in terms of what you wager we can fit in the armor. I'm thinking maybe some crushgaunts? Knee rockets, flamethrower....Armorweave cape maybe? Those...whistling birds I think? A blaster on the arm. Knee darts perhaps? Rocket on the arm wouldn't hurt. Oh, magetized boots? Or kinda anyways. Enough to stick to surfaces that are steep or upside down. I can probably make my own jetpack. I want it detachable. Or a repulsor pack? I don't know. Haven't messed much with portable flight to be honest....."

He gazes upon the suit, grinning happily. "Thank you for helping with this."

Obran