There -are- other trigger words for many of the tutorial steps, the walkthrough just shows you one of the responses that will move you along. Xargon should only require one glyph. A common problem seems to be that players are giving him the items before he finishes speaking to request the next one. Perhaps that happened to you, and your logs will show that you are ready to go to the next step.

From the very first tutorial popup:

This area is not considered part of the PlaneShift world, it is created solely for explaining how to play the game. From a roleplay perspective, your character will have no memory of this place.

And there -is- a guide/FAQ on how to handle the common beginner's errors in quests (and just about anything else in-game) here.    And here!

That's 'lost wax' casting, actually. Sand casting is making an impression in sand (often soaked in special oils to keep it from shifting) and then gently pouring molten metal into that impression. Whatever you cast will have a flat back at the top of the casting unless you use trickier techniques. And yes, if you have sand and molten metal, ta-daa, you can do sand casting. Metals with a low melting point (like lead) can even be cast in a plaster mold, though I don't reccomend it as it's rather toxic.

This quest is working, though it can be challenging to complete.  If you are still stuck, I recommend that you have your character talk with other player characters about the task to be completed. Someone who has done the quest before may be able to offer a tip on how best to communicate with Sharven.

I enjoy the chance to play a character with a morality about the world that is different from my own. It can feel quite nice to break the rules one would normally heed (freedom!) and get involved in some interesting choices you would normally not consider.

Though I do prefer to play someone who might not get pointed to with a "she's evil" label, but someone more complex than that. If I have a realistic set of motivations for my character, she can have situations in which she is kind and generous, and others in which she is pleased to put in motion a plan ending in self-serving murder or torture.

The most clearly-labelled "evil" character I've played was known by many as "evil" but was always cheerful and happy to chat about things with new people. Sometimes that was while tying them to a gasoline-soaked pyre, but hey, someone's got to lose, eh? It was my hope that my victims' players were at least well-entertained.

I'm partial to kd.