Zaquocorin Flickerwhizzle is the greatest artificer the world has never known. Recently retired from Mysti Messages, he now has the time but lacks the materials to build what could be his greatest invention: a messaging system better than his former employer ever made. While contemplating his plans over a meal at his favorite inn, a cute, chubby young gnome interrupts to beg for his assistance in becoming an artificer.
Zaq's world is turned upside down when the reclusive gnome buckles to Wyndi's request and takes her and two others on as apprentices. If Zaq wants to fulfill his dreams, he'll need to learn that mentorship is a two-way street. But opening up to others is hard after being betrayed in the past, and his reckless decision to send the group out of Ryefeld on a quest to get the materials may have dire consequences. Who knows what dangers may lurk in the wild woods and dark caves? There could be unimaginable horrors—or even spiders.
What follows is a quest for grimbark wood, mana crystals, and rare mana conduits — involving an ancient forest negotiation, a cave full of danger, a beaver named Doodles, a fairy-cooked dinner, and a network of slate tablets sending messages into the unknown. When the first major test of the device explodes spectacularly, Zaq is certain the dream is finished. But three young artificers show up the next morning with tea and pastries and a spider metaphor that changes everything.
If Zaq and his apprentices can find a way to work together and trust one another, they may create something beyond anything Zaq could have invented alone—something capable of changing the entire world of Aberterrene.
Social Sorcery returns to the world that brought you Distilled Magic. In this stand-alone cozy fantasy, we experience the city of Ryefeld during the Harvest Festival, evade a black cat, explore with a giant beaver, and experiment with steampunkesque artificery. Opening your heart is the first step toward success.
