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last online Apr 28, 2024 18:16:27 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
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Jul 21, 2020 17:30:11 GMT -7
Post by eleanor gwendolen ollivander on Jul 21, 2020 17:30:11 GMT -7
▲ Upon Karkaroff’s confirmation that he had indeed brought the wand they had previously discussed, Nell waved her own at the shop door, locking it and turning the sign that hung from it, to ‘closed’. He had made it fairly obvious that whatever this wand was, it was highly valuable and the last thing she needed was randoms wandering in during the middle of their meeting. From the box, a brilliantly red cherry wood wand appeared, and Nell immediately found it impossible to tear her eyes away from it. She used cherry wood on occasion too, but had never seen it in this kind of sheen. Karkaroff began to tell his tale of what the wand supposedly was, and where it may have come from originally, which only confirmed Nell’s suspicions that it was crafted in Japan. European wandmakers tended to mass produce their wands, finding a specialty. Japanese wandmakers actually made pieces of art, and this one was no exception. It was a bit on the smaller side as well, which would make sense considering he said it was potentially from earlier than the 13th century. Nell didn’t even think her most prized wand came close in age to that, though both of them were going to find out pretty soon here. Eyeing it a little longer, Nell held up a finger to ask him to wait, and went back into her workshop, skipping up the stairs two at a time into her apartment that sat above the store. She had dozens of books on wand lore and crafting, and she definitely had one that focused briefly on Japanese wands and makers. Karkaroff hadn’t been wrong in his assessment that there was very little known of early wands, but the same could be said about almost anything older than a hundred years or so. They simply weren’t built to last that long. And the ones that were? Those were the kinds that were passed on from family member to family member with a known history. He had already stated this one had made a lengthy disappearance. Fingers finding the right book, she pounded back downstairs and to the counter, splaying it out in front of both of them and immediately flipping to the index section. “Does it have any names? Every so often you’ll hear of famous wands that have found their way to equally exceptional witches or wizards…” She cut herself off as she located the page number for the section she was looking for, and quickly thumbed over to it. There wasn’t much, but it had the potential of helping. “So what I know of Japanese made wands is that cherry wood is typically reserved for the most premiere of their magical families. Wood that looks like that is not cheap, and the maker certainly knew what they were doing with it. It’s definitely old, but I guess you want to know if it’s actually the one you think it is,” Nell stated, answering her own question as she looked up at Karkaroff. “Am I allowed to pick it up? I’ll be able to assess its quality better.”MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0
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last online Apr 25, 2024 10:26:45 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
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Jul 24, 2020 5:54:05 GMT -7
Post by Casimir Elias Karkaroff on Jul 24, 2020 5:54:05 GMT -7
Her reaction to the wand was satisfying to watch. Cas knew when he was holding something of value in his hands, and years of experience had taught him to discern the junk from treasure. His time as a cursebreaker had particularly emphasized ancient artifacts of a certain background, which meant he was abundantly more comfortable with Middle Eastern archeological sites than anything else. Even if this wand didn’t prove to be the one he was searching for, Cas was certain he could make some sort of profit off it. It was too well-maintained and too old to simply be worthless. All the same, a wand was still just a wand to him. He didn’t have the expertise to distinguish different wandmakers and their techniques (much less from sight alone), and a well-made wand was just that. It took a professional in their field to appreciate the value of a rare find – and if nothing else, Eleanor Ollivander certainly had sufficient knowledge to understand what a rarity this wand was. And her reaction was enough to allay some of Cas’s nerves – surely she wouldn’t have reacted in that way if he hadn’t managed to find something significant. She disappeared into her back room for some time, so Cas carefully adjusted the wand in the lining of its case and looked it over with a critical eye. It looked a bit small to him, although that might just be a Japanese technique or a remnant of ancient wandmaking. But it was in as good a condition as he’d been promised, and he folded his hands in front of him to prevent himself from touching it again as she returned with a book. He nodded slightly as she asked if it had any names. “It seems to have had a couple names as it passed owners. Or perhaps just one name and the variations are due to an error in translation.” He shrugged as he contemplated the topic for a moment before continuing. “It has been referred to as Kannagara no michi. The Way of the Kami. Sometimes also as the Wand of the Kami.” There was no direct translation into English, and two different Japanese contacts of his had struggled to explain what kami were. “Kami are…” Cas also struggled to find the words. “…spirits, or forces of nature, or venerated ancestors in Shinto. It would have been important for members of the Imperial Dynasty to be seen as having achieved harmony with the kami.” Cas was hesitant to allow the wand to be moved, but she would know how to handle it carefully. And it really seemed necessary if he wanted any more concrete information than what she had told him about Japanese-made wands. “Of course,” he said reluctantly, eyes skipping between the open book and the wand in its case. “Can you provide an estimate of its age? Or core?” In reality, anything that could help him pin down the details. eleanor gwendolen ollivander [More info on the kami because I really don't know how to explain it: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kami#Etymology]
