IoK Supplemental - Alchemy and Engineers
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"So... say that again?  I'm still not sure what you are trying to do here."


Eland shifted his weight from his left foot to his right.  Though he spent most days on his feet, he typically didn't have to reach this much.  The brass contraption that Jacob had hung above his work station was designed for Darians and as such, was just a foot or two higher than the Forgen cook cared to deal with.


"It's simple really... you produce an exceptional amount of heat when cooking.  The majority of which is being wasted.  Look here... these stones are radiating heat long after your bacon has been cooked.  We should be using this for something other than making a dwarf sweat."


As Eland held the brass high above his head, Jacob scuttled about the ground on his back.  A wheeled platform keeping him inches from the ground and allowing him to position additional piping beneath and around Eland's fire pit.  His white linen shirt sleeves had been rolled up to his elbows and his vest bore the stains from a few stray bacon drippings.  Around his waist was a wide leather belt, armored with an odd assortment of tools, pens, and protractors.  In contrast to Eland's slow and heavy shifting of weight, Jacob was a flurry of spindly arms and flitting fingers.  Like a well dressed spider preparing a nest.


"Almost finished here, then we'll need to fill the pressure chamber with water.  You should be able to let go now... it's bolted in place."


Eland carefully released the weight of the brass above him.  Bringing his hands back to his apron pockets, he found himself ducking his head in anticipation of the whole thing coming down on him.  When it didn't, he allowed himself to relax and take in the whole of Jacob's work. 


Coils of brass wound round the fire pit, giving the appearance of a metal ship rope set for storage.  In the center was his firepit.  Still functional for cooking, plus a chute for adding fuel.  This was Eland's part of the deal... no more bending over to shovel charcoal, he could load the bin once a day and it would feed itself as needed.  Clean out the back at dusk.  The rest was all for Jacob.


"Help me tip this upright... a little too heavy for me."


"Everything's too heavy for you.  How did you survive 3 years in Forgen and never gain any meat on you?"


The 'pressure vessel' that Jacob was ineffectively pushing on was a little smaller than a rain barrel, which was part of the point.  With Eland's assistance, the two were able to push it into an old wooden barrel that had been partially filled with sand.  Once it was upright, Jacob poured the rest of his sandbags into the barrel and around the vessel.


"The sand will help to hold heat and act as a barrier should... will lets just say there is a reason I didn't place this right next to your fire pit."


Eland eyed him suspiciously, but smiled along with the gaze.  This wasn't his first device the two had worked together on.  More than one had failed in catastrophic manner, usually resulting in a lot of noise and steam but nothing else.  Jacob was always careful to include fail-safes in his work.


"...and now the water.  Fill it to the line there and then seal it up.  It should begin working immediately."


Sure enough, as Eland closed the water hatch and spun the locking wheel he could see the water gauge rising.  It was always Jacob's favorite part and Eland's favorite to watch.  Every time, the two would gingerly step away from the pressure vessel.  As if their tiptoeing was the only thing convincing the brass barrel to behave.  Like sneaking away from a sleeping bear that you had just stumbled upon.  Jacob watched with anticipation as the little red float rose in the glass tube attached to the barrel.  It was this small vial that spelled success or failure.  As the float rose above Jacob's painted arrow and 'DANGER' wording, a hiss bellowed out from the barrel and thin jet of steam quietly vented from a brass fitting.


"See... the pressure release valve worked this time."


"Good... you can step out from behind me now and check to see if it works."


For a moment, Jacob looked ashamed of his actions, but the two had been here before and the embarrassment passed quickly.  Besides, Eland knew that Jacob couldn't take the heat like he could.


Following the brass tubing from the vessel to the firepit, Jacob checked for leaks and vents.  He held a white handkerchief on a stick, slowly tracing it around all the welded seams and fittings.  He raised his hands upward and followed the bends above the fire pit and then over to the wooden back of the camp's center lodge.


"Did it work?  Can you feel it yet?"


"This one can feel fire from the walls.  You have given us heat, Jacob."


Hsyrolno knelt before the brass tubing which ran along the lower half of the walls.  She held her hands before them and smiled as she could feel heat radiating from the steam within.


"Master Ironsbane will rest well at night, Jacob.  This one thanks you."


Jacob smiled, knowing that Hsyrolno will also appreciate the heat.  She would never complain about her own chill while Ironsbane was in such shape.  Admiring his work and holding his own hands to the walls, let out a calm sigh.  Come the fall, everyone will be wanting steam heating run through their lodge walls.  Too bad he used nearly all of the brass on this building and the officers housing.  Seemed unfair, but he wasn't the one providing the brass.