The Forging of Eisenland

The Forging of Eisenland

In the days when Rathnir was young, when the lands and oceans were still turbulent from their creation, the world would often shift and change. In the final days of this chaotic time, new islands emerged from the ocean. Upon these new lands, seven tribes settled. These tribes warred with one another constantly for an era, a time of blood and death.

Then, a Hero came, a blessing of the gods.

The First Tribe:

The Hero came before the First Tribe, Maxim, and offered them peace if they would only kneel before him. They were a tribe of builders and they would serve none who could not defeat them in a contest of construction. For seven days and seven nights, the Hero and the greatest Builder of the First Tribe toiled.

At the dawn of the eighth day, the greatest Builder’s finished construction was a mighty wall, tall and strong, made of stone. Few could scale its mighty sides or break through its defenses. More than that, it was a creation of great beauty and detail. It encircled the First Tribe’s homeland, meant to protect them from all who might threaten them.

The Hero’s construction was far smaller and simpler, a large ring of strange, black rock. When the First Tribe’s Builder declared himself victor upon seeing his opponent’s creation however, the Hero challenged him and any of his fellow tribesmen to break the ring. The Builder readied his pickaxe, an artifact of great magical power, and brought it down upon the ring, again and again. Yet, each time, his pickaxe bounced off with no effect, doing not so much as scratching the ring. The First Tribe followed his example, with each member of the tribe attempting to break the ring.

In the face of one who could build the indestructible, the Builder yielded and the First Tribe vowed to follow the Hero for all time.

The Second Tribe:

The Hero came before the Second Tribe, Kamin, and offered them peace if they would only kneel before him alongside the Maxim. They refused, for their tribe was wealthy beyond measure in both resources and gold, and they would not serve the Hero, believing he would only take from them. Though the Maxim wished to go to war with Kamin for insulting their new leader, the Hero instead challenged the Kamin to a contest, like he had the Maxim. He challenged the greatest among their Miners to gather more iron than he could in a week’s time. The greatest Miner among the Kamin accepted and for seven days and seven nights, the Miner and the Hero toiled far below the surface.

At the dawn of the eight day, the Miner and the Hero each emerged. While the Miner had emerged at nightfall at the end of each day to offload the great amounts of iron he had acquired, the Hero had only emerged at the end of the challenge’s timeframe. The amount of iron the Miner had acquired could fill a carriage.

Meanwhile the Hero only appeared to have a small, purple box with him. Seeing this, the Miner proclaimed himself the victor of the challenge and demanded payment from the Hero. Yet, the Hero opened the box and released its contents. From within the box, a river of iron flowed, enough to fill a dozen carriages and more.

In the face of one who could produce from nothing, the Miner yielded and the Second Tribe vowed to follow the Hero for all time.

The Third Tribe:

The Hero came before the Third Tribe, Ozen, and offered them peace if they would only kneel before him alongside the Maxim and the Kamin. They refused, for their tribe was one of crafters and weaponsmiths, and they would not serve one who could not best their greatest Craftsman in a contest of creation. For seven days and seven nights, the Hero and the Craftsman each toiled in their forges.

On the dawn of the eighth day, the Craftsman and the Hero emerged with their creations, wrapped in cloth. The Craftsman revealed his creation, a greatsword made with metal of the nether that could cleave through even diamonds with great ease.

The Hero’s creation was strange. It was a thin rod of metal with no sharpness or weight, a weapon that did not look like it could kill. The Craftsman declared himself the victor upon seeing this, but the Hero challenged the Craftsman to strike the rod with his own blade. The Craftsman obliged and all were astonished when the rod not only didn’t break, but imbued the nether blade with great, magical power that enhanced its might tenfold.

In the face of one who could improve even the finest creations, the Craftsman yielded and the Third Tribe vowed to follow the Hero for all time.

The Fourth tribe:

The Hero came before the Fourth Tribe, Sein, and offered them peace if they would only kneel before him alongside the Maxim, the Kamin, and the Ozen. They refused, for they believed themselves to be the greatest tribe and instead demanded he kneel before them. The Hero challenged them to prove they were greater than he. However, their leader proclaimed that he needn’t prove himself and sent his tribesmen to attack the Hero. For seven days and seven nights, the Hero and his followers battled the Sein.

On the dawn of the eighth day, the Hero emerged victorious and demanded the leader, who he dubbed the Weaver, reveal what made him great. Yet, the Weaver could not do this, for he had simply led his tribesmen to believe he was great and follow him for that alone.

The Weaver, having seen the Hero’s greatness to be genuine, accepted defeat and kneeled. The Fourth Tribe vowed to follow the Hero for all time.

The Fifth Tribe:

The Hero came before the Fifth Tribe, Kaisen, and offered them peace if they would only kneel before him alongside the Maxim, the Kamin, the Ozen, and the Sein. The Fifth Tribe was largest of the tribes in numbers and they valued expansion greatly. As such, they accepted the Hero’s offer, needing no challenge be met, for they had seen the Hero’s skill in growing his own realm and their greatest Recruiter had persuaded them to follow him.

As such, the Recruiter and the Fifth Tribe vowed to follow the Hero for all time.

The Sixth Tribe:

The Hero came before the Sixth Tribe, Roc, