Ragnar The Red's Story

Ragnar had been in Dyrlyn City just over a week. He spent his first few days exploring the city visiting various smiths along the southern end of the City, who were churning out vast numbers of weapons for the military. Most of the smiths welcomed his visit especially once they realised he was a fellow metal worker and eager to hear how close the Deadmen were to the city, however one smith resented his presence.

Ragnar entered the forge where he saw a young baby faced soldier haggling with a sly looking smith. Walking up to the pair he introduced himself. "I'm Ragnar I've only been in the city a few days and wanted to see of there was anymore room for another smith in town." The young soldier looked up nervously as Ragnar spoke and the sly looking smith tried to take the sword back. "Thats a fine looking sword may I?" Without waiting for an answer, he took the sword and began to examine it. It was perfectly straight and was well balanced but something about if felt off to him. When he moved into the doorway to have some better light he saw that the blade was a dull grey colour, it was pure iron. Taking the sword with a hand at either end he slowly bent the sword into a circle before tossing the sword at the smith's feet. "I'd find a reputable smith to get a sword from lad if I were you." He turned and made his way out the doorway.

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Ragnar had found the abandoned forge in the Northern part of the City. As soon as he laid eyes on it he knew it was the perfect place for him to set up his new home and workshop with the little tools he had managed to salvage from his old home when he fled North.

Ragnar had been up since before dawn so he could light his forge and have breakfast while the forge heated up. He began heating seven rods, four of which were soft iron and three of steel he had hammered out the night before. He heated up each rod till it glowed bright red so he could twist them into a tight vertical spiral. He had just finished twisting the longest rod of steal which would form the spine of the sword when he heard someone rapping on his heavy oak door. Grabbing his trusty Axe he made his way to the door and cautiously looked through the peep hole where he saw that his visitor was a large, well fed, and richly dressed man who appeared to have traveled to his forge in the carriage that was parked outside.

He opened the door cautiously, keeping his Axe out of sight as he didn't want to scare the man unnecessarily. "Can I help you Sir!"

The door to Weland's Forge opened.

The description that was given to Doran matched the man that stood in its doorway. He was a mountain of a man, his head nearly touching the door frame. Long red hair that flowed into a long red beard framed his face. He was a man full in his prime. His arms alone were three times larger than the average adult. It's no wonder he had bent an iron sword, even if it were only pure iron.

Doran had received a report from the blacksmith guild that a “giant red-headed smith” was bending swords and driving off business, claiming the swords were of low quality. He couldn't have that kind of rumor spread. It made no difference that it were true. How else could he make a profit from selling swords to soldiers and refugees? He couldn't afford to have his blacksmiths taking the time to produce thousands of high quality steel swords, so inferior pure iron was the product. And of course bronze swords were out of the question, with more than half the One Kingdom's tin mines in the south, all trade of tin dried up.

“Good morning! My name is Doran Merekson, I am sure you know of me.” He shot the big man a look that said he thought it was doubtful he hadn't. “On behalf of the Merekson Coalition, I would like to speak to you about your business.” And why you are undermining my own. He thought to himself. If he could just convince this man to join him, then he can save face and say that he hired such a skilled smith to help him improve the quality of his product. Of course he would be recruiting the man's silence and his blacksmith guild would continue selling subpar weapons.

“As a matter of fact I would like to commission a project from you.” He let the bait sit for a second, then said, “Dear me, it sure is beginning to get rather cool is it not? Thank Wynari for winter to slow The March but my arse may very well freeze off long before they reach Dyrlyn. Would you kindly share a fire with me?”

Ragnar had been expecting a visit from someone after his visits to some of the local smiths but he was surprised it was from someone as cheerful looking and rich as his current visitor. He smiled to himself when the man mentioned a commission, his upsetting the smiths may have paid off better than he hoped.

Glancing up and down the street to see if anyone was lurking around. "Certainly Mr Merekson we can step inside if you would like to warm yourself by the forge." He stepped back inside gesturing with his arm. As soon as Doran was inside he closed the door and dropped the huge oak beam which he used as a locking bar. "Can't be too careful, we don't want any unwelcome visitors." He placed his Axe on his anvil before pulling out a folding chair for his guest and a 3 legged stool form himself. "I'm sorry about the mess I haven't got round to getting everything straightened up yet." All round the forge was the remnants of the previous owner belongs that looters had destroyed but amongst these on racks were spear heads and axe heads waiting to be attached to their shafts.

"Can i offer you drink while you warm yourself?" Doran had mentioned a commission outside but Ragnar was happy to let him raise that subject in his own time Sitting opposite the man, he perched awkwardly on the tiny stool for a few moments before giving up. "Would you mind if I worked while we talk?"

"Thank you. Mr Merekson and you just happen to be in luck I'm in the middle of making a sword." Ragnar lifted the 7 rods in his left hand, "i know these don't look like much at the moment but if bare with me i can have you a sword in less than a hour", with that said he began heating the 7 rods as he began pumping the bellows. "If you want a large number of my swords I will need an assistant or preferably two, I'm hoping with your connections you might be able find some suitable candidates," Drawing the longest steel rod first along with one of the iron rods when the tips were cherry red and placing them side by side he began hammering the tips together before returning them to the forge and reheated the tips he continue the heating and hammer till he had the steel core rod heat welded till the 4 rods of iron followed by adding the last two steel rods to the outside of the tangle of twisted metal rods, turning to Doran and showing him what he had done so far.

"Now we attach the 7 rods together at the end leaving the extra length of the central rod to become the tang which allows the blade to be attached to the handle." he quickly heated up the other end of the sword and using the heat and hammer to weld this end of the sword together. "This is were the real work begins" he chuckled as he set his work into the flames of his forge and replaced the small hammer on his tool rack and taking down his medium sized hammer and set of tongs setting the hammer beside his anvil, returning the to the forge he began heating the blade faster as he pumped the bellows hard forcing the air into the forge as he used the tongs to turn the blade making sure it was evenly heated till it was glowing almost white hot. he pulled it out and began to hammer it using the weight of the hammer, the heat of the metals and his huge strength to meld the 7 rods into one deadly blade, he accomplished this in minutes were to would take other smiths hours maybe even days to do this after giving it another final heating he hammered the blood channels into each side of the blade before taking a small die and placing it on the blade struck it once with his hammer to stamp the letter R deep into the Blade satisfied with his work he thrust the blade into the water trough to quench the blade. He would have preferred to have used oil but he was unable to acquire any so far.

Walking over to the treadle wheel in the corner on the bench, he began he got it spinning it up to speed to grind and hone the blade. he was lost in a world of his own as he remembered the first time he had ever polished a sword blade in the Dad's forge all those years ago as a child. when he was happy with the blade he took it over to his work bench by the window and selected two ash wood hand grips which he riveted on before wrapping the grips in soft leather and attaching the pommel.

"Here you are Doran" he presented the sword hilt first to him. "I hope you find this sword satisfactory ive given her some beauty but she is a tool nothing more. just like my hammers. also i have been think while i made the sword there may be away to improve your iron swords so that your customers might be able to survive a few battles and return to buy more swords from us and i could also use a wood worker to make spear handles and axe handles for the weapons i make. I could make them myself but that would mean less time i can spend at the forge."

"What do you think of her is she acceptable to you and when it comes to your more valued customers i can make unique custom swords for them." As he stepped back out of Doran's sword reach picking up his axe to give him room to try out the sword if he liked but also letting him see if he turned out tracherous he wouldn't go down without a fight.