Crucible Soulforges
Deep within the The Evershift Workshop, tucked away in a hidden pocket far within its nearly infinite space, is a locked facility. The only area of the workshop sectioned off with walls, doors and guards of any kind. This facility is a great and powerful secret, heavily guarded and warded, and so very few even amongst the divine entities of the plane, those Cormaq Thunderhand has accepted into his sphere and realm, under his oath.
But what lies beyond?
Entering through the doors, having been entrusted with the most sacred of permissions, a figure you recognize, a true saint of invention, one of Cormaq's most devout and chosen, awaits you on the gangway overlooking what is a vast facility. The heat and raw energy coming off the massive forge that centers the space, bleeding in part as energy and in part as a strange iridescent smoke and ash clouds from its many exhausts and smoke-pipes let you know the sheer power and force of this divine device. The device hums with a unique frequency, not the belching of bellows you'd expect, nor the crackling of embers or flames. But instead a steady, discordantly harmonious whirring hum. You stand in awe at the structure, unsure what to make of it, or what could possibly require whatever this is. No, not this, but these, you realize, three of them. The central heat is provided by a shared source, however there are actually three working forges for whatever is being worked on below. You are too high up to make out clearly what exactly is being worked on, but those working on it are shielded by visible magick and wearing some of the most heavy duty and completely encompassing protective equipment you can imagine, almost more Magnimech than actual work clothes. The whole system has you in awe, there is something inspired, truly inspired about it even though you know not its purpose. You find yourself enthralled by the sheer beauty of it, whatever it might be.
"Beautiful aren't they?" Rian Gergauge says to you, as he moves to be beside you, looking over the railing. "The greatest gift and secret of our Father of Invention, praise be to Cormaq Thunderhand, the Father of Invention."
"That they are." you whisper in awe. "But I do not understand, what even are they?"
Rian chuckles, and taps your side lightly, gesturing to another door that has appeared, one that seems quaint, simple, and when he opens it, leads to, comparatively to what you have just seen, an unremarkable office of sorts with furniture and shelves upon shelves of books and tomes about all variety of crafts and trade works. "As to that, step with me into my office. For you have been granted a great boon and trust, and to explain will require time, and I would rather speak at a more relaxed tone away from the machinery for this part."
But what lies beyond?
Entering through the doors, having been entrusted with the most sacred of permissions, a figure you recognize, a true saint of invention, one of Cormaq's most devout and chosen, awaits you on the gangway overlooking what is a vast facility. The heat and raw energy coming off the massive forge that centers the space, bleeding in part as energy and in part as a strange iridescent smoke and ash clouds from its many exhausts and smoke-pipes let you know the sheer power and force of this divine device. The device hums with a unique frequency, not the belching of bellows you'd expect, nor the crackling of embers or flames. But instead a steady, discordantly harmonious whirring hum. You stand in awe at the structure, unsure what to make of it, or what could possibly require whatever this is. No, not this, but these, you realize, three of them. The central heat is provided by a shared source, however there are actually three working forges for whatever is being worked on below. You are too high up to make out clearly what exactly is being worked on, but those working on it are shielded by visible magick and wearing some of the most heavy duty and completely encompassing protective equipment you can imagine, almost more Magnimech than actual work clothes. The whole system has you in awe, there is something inspired, truly inspired about it even though you know not its purpose. You find yourself enthralled by the sheer beauty of it, whatever it might be.
"Beautiful aren't they?" Rian Gergauge says to you, as he moves to be beside you, looking over the railing. "The greatest gift and secret of our Father of Invention, praise be to Cormaq Thunderhand, the Father of Invention."
"That they are." you whisper in awe. "But I do not understand, what even are they?"
Rian chuckles, and taps your side lightly, gesturing to another door that has appeared, one that seems quaint, simple, and when he opens it, leads to, comparatively to what you have just seen, an unremarkable office of sorts with furniture and shelves upon shelves of books and tomes about all variety of crafts and trade works. "As to that, step with me into my office. For you have been granted a great boon and trust, and to explain will require time, and I would rather speak at a more relaxed tone away from the machinery for this part."
Utility
"Ahh much better, we can hear ourselves think and speak without yelling now." Rian stated as he closed the door to the office, the door as is the way of Evershift, sealing the noises of the room beside it almost unnaturally, so that no sound, even faintly, were to be heard in the office. Once they were seated comfortably, Rian nodded. "Since you have found this place and were not immediately beset by the walls themselves or the other guardians, you were clearly guided here. I can see it on your essence, you bear the mark, and just in time too. For we have need of another craftsman."
"But what is it these forges craft?" you ask, still confused, unsure what to make of all this.
"Patience, allow me to explain. However first, you must understand the dire importance and sheer necessity what this place and those machines dictate. Should I explain any further, you will not leave here. More importantly though you will experience your time as a Divine, your own soul will not remember any part of this. It will be as if it never happened when your time comes to pass from here to another existence, no part of it will be imprinted upon your essence. For all intents and purposes it will be as if this did not exist. Such is the power woven into this part of The Evershift. You will never leave this facility, you cannot, for the risk is to great. Do you understand?"