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last online Apr 28, 2024 18:16:27 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
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Sept 16, 2020 8:10:14 GMT -7
Post by eleanor gwendolen ollivander on Sept 16, 2020 8:10:14 GMT -7
▲ The name that the wand held didn’t really give Nell an idea whether or not it was something special. There were so few powerful, well renowned wands left in the world now that if this was what Karkaroff seemed to think it was, those that truly knew had died hundreds of years ago. The idea that there could be hundreds or thousands of lost wands held by great witches and wizards throughout time made her anxious at times, because they were out there rotting away, never to be found. But this one had been, and regardless of whether it was the right wand or not, it was definitely old and well crafted, and still a valuable piece. She found it extremely difficult to refute that fact. Karkaroff’s brief explanation on what the naming supposedly meant and what kami were sort of helped her understand it better, but she still needed to pick it up and swish it around a bit. That was the only true test of its power and ability. As she asked to pick it up, Karkaroff granted her permission, and Nell gently lifted it out of the box. It was incredibly light, almost like a piece of paper, and just holding it in her hand made her feel like she would accidentally rip it in half. She had no idea if that was due to its brittle nature and age, or if it was designed to be like that. A lot of wands from older wandmakers had what she called ‘phantom weight’, where the wand was unexpectedly lighter or heavier than it looked. Usually that indicated a user’s capabilities with it, where a heavier wand would be harder to wield and a lighter one, the opposite. That was a good sign for her casting small things, at least. “Old. It feels like it’ll fall apart in my hands if I cast the wrong way,” she explained. “I doubt it actually will, but it’s like old paint flaking off of a wall. My guess is definitely hundreds of years since it was last used, and knowing the nature of Japanese wands, another hundred or two from when it was made.” Pointing the wand at a pencil sitting on the counter, Nell levitated it slightly, a nice, even rise, and then dropped it back down. It was certainly easy to control. Next was a volley of red sparks. She jumped back with a yelp as they exploded out from the wand, causing scorch marks along the floor. A bit frazzled, she looked back up at Karkaroff, “That was a lot more power than I thought it had. That definitely narrows down to the core I think it might have…” Which meant she had a lot of questions now about it. Because it definitely had acromantuala web in it. No other wand core had that sort of unprovoked power with someone that wasn’t an owner. That was also why it was highly illegal to bring it in to England. “So, it definitely has a core of acromantuala web. I’m sure you know that’s against the law…but I have no problem looking the other way. Nobody is using this wand for the reasons that the core is banned, and I’d argue it works better as a mantelpiece than as a functioning wand these days.” She had no idea if that was what Karkaroff wanted to hear, but it was definitely the kind of wand that she would never resell to a customer. Just having a chain of sale would show that she knew what she was doing with it. A consultation like this was harmless. MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0
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last online Apr 25, 2024 10:26:45 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
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Oct 12, 2020 3:01:38 GMT -7
Post by Casimir Elias Karkaroff on Oct 12, 2020 3:01:38 GMT -7
Cas was used to the idea that his assistants and prospective clients would occasionally be handling his merchandise without supervision. He could stomach that because a certain level of delegation was necessary, and because he had his ways to hold others accountable for their treatment of his merchandise. Still, he couldn’t deny the level of anxiety he felt as the wand was lifted out of its box while Ollivander looked it over. He frowned slightly as she offered her observations after casting a simple levitation spell. The pencil floated steadily, which didn’t suggest any defects in the wand – that was good. But it appeared the wand was also quite weightless on top of being rather small. He paused to think of a way to phrase his next question. “Should I be concerned for future decay? Or that it might fall apart at the next spell?” It had been a concern of his that transferring the wand from a sealed chamber to the open air might lead to some form of decomposition. That was a common problem for curse-breakers and he knew a few tricks to prevent the most obvious problems, but he’d been reluctant to experiment too much on wood. The red sparks didn’t startle him – he’d had to