The Adakian Forge

The Maker of Cities and the Forge of Blood

The Adakian Forge is a great hammer capable of crafting wonders. However, the stories of its power and past have all been shrouded by many falsehoods. Yet one consistent story remains to us. It was originally used to raise up cities and castles, establishing settlements of wondrous beauty and great strength. But the original guardians of the Forge, the Banner Guard, were all slain and the artifact was seized by a bloodthirsty warlord. Taking the Forge in hand, he turned bronze into spellforged steel and raised up a mighty sword that won him many victories. The warlord was as cruel as he was brutal, and so the Adakian Forge lost much of the reputation it had gained as a pillar of civilization. Only when the hammer was stolen and used to create an even finer blade did the tide begin to turn, leading to the warlord's eventual defeat. The vile sword he had created was buried with him in the Sorrow Tomb, while its more famous sibling came to be heralded as a symbol of justice. The Adakian Forge was then entrusted to a holy order known as the Sect of the Blade, who would forever watch over the relic and ensure that no one would be able to misuse its power again. That, or be ready to create another weapon, should the wielder of the current Adakian Sword prove treacherous. However, a great plague befell the city where the Sect was located, and in the chaos the Forge was lost. That was thousands of years ago, and no one has seen the Forge since. The memory of the Forge has dimmed over time. Even the two swords it created were forgotten. Barely a handful of scholars even remember that its true purpose was to create settlements of life, not instruments of war.  Warriors see it as a treasure to be found, so that they might create powerful weapons. Scholars wish it reclaimed so that its properties may be examined and studied, for the arts that created it faded long ago. A few holy folk wish to recreate the Sect of the Blade, so that they may become custodians of the fabled forge. Though admittedly this group is divided between those who wish to restore the divine purpose of the sect and some who wish to gain political power by holding the Forge as a bargaining chip. But so far, none of these groups have succeeded in even discovering a trace of the Forge. Yet they persist regardless, for no one truly believes that such a mighty relic could ever have been destroyed. But with the consistent failure of every expedition and search, the ancient hammer remains missing.

Mechanics & Inner Workings

The history of the Adakian Forge is wrapped in myth and legend, and scholars only have a few semi-reliable records on which to base their examination of the relic's power. It supposedly had alteration powers, for the warlord was able to transform bronze into some form of steel. It also apparently wielded enchanting capabilities, for the weapons it created must have had some power to allow their wielder's to conquer their foes. Yet those seem to be minor powers in comparison to the folk tales of the hammer being able to create cities and castles. Few if any stories of ancient relics tell of such a powerful capability, and neither the warlord nor the rebel that destroyed him used the Forge in such a way. Not since the fabled Banner Guard were destroyed has there even been a hint of this power. Suffice to say, with such a confusing tale, the functionality of the relic is lost to the ever consuming mists of time.

Manufacturing process

There are many legends of how the Forge was constructed, but only one is still considered mostly complete despite how few know of it. This story claims that a circle of ancients, demigods, clockwork lords and starfarers saw the struggling races of mortality toiling away in the merciless wilds. They laid the seeds of inspiration in the minds of a charismatic tribal leader, who faced many great trials until he had satisfied the judgement of his patrons. They aided him in crafting a wondrously powerful relic that would reshape the land, creating bastions of safety within which souls could safely shelter. Though this first bearer succumbed to the ravages of time, his descendants in the Banner Guard swore that they would forever keep the Adakian Forge safe until it was necessary that it should be used again.

Significance

The Adakian Forge supposedly has the capability to create weapons of immense power. Would-be conquerors and warriors have sought out the relic so that they may create and wield the legendary weapons it has the power to produce. But the true value of the Forge is its potential to apparently create entire bastions of civilization. Such an artifact could help cement the expansion of empires, or halt the undoing of civilizations. These mythical capabilities are why so many still yearn to claim the artifact, despite failure being the constant of those who chase after it.

Many of the stories of the Adakian Forge are shrouded in folklore. Was it truly capable of creating weapons that had the power to facilitate seemingly impossible conquests? Was one sword enough for the warlord to seize so much territory? If so, why not create even more weapons? Why not equip an entire army in legendary steel, allowing for almost guaranteed victories against shabby levies armoured in leather and equipped with iron spears? Discovering the truth is extremely difficult, for even the two swords of the warlord and the rebel have seemingly vanished along with the Sect of the Blade.

Why create the Adakian Forge? If the ancients truly had the power to conjure an artifact capable of raising cities and forging army-slaying weapons, how is it that they have faded into forgotten history? What power could have challenged a civilization that supposedly had the power to create a city with a few swings of a hammer? There are theories that the Forge was a gift from the heavens, so that mortals may be able to raise up their dreams over the untamed wilds and construct civilizations built in their glory. The Banner Guard were as much a religious order as they were a protective one, if the rescued tomes from this ancient time can be believed. But if this is the case, why did the gods allow the warlord to rampage for so long with their gift of creation? Such questioning has frustrated the minds of those who study the Adakian Forge.

Raw materials & Components

There are several scant images of the Adakian Forge, all contradictory. Some etchings depict it as a towering, spiked warhammer constructed from a kind of dark metal. A few carvings on ancient walls show a shining blacksmith's hammer being held over growing cities. One small page from the ruins of the Sect of the Blade depict a simple stone and wood hammer, though most agree that one seems to be a falsehood and is safely discounted. Due to these unreliable reports, it is unknown what materials the Forge was constructed from.

There is one theory that has persisted above all others about the fate of the Forge. It claims that the Sect of the Blade started the plague, creating enough chaos for them to hide themselves and the relic away with almost no trace. The Sect would then be able to stand in quiet vigil over the Adakian Forge, spending centuries covering up their tracks and leaving no trace. These theorists claim that if the artifact had been in a single place, then eventually someone would have rallied enough power to steal into their temple and claim the hammer for their own. But if they managed to steal away into the shadows, then they would better be able to fulfill their sacred charge. Such an effort would have been extremely costly, for it is confirmed that nearly the entirety of the Sect perished in the Plague. Their heavily rotted corpses were proof enough of that, for the disease at this time ate away at flesh to such a degree where a person would barely be recognizable once it was through with them. If they pulled this off, then they must have had great luck and extreme competence to have succeeded with this deception.