Ever the devout of your diety in your previous life, your faith isn't about to be shaken now. "Yes I understand, yes. I know not what exactly about this facility and task is of such importance for even the scriptures within my mortal existence did not indicate anything so divine...." You pause, putting things together at least a little. For though what you were saying was technically true in the written scriptures there was one thing, relatively new when you were of Valerick, a mortal. "Is this tied to the Forgeborn?" you ask softly, with great reverence.
"It is that exactly yes. You will be one of only three entrusted to such works, with oversight from myself. Besides us, only two small bands of Forge-gard, chosen by Cormaq himself, praise be, have any idea exactly what goes on here and even they only know of a specific.....material we use. For you see these are the Crucible Soulforges. This is where Forgeborn are molded. Not born despite their name, but molded. Rescued from a fate worse than death, worse than even the destruction of one's raw essence. Listen closely now, and I shall explain to you what you shall be doing, how the forges work and the depth of the task you are being entrusted with."
"But what is it these forges craft?" you ask, still confused, unsure what to make of all this.
"Patience, allow me to explain. However first, you must understand the dire importance and sheer necessity what this place and those machines dictate. Should I explain any further, you will not leave here. More importantly though you will experience your time as a Divine, your own soul will not remember any part of this. It will be as if it never happened when your time comes to pass from here to another existence, no part of it will be imprinted upon your essence. For all intents and purposes it will be as if this did not exist. Such is the power woven into this part of The Evershift. You will never leave this facility, you cannot, for the risk is to great. Do you understand?"
Ever the devout of your diety in your previous life, your faith isn't about to be shaken now. "Yes I understand, yes. I know not what exactly about this facility and task is of such importance for even the scriptures within my mortal existence did not indicate anything so divine...." You pause, putting things together at least a little. For though what you were saying was technically true in the written scriptures there was one thing, relatively new when you were of Valerick, a mortal. "Is this tied to the Forgeborn?" you ask softly, with great reverence.
"It is that exactly yes. You will be one of only three entrusted to such works, with oversight from myself. Besides us, only two small bands of Forge-gard, chosen by Cormaq himself, praise be, have any idea exactly what goes on here and even they only know of a specific.....material we use. For you see these are the Crucible Soulforges. This is where Forgeborn are molded. Not born despite their name, but molded. Rescued from a fate worse than death, worse than even the destruction of one's raw essence. Listen closely now, and I shall explain to you what you shall be doing, how the forges work and the depth of the task you are being entrusted with."
The Crucible Soulforges are a most unique and divine discovery, yet the power they wield is beyond measure. Powered by the core of a living star, its sheer vibrations and tempo of that rawest manna, of raw creation heating the forge and empowering it with magick and energies beyond any description. Within them any soul, no matter how tainted, how ancient, how mutilated, how sickened, could be stripped pure. The imprinted memories of each existence of flesh or being stripped to their core. However such a task is a task requiring the most skilled of hands. Should the process of 'heating' along with careful techniques of stripping and forging to remove only the various 'layers' of memory, trauma, and imprints not be done with perfect precision one could either damage the core essence in such a way it can no longer be salvaged, or equally as bad, not properly cleanse it, thus insuring the whole purpose of this process will fail.
For these devices and unique tools and techniques of such a secretive craft are used to reverse the process of Void-Tainted. Horrors, secreted from raids on the fringe regions of the Void, and brought here under heavy containment, are put through this process to undo that which made them in the first place. To strip away the trauma, wounding and scarring that was utilized to twist a soul beyond recognition into something so foul. To strip it all away and leave only the core, cleansed, pure, returned to the flow of creation.
This process is complex on a scale that words cannot properly convey, and can take what mortals of any Material Realm would describe as 'years' to complete for each soul, however time flows different on planes of Divinity, a boon indeed for this process, even with only three operational forges, making a difference in the Great Struggle between Creation and the End.
Manufacturing
Working in close proximity to the Soulforges inevitably comes with a lot of manna exposure given its core. The structures of the forges themselves are made of crucible iron and starmetal alloyed with obsidian, which does help. Furthermore those whom work with the Forges are provided basically fully encompassed magnimech like protective suits of steel alloyed obsidian to wear and work with, for without them they would be rapidly overwhelmed with raw manna and basically come apart at the seams of their existence, returning to the flows of Creation as naught but energy.
Social Impact
Once this process was figured out and began to show results on any scale worth noting, swiftly the pair had to figure out what to do with these, effectively, newborn souls. Old made new, made pure, but also empty. To put them directly back into the streams of Creation felt somehow incorrect, as if Meanma itself, the manna of Spirit, would not approve. Thus, the birth of the Forgeborn.
Access & Availability
Only available on within The Evershift Workshop, only three forges exist.
Complexity
Uniquely Complex
Discovery
The discovery process of the technological and divine devices known now as Crucible Soul-forges is a deeply guarded secret, a story of great difficulties, secret trials and deep costs. Some divine beings suffered greatly for this discovery, some ceased to be. It is the most deeply guarded secret of The Evershift Workshop, known directly only to Rian Gergauge and Cormaq Thunderhand and it is a process they guard with fiercely, but also seemingly with reverence.
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