keep his cool in front of much worse– but he inhaled sharply at what they might mean. Was this normal for wands? Cas had never needed to visit a wandmaker before, even to get his first wand. That had been an occasion with absolutely no fanfare – his mother had approached him with his father’s old wand. ‘This is a family wand. Try to live up to it’ (had he ever mentioned how warm and affectionate his mother was?). Eleanor Ollivander suggested the wand had more power than expected, which helped to relieve some of his internal tension, but she trailed off before identifying the core. Acromantula web. He was familiar with the Ministry’s longtime ban, not that it had ever stopped him before. He worked hard to stay updated on any laws and legislation relevant to his business, if only so he could better understand how to circumvent them without being noticed. Still, he’d prefer not to leave any suspicious loose ends for the Ministry to unravel later, so it would be better to appear interested in being conscientious of the law. Even if she already knew where he worked. Cas nodded slowly. “There is a ban against the use of a wand with an acromantula web core,” he agreed, rephrasing her words slightly. He allowed himself a satisfied smile. “But as you’ve pointed out, this wand is not intended to be used. It would be a shame to deprive others of having the chance to view it in a collection.” There, that sounded alright. He intended to sell to a private collector, so it was very likely it would never actually be displayed anywhere, but there were details she didn’t need to know. And he was not so concerned about getting into trouble over it – this particular business venture of his was rather tame compared to others, relatively speaking. And at any rate, he did agree – a wand like this worked better on a mantel than in the field. “Is that all?” he asked of her analysis, a way of inviting any answers to questions that (as a non-expert) he didn’t know to ask. eleanor gwendolen ollivander
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last online Apr 28, 2024 18:16:27 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
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Oct 31, 2020 20:52:24 GMT -7
Post by eleanor gwendolen ollivander on Oct 31, 2020 20:52:24 GMT -7
▲ Nell realized that she probably needed to choose her words a lot more carefully around certain kinds of clients. While her statement about the condition of the wand was a valid concern of hers, and it was extremely delicate, she felt bad for making Karkaroff assume that the thing was about to crumble apart in her hands at any given moment. Obviously she had over twenty years of experience handling all sorts of wands (most of which were tossed in her lap as a child to see what she could learn from them by her father), but none had ever been like this one. “If you plan on living for another hundred years or so, maybe,” she responded as she put the wand back in the case that it had come in. “I wouldn’t go around blasting things apart with it, that’s for sure. The wood still has its magic imbued in it, and the core is certainly strong. I would hazard that if someone wanted to use it as their active wand, they probably could if they have a gentle touch and know how to handle one of this…power.” In her experience that left very few individuals currently alive in the magical world. But this particular wand was sort of an unknown, and there were plenty of more modern wands with reputations far greater than hundreds of years old Japanese made one. Karkaroff clearly knew the law behind the core, which made sense if he had done his research into this particular one. That wasn’t saying that an Ollivander wand with a unicorn hair core wouldn’t last for several hundreds of years, but the odds of one with an acromantuala surviving were certainly much higher. It all came down to potency of the core’s magic. This one was far beyond most that she had handled. “Right…well if you have any more questions, my next suggestion would be to take it to a wandmaker in Japan. I don’t know of any located in London, or even Europe for that matter, and the ones there will certainly be able to give you a better history lesson.” Especially about the wand name. Nell had no idea if Japanese wand makers kept records like Ollivanders did, but she didn’t feel like she was wrong with referring him out to a wandmaker there. There were limits to her expertise, and seeing as she had none with this kind, telling him the core and age was just about the extent to that knowledge. “If you ever want to bring anything else by, having it made in the last century or two might make me a little more useful to your research. I wish I could have been more use than this.” Though, if she were honest, she had confirmed all of the fundamental questions about the wand makeup. Karkaroff would need a true historian now, and she was far from being that. MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0
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last online Apr 25, 2024 10:26:45 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
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Nov 17, 2020 8:24:34 GMT -7
Post by Casimir Elias Karkaroff on Nov 17, 2020 8:24:34 GMT -7
