Forge-Bound

Forge-Bound are one of the factions of the world of Tyranny.

Background

The Forge-Bound are mage-smiths sworn to Kyros' service, though their operations in the Tiers are overseen by Tunon and his court of Fatebinders. Each Forge-Bound uses magic as a tool to augment their personal craft - most commonly smelting and metalworking but carpenters, tailors, and tanners are found in the ranks - and each mage strives to create that which is impossible with mundane hands.

Most notably, the Forge-Bound are the sole masters of iron working in the known world. Using spells of fire resistance to wade into the forge fires, the Forge-Bound can work iron at temperatures no other forge can match, and with a hands-on touch that no mundane smith could hope to achieve. Because of this vital skill, the Forge-Bound are considered a strategic war asset - their lives regimented and controlled so that the forges may churn out iron arms and armor without debate, delay, or distraction.

Under the leadership of Zdenya, the Forge-Bound prospered. Her steady, stern hand ensures quality delivered in quantity to the armies of the Overlord, with their incessant appetite for weapons and armor.

Organization

The guild seeks the union of manual and magical perfection. The study of the arcane focuses on overcoming traditional limits of crafting and artwork. Notably, while metalworking dominates in their studies, there are Forge-Bound who also study other disciplines, like weaving, carpentry, and even... Cooking. Magic aids them in their work, allowing to use tools with perfect precision or work materials without the need of tools - even molten metal.^[1] Still, Forge-Bound cannot create artifacts. While they can build items with the potential, it's the power of belief that imbues them with magical properties.^[2]

Rituals are the most important aspect of Forge-Bound organization. They bind the crafter, tools, and materials into one entity. The resulting forge-bind draws the whole of my senses to the edge of the blade they're tempering. A Forge-Bound can see the tiniest notch, or touch their finger to the blade and feel the razor sharpness without breaking skin. Such perfect execution of art has its costs, of course. Once heart and lungs become linked to flame and hammer - a dropped hammer could lead to a stopped heart. Most Forge-Bound die in the throes of their work, killed by a distraction or simple error. The result is an exceedingly high attrition rate among apprentices.^[3]