The
Smith:
Portfolio: Crafts, Technology,
Civilization, Art, Enchantment, Order, Architecture
The Smith is the Lord of the Forge, the symbol of the mortal harnessing of nature and the imposition of will over matter. He is the father of all invention, the wellspring of practical knowledge and inspiration. He is warm, caring, and perhaps the most sympathetic of the Gods towards mortals next to the Mother. However, the Smith is also the most timid of the Gods, preferring the comfort and solitude of his forge and workshop to the vastness of the cosmos and the mortal world. He takes joy in his creations, passing them as they are finished to the dreams of his priests, who in turn pass their revelations to the artisans of the temples. While he loathes direct confrontation, the Smith is far from apathetic; rather than move directly, he instead acts to support others with magnificent tools and items to give them an overwhelming edge. He is an opponent of chaos and discord, though he understands the value of change in the form of progress, and is not against upheaval that would bring about greater stability in the future. The Smith loves his followers as he would his own children; In times of need, it is often the faithful of the Smith that bring the greatest gifts to the people, in the form of wondrous inventions and magical artifacts, even weapons and armor in times of war. The Smith epitomizes the mortal virtues of wisdom and patience: While he may not be the most aggressive of divinities, his actions are always of tremendous influence, and he never makes a foolish decision. It bears further note that in all cases of the Smith adding his weight to a cause, that cause has never failed.
Common Representations: The Smith has only one common representation, that of a somewhat short, broad-shouldered man, rippling with heavily corded muscle, and dressed in leather breeches and a blacksmith’s apron. He is always portrayed as having darkly tanned skin and a full beard, and is generally seen holding a hammer and tongs. One of the most often reproduced images seen in temples is the famous scene in which the Smith is depicted lifting the Defender’s completed maul from the forge, the finishing moment of his greatest creation.
Holy Sites/Areas: The Smith considers all sites of construction and artifice to be sacred. Almost every smithy, studio, and workshop, with very few exceptions, are blessed by priests of the Smith upon completion of construction. The holiest of the Smiths’ sacrosanct places within the Empire is the House of the Wyrm, which lies at the base of the massive volcano known as “The Fevered Son”. Here, the priests of the smith harness the heat and fire of the very world itself to shape their creations, turning out tools, weapons, armor, sculpture, and refined metals that are known to be the finest in the Empire. Each item produced from the House is always possessed of a faint magical aura, though no magic goes into their production; the faithful of the Smith believe this to be a sign of his blessing upon their work. Though the quality of these items far exceeds that of similar creations from other sources, the House of the Wyrm is not capable of massive production due to the limited forge space that can be made safe for mortal use. The tremendous heat from the harnessed magma tube at the base of the volcano is kept in check by powerful rituals, but these spells can only maintain enough room for a single workshop. The items produced from this smithy are often earmarked for nobles and high-ranking priests in the theocracy years in advance of their creation, and their monetary value is sometimes measured in amounts that could sustain a whole village for a year or more.
Common Livery/Trappings: Priests of the Smith tend to wear vestments of blue with a ceremonial leather apron over it. Altars to the Smith are invariably anvils upon which items of great importance have been forged, and it’s said that the anvil in the temple at New Rukh is the very one that the Smith forged the Defender’s maul upon. Temples to the Smith are often open to the air, allowing for better ventilation to the forges that continuously work within, and one can usually locate the nearest shrine to the Smith within a populated area by following the large plume of black smoke that usually hovers over it.
Common Times/Circumstances of Worship: Those who attempt the construction of just about anything invoke The Smith for inspiration. As the God of Order, prayers to him are often found on the lips of police, guards, and rulers, asking for his assistance in keeping the peace. However, the most impressive circumstance of worship for the Smith is during the consecration of a new civic building, which involves a temple retinue of at least 6 priests and culminates in the seamless driving of a platinum spike into a solid block of granite.
Omens: The Smith manifests his approval directly more often than the other gods, and therefore his priests are somewhat less awed by his signs than other priests might be, due to acclimation. The most often seen one is a soft green glow that emanates from the altar of the temple, signifying the approval of the Smith. Less common omens include the phantom sound of a hammer ringing against metal, which indicates the Smith’s attention upon the situation, and the unexpected discovery of a much needed tool or magical item in dire situations, the significance of which is obvious to the finder.
Strongholds of Worship: The Smith is a God of the city, and as such, his most powerful centers of worship are in the capitals of the various provinces. His strongest following is in the great Academy of Sciences, located in the city of Xeris in Chanar. Here the priests instruct hopeful alchemists, smiths, jewelers, and all manner of other craftsmen in the most advanced techniques in their field, and the Academy counts some of the most famous of artisans in the Empire among the alumni.
Festivals/Holy Days: The Church of the Smith holds celebrations every month on the 15th day, during which craftsmen and artists line the streets of the cities with stalls and display their most recent creations. These events occur even in the depths of winter, as the festivals often are the times of best sales for the merchants. The Smith also holds the Summer Solstice to be sacred, and it is said that it is on this day that the greatest of magical items can be created with his blessing.
Notable Noble Houses: The Duchy of Chanar has been under the leadership of House Zaraza for the last seven decades, following the slaughter of the previous ruling house during a set fire that swept the ancestral estate during a family reunion. Duke Cyrus has spent a great deal of his time and personal fortune in the pursuit of the culprits, and has recently unearthed information implicating followers of both the Beast and the Trickster. This has strained trade relations between Chanar and Koltus, the neighboring Duchy that has a strong following of the Trickster. The Priesthood of the Trickster has vehemently denied any involvement, blaming Beast cultists that infiltrated their ranks and who have since been purged, and have turned a good portion of their influence towards assisting Duke Cyrus in tracking down any potential surviving perpetrators or their organizations.
House Damas, a small noble house affiliated with the Smith,
is worth mention for the notoriety they have recently received due to
accusations of them being a major provider of poisons to more shady groups
within the empire, accusations that they deny with a passion that makes many
wonder if they protest a bit too much… ©
Copyright 2004
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