Cas exhaled slowly as he listened to the wandmaker’s explanation that the wand was in an overall good condition, had a strong core and plenty of imbued magic, and could probably withstand being an active wand in certain conditions. That boded well for the thought that it would do just fine locked away somewhere in a private collection. Cas worked in Knockturn Alley, and there was certainly a reputation there for shady deals with less than stellar merchandise. But his store was well-established and there came a certain kind of guarantee for clients purchasing his goods. If he sold something that, in the end, turned out to be radically different from what he promised, that was a lost client. And Borgin and Burke’s wasn’t a little storefront in Diagon Alley that was open to wandering eyes and one-time purchases. He relied on repeat business and being known in certain circles – losing clients was not something he could easily afford. He made a noncommittal sound as she mentioned finding a wandmaker in Japan. Cas didn’t much see the need for it, since he’d met his sources there to get the wand’s pedigree and Eleanor Ollivander had just about confirmed everything he’d been told about the wand’s composition. A second opinion was all he’d needed, especially from an Ollivander, and that was enough to ensure a good sale for this wand. “The history lessons are easy enough to get,” Cas commented with a small shrug of his shoulders, “but it’s difficult to find a reliable source on wandlore. You seem up to the job.” The compliment was abrupt, and not followed by anything else, but that in itself was already unusual enough for Cas. He usually considered the absence of criticism as enough of a compliment – if he needed to speak, that meant something had gone wrong and required correction, so silence from him was usually a good sign. She made a good point about bringing in more modern wands in the future. Cas was ambitious, and the idea of hunting down historical wands still remained a central goal in this new expansion of his business. But maybe it was a little too much to start so soon, and he would do better to practice finding and authenticating lower-stakes wands until he was sure he was ready for the next step. It certainly decreased the chance of making a fatal mistake, and Cas could still make a tidy profit on the venture. He ignored the very last thing she said about wishing she had been of more use – because she had been very helpful but in his mind he’d already addressed that. Another compliment and it would be comparable to gushing for him. So instead he responded, “I’ve admittedly been avoiding English wands since I started this new project. England is still very unfamiliar to me and I have more experience with acquisitions from abroad. That is where my expertise is.” It was all true. He’d been born and raised in Eastern Europe, so English had been learned as a necessity from a young age but nothing more than that regarding the West. He'd only learned surface-level information about the UK, mostly centered around the remaining pureblood families. Then he’d been a Curse-Breaker and he’d traveled on expeditions from the Middle East, to North Africa, to the far north in Scandinavia. Since starting at Borgin and Burke’s, he’d maintained his pattern of finding his most valuable goods abroad, and even after several years was still getting a feel for the English markets. His knowledge wasn’t as good as a native British person’s might be, but with time he expected to both meet and exceed that threshold. And he’d only get there if he forced himself to engage more in the field with English goods. So he continued, “That being said, I will be making a greater effort in the future to study the English wand market as a source of future wands. A market that I understand the Ollivanders have dominated for some time.” Cas had always understood the Ollivanders to be a single entity, one family that had worked in wandmaking for centuries and operated as a unit. That was how they'd come to almost monopolize the UK in terms of being the source of wands for almost every young British witch and wizard. Evidently that was no longer the case, if this Ollivander breaking off from the main store in Diagon Alley was any indication, and Cas was curious to see how he could work that to his advantage. While he waited for what he hoped would be a telling answer from Eleanor Ollivander, he packed up the Japanese wand and reapplied the heavy security enchantments he’d originally cast on the box. eleanor gwendolen ollivander
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last online Apr 28, 2024 18:16:27 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
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Dec 6, 2020 17:27:05 GMT -7
Post by eleanor gwendolen ollivander on Dec 6, 2020 17:27:05 GMT -7
▲ Had she unknowingly committed herself to something more than just being an expert on wand lore? Because Karkaroff certainly made it sound that way. While Nell was perfectly fine with being the person to review and appraise wands he found, it felt like she had been added to his roster of shady dealers and was about to be asked to commit some sort of illegal activity. From what she knew, this guy was more legitimate than past owners of Borgin & Burkes, but that didn’t really change the fact that he owned and operated a store out of Knockturn Alley. Things had gotten better there since she was little, but it was still Knockturn and it drew a certain crowd. She had no problem being the final say in whether or not what he had was real and what his seller said it was, but that was about it. “Thanks,” she responded, deciding to keep her uncertainty to herself for the time being. There was nothing wrong with saying no to him at a later date if she felt like she was getting too far into whatever this was. Deducing what a wand was made out of was the least she could do, and if their arrangement stayed like that, then she was completely fine with it the way it was. “I wouldn’t consider English wands the pinnacle of wandmaking, especially not anything over the last couple hundreds of