Jarak's Forge
Jarak’s Forge is the divine plane of creation, a boundless realm where fire, stone, and celestial metal intertwine. Forged at the dawn of existence by Jarak himself, the Forge is a place where the laws of material reality are softened, allowing raw essence to be hammered into shape. Anvils of black iron, colossal furnaces fueled by endless flame, and rivers of molten ore stretch farther than the eye can see. Above it all, the ever-present sound of the divine hammer echoes — sometimes faint, sometimes deafening — as if the Forge itself remembers its creator’s touch.
In the heart of the realm lies Velthurak, the City of Embers, a fortified metropolis of artisans, elemental beings, and divine constructs, all laboring to preserve the sacred arts of creation. Velthurak endures as the last great bastion of Jarak’s followers, shielding the sacred Crucible Wells and the legendary Anvils of Origin from the creeping corruption of Melkorion’s agents.
Those who enter Jarak’s Forge without a pure purpose risk being burned not just in body, but in spirit — for the flames here sear away falsehood as surely as flesh.
Geography
Jarak’s Forge is a shifting, volcanic expanse broken into tiers. Massive platforms of obsidian, basalt, and fireglass float or rest precariously on mountains of cooled magma. Rivers of molten metal carve canyons between them, sometimes rising into the air as glowing waterfalls that defy gravity. The City of Embers, Velthurak, is nestled within a massive caldera at the center of the realm, protected by shimmering heat wards and ancient elemental guardians. Scattered around the Forge are the Crucible Wells, primordial forges where divine metals are born from flame and stone.
In some regions, the terrain fractures into chasms leading directly into the elemental heart of the plane, glowing with unbearable brilliance.
Ecosystem
Jarak’s Forge is alive in ways that defy mortal ecosystems. Here, creatures and beings are forged rather than born. Flamekin and magma elementals roam the fields of burning stone. Anvilborn, constructs of living metal, tend to ancient relics and protect sacred sites. Rare celestial creatures, such as the Phoenixdrakes and Iron Wyrms, soar through the superheated skies. Ecosystems here are defined less by predator and prey, and more by creation and maintenance. Survival is about endurance, duty, and balance rather than consumption.
Ecosystem Cycles
There are no traditional seasons in Jarak’s Forge. Instead, the realm undergoes Cycles of Tempering. During the High Ember, the flames grow most intense, forging new landscapes and causing molten rivers to overflow, creating opportunities for reforging ancient ruins. During the Smoldering Calm, the fires dim, allowing more delicate crafts and spiritual pilgrimages to occur without fear of immolation. These cycles, while predictable to residents, appear chaotic and deadly to outsiders.
Velthurak’s citizens time their major forgemaster gatherings, oaths, and pilgrimages to align with the Smoldering Calm, while the Crucible Wells only open fully during the High Ember, when the flames are strong enough to birth new divine ores.
Localized Phenomena
Echofields: Sections of the Forge can trap the sounds and memories of ancient crafts, replaying the forging of legendary artifacts through sound, light, and phantom images.
Living Anvils: Some of the older anvils spontaneously animate, capable of assisting or hindering smiths depending on their intent.
Molten Tempests: Sudden storms of liquid fire and superheated ash that roll across the land without warning, scouring everything in their path.
The Singing Flames: Whispers carried on tongues of fire, said to be the voices of Jarak’s first apprentices, still teaching from beyond time.
Climate
The entire realm is a crucible of extreme heat and energy. Temperatures range from blisteringly hot at the lowlands to soul-searing near the Crucible Wells. Despite this, those bearing the Eternal Flame or other divine protections can endure the environment without harm. Air is breathable but thin and laced with traces of magical smoke. Occasionally, intense auroras of molten color dance across the blackened sky, signaling a Tempering Cycle’s shift.
History
Jarak’s Forge was born at the beginning of the world, a divine workshop where the first weapons of gods and mortals alike were shaped. It was here that Jarak, with hammer and flame, forged the Pillars of Law, the Shields of Dawn, and the Spears of Twilight that defended the world against its earliest threats.
For eons, the Forge thrived under the guidance of Jarak and his chosen Flameforged. But during the War of Shadows, Narthos’s agents infiltrated the outer regions of the Forge, corrupting the Crucible Wells and twisting many of its guardians. Jarak himself disappeared at the height of the conflict, severing the heart of the Forge from mortal prayers.
Velthurak, once merely an outpost for apprentices, grew into a bastion against chaos. It is now the last stronghold of the faithful and the Flameforged, still carrying out their sacred duty to protect the divine art of creation.
Some believe that if the Forge ever falls completely into shadow, the material world itself will begin to unravel — for it is here that reality's foundation is still endlessly hammered into shape.
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