Welcome to the Loremaster’s Archive. The scrolls and books line the walls, some of them dusty, some of them glowing mysteriously, some of them containing the deepest of Valia’s secrets. Every week we bring you new tales and legends of Valia, carefully curated by the Loremaster’s assistant.
Part 1. Smithy’s Work
Today, we look closer at the famed Smithy who took residence in Valia’s capital. What do we really know about the craftsman?
There is only one blacksmith in Valia’s capital city. It’s a strange thing, since a city of this size would warrant a greater number of them. Even stranger is the fact that no one seems to know the proprietor’s name, most people simply refer to him as “Smithy.” If asked his name, the answer lies somewhere between Grumble and Grunt, and if one was to dig deep enough to uncover tax and tithe logs, it’s something closer to a Scribble. According to Barnaby from across the street, Smithy’s name is Rufus, but nobody gives that much credence, as Barnaby and Smithy are sworn enemies ever since Smithy accused the shopkeeper of gouging prices and Barnaby retaliated with a vicious remark about Smithy’s pants.
Smithy is the only one to work in the place, though there have been many hopefuls asking for a chance to apprentice to him. He says he has no time to teach, and that might be true – beyond the regular blacksmith services Smithy offers some that have been unheard of before. He is the first to utilise the strange blue powder he uses to “reforge” magical weapons, imbuing them with greater capabilities – with better or worse results, for the blue powder seems to be quite capricious and not always bends to the will of the smith or the clients who bring in the weapons. Asked about the poor odds on desired results, Smithy usually just shrugs – it might not be the best customer service, but considering he’s the only one capable of reforging, nobody dares to complain too loudly.
Recently Smithy has installed a new contraption in his workshop. Some call it an altar, others call it a fountain, and others still call it ridiculously overpriced, but the new practice of Awakening weapons and armor seems to be too tempting to stay away from.
Questions about Smithy abound. Most of the time he seems like an amiable sort of fellow, always up for an ale at the local inn, and he tips quite well. But the abundance of magical materials he works with, the monopoly he holds on all smithing in the capital, and most of all, his current zeal of gathering magical items under the guise of Awakening… Is he just an honest craftsman helping out hopeful monster slayers? Or is Barnaby right and is there more to Smithy than it seems?