When the Going Gets Tough, Cheat

“I just can't get my invention to work! Gah! That's it, I've decided. I'm going to cheat and use magic. What my invention really needs is a solid piston that's thin enough to fit through a narrow copper tube, but strong enough to withstand repeated impact without breaking. The magical rods carried by those ogre magi to the north should work perfectly. From what I can tell, only the instructors carry the strong staves.”