Az Karagaz Grungronid

The Great Volcanic Forge

"As I stood from the peak of Az Karagaz, feeling the earth's blood heat the steel beneath my feet, I looked down upon the city of Epibjörd and was taken aback by its beauty. A pillar of light that sanguine earth-blood made, on its odyssey downward to the central forge, the endless cacophony of hammers barely audible from atop the peak. The mesmerizing flow of lava from the Eagle of the Dawn sulked back to its home in the bowels of the ground, and I could hear the mechanisms of the forge seal off the flow. In the stillness and silence, I could only kneel in awe." -Joveta the Swift

Purpose / Function

Az Karagaz Grungronid, known as "Az Karagaz" by travelers or occasionally as "Az Grungron" by locals, is by far the world's largest and most advanced forge. Utilizing the heat given off from magma, which cascades out of a mechanism called the Eagle of the Dawn and becomes workable as it falls towards the forge, thousands of the world's finest blacksmiths craft weapons of war in the bowels of the earth. Recently, Az Karagaz has been used to create experimental parts for firearms and other pieces of steam-based machinery for the Western continent of Vespus, but the forges for these specific parts are kept hidden away from most blacksmiths. Within Az Karagaz there exist 57 stations for casting of metals, 64 leather working stations, 322 forges of various degrees of heat, and 457 smithies. While the Ingeitum (known to outsiders simply as master smiths) work on the outskirts of Az Karagaz, there exists one grand-master blacksmith called the Dornuli who works in the center of the lava's flow at an anvil known only as The Slab. It is at this anvil that mortal and divine collide, and create works that ascend beyond comprehension.

Alterations

While the forge has existed even since time immemorial, historians theorize that its movement downward into the depths of the earth is relatively recent, and is what gave it its name as the Great Volcanic Forge. In recorded history, there have only been four alterations to the structure of the forge, which stands resolute against all wars and internal conflicts (though sometimes at the cost of the Ingeitum who defend it). Its first recorded expansion downwards happened circa the year 1700, where it was then a mere 900 meters below sea level. This expansion was roughly translated from ancient texts to be called "The (Collapse/Plummet) of the Mound". Here, accounts claim the forge was brought nearly 1,400 meters downwards from its old position, where most of Epibjörd sits today. This expansion was likely due to both the extensively drained magma pools from the forge's old elevation, as well as pressure from city officials to expand the city further downwards into the depths of the earth. This expansion took nearly 20 years, and was the first recorded instance of The Slab. The second expansion downwards was known as "The Black Excavation" in the year 2955, and was called such because of the difficulty on mining through the built-up mesh of rutile ore and obsidian beneath the forge. This expansion took nearly 75 years, and sparked viscous rumors that the forge was approaching Hell itself and that its existence was a blight on humanity. The third expansion (and the final one downwards) took place in the year 3,401. Known as "The Cruel Descent", it was marked by the collapse of the entire forge after an accident in digging downwards caused it to collapse into an empty magma chamber. Casualties reached 183 with over 500 injured. In the aftermath of the event, the forge went dark for the first time in recorded history. It took 2 years before the forge was up and running, especially since the previous Dornuli had passed away in the descent. The cost of rebuilding, as well as the loss of profit from the absence of the forge, cast the city of Epibjörd and the entire region of Avondier into a horrible economic depression. The fourth expansion, which was the first and only expansion above sea level, happened in the year 4,254 and was called "The Dawn Bringer". The continent of Vespus, then united, had donated the monetary and capital expenditures necessary to bring about a new method of transporting and utilizing magma; through a system of pumps and valves that run through the cliffside, culminating in an ornate spout called the Eagle of the Dawn. From there, high-pressure magma falls into the forge and supplies heat throughout it. In exchange, the city of Epibjörd has been producing parts for Vespus at a rapid rate, to pay off their seemingly endless debt.

Architecture

From the peak of the Eagle of the Dawn to the central point of the forge, Az Karagaz measures around 6,500 meters tall. In the depths of the forge, the ground and walls are made of enchanted alloy of Baatorian Green Steel and Stygian Coal, with Calomel runes. The combination of these materials not only resists the heat of magma, but in fact acts as a cooling agent for workers against it. In the forge's core is the Genesis Forge, accessible only to the Dornuli. When the flow of magma is on, its first point of contact is the roof of this workshop, as it cascades down the sides of the pavilion (creating walls of magma surrounding the workshop) and splits to be relocated throughout the forge. Surrounding this workshop are the 900 stations which do most of the generalized forging, leather working, and casting. These stations are typically open-air, though there are a few blacksmiths who prefer privacy and construct small buildings. In addition to these are break quarters scattered around the outside of the forge, as well as steel pulley-lifts to bring workers to and from the forge. The Eagle of the Dawn