years,” Nell explained to him, since it seemed like he may have been confused about what she was interested in seeing more of. “While the Ollivander family has dominated that market, and we’ve always made quality wands, they aren’t made with nearly the same time and patience that wands like that one-” she pointed at the box as Karkaroff packed away the Japanese wand, “-or your Gregorovitch wand are. It’s impossible to make a living like that and it’s been that way for the last century at the very least.” No, Nell was more interested in seeing European made wands, like the Gregorovitch, or from wandmakers that utilized more interesting combinations of wood and cores. Something that was different from what her family had dedicated themselves to. While she viewed the Ollivander art as the perfection of wandmaking, that didn’t mean they weren’t fallible, and there were certainly master wandmakers since the beginning of time that had achieved such perfection on their own without centuries of familial experience. The Ollivanders were only good because of their collective pool of knowledge and craftsmanship. That was more luck and dedication than anything else. “What I’m trying to say is that English wandmakers aren’t worth their weight in goblin gold, and haven’t been for a while. Which is why my family has been able to take hold of the market here,” Nell explained as she watched him lock the wand box with a serious of charms. The amount of protection he placed on a wand that very few people even knew existed was certainly telling of how much it was worth. Her lips were sealed about it though, unless the Ministry came knocking. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t know what I’m talking about. I’ve dedicated my life to wandmaking, as many of my family members have, so we know what we’re talking about and dealing with when it comes to things like this.” Though she wasn’t sure if her sister would have been as forthcoming in her evaluation of a wand of this caliber, if she would even look at it in the first place. That was the difference between her and Nell though. [Nell End?] MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOX 2.0
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last online Apr 25, 2024 10:26:45 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
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Dec 13, 2020 4:12:30 GMT -7
Post by Casimir Elias Karkaroff on Dec 13, 2020 4:12:30 GMT -7
Cas listened idly to Eleanor Ollivander’s brief explanation about English wandmakers, although most of his attention was centered around securing the box. He had made a mistake once, when he’d first started working at Borgin and Burke’s, not to lock up an artifact straight away. He’d gotten caught in a conversation with a long-standing client, and had forgotten about the box until the moment a thief had snatched it. He’d gotten the goblet back in the end, but it had been a heart-stopping mistake and he’d never again left anything unattended without first securing it thoroughly. Several years later and the habit still remained. After he was sure the wand was safely stowed away, he redirected his attention to the wandmaker. She’d fallen briefly silent after their exchange about the wand core, and he studied her as she went on about the English markets and her family. Could she be considered trustworthy? Cas didn’t expect anyone to show much interest in this wand, what with the limited tolerance the Ministry showed for foreign wands, and he knew he could rely on his sister for a heads-up in a worst-case scenario. But he was less certain future exchanges would go unnoticed, what with his ambitions, and he couldn’t leave a loose end in Horizont Alley. But she seemed unlikely to spook as long as he kept her role minimal, and Cas had certainly dealt with much shadier dealers. So he resolved to stay cautious when it came to future authentications, although he saw no reason to pass up the opportunity to consult an expert at such a low price. “I do find English wands somewhat boring compared to their foreign counterparts,” Cas admitted with a small shrug, “but the English have proven themselves skilled at maintaining records of wand ownership. At least for the ones I care about.” Cas’s fingers brushed his sleeve where he’d stored his wand, and he paused for a moment before observing quietly, “It seems there has always been a preference for pedigree over quality…it certainly sells better, at any rate.” His fingers lingered for a moment as he pondered the thought and its own implications in his life – the comment applied to much more than wands, and it troubled him how bothered he was by it. He had the pedigree, didn’t he? There were very few doors closed to one that had the right connection or family for support. But then, what did that mean for someone who did not want it? He brushed the thought away and gave a small nod to the Ollivander. “Your family has certainly proven its worth in wandmaking,” he responded, returning to his usual demeanor of diplomatic and detached. “As have you. I will send your commission by owl post.” With that, he’d said everything he wanted to (and truthfully a little bit more), so Cas gathered up the Japanese wand’s box and promptly turned on his heel to exit the small shop. He had to dodge a few magical chairs, but made it out the door in a smooth exit. He was rarely seen going anywhere in a rush, so he walked back to Knockturn at a leisurely pace, and he forced himself to come up with outrageous numbers he could ask for the wand in an attempt to avoid thinking about anything else. eleanor gwendolen ollivander [End post Cas!]
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