"I mean, for the most basic sort of item, you hammer around affinity metals until mana getting pumped through it will come out as a spell, which is a lot more complicated than somebody just casting that spell?"  Almys reaches into her left pauldron, detaches a switchblade from the bottom, unfolds it.  "This one is more complicated, it's got an Earth enchantment that keeps it perfectly sharp, and requires somebody to run some Earth mana through it occasionally for that to stay true.  You could guess that maybe I've got Earth affinity, from that, but I could also have a friend who does it for me.  I maybe keep this around to fool people, especially if they see that it was apparently hidden like I wanted to keep it secret, or maybe I'm showing it to you now because you're my liege and we're predictably going to have to form an adventuring party at some point."

"I mean, for the most basic sort of item, you hammer around affinity mats until mana getting pumped through it will come out as a spell, which is a lot more complicated than somebody just casting that spell?"  Almys reaches into her left pauldron, detaches a switchblade from the bottom, unfolds it.  "This one is more complicated, it's got an Earth enchantment that keeps it perfectly sharp, and requires somebody to run some Earth mana through it occasionally for that to stay true.  You could guess that maybe I've got Earth affinity, from that, but I could also have a friend who does it for me.  I maybe keep this around to fool people, especially if they see that it was apparently hidden like I wanted to keep it secret, or maybe I'm showing it to you now because you're my liege and we're predictably going to have to form an adventuring party at some point."

"I mean, for the most basic sort of item, you hammer around affinity mats until mana getting pumped through it will come out as a spell, which is a lot more complicated than somebody just casting that spell?"  Almys reaches into her left pauldron, detaches a switchblade from the bottom, unfolds it.  "This one is more complicated, it's got an Earth enchantment that keeps it perfectly sharp, and requires somebody to run some Earth mana through it occasionally for that to stay true.  You could guess that maybe I've got Earth affinity, from that, but I could also have a friend who does it for me; I maybe keep this around to fool people, especially if they see that it was apparently hidden like I wanted to keep it secret.  Or maybe I'm showing it to you now because you're my liege and we're predictably going to have to form an adventuring party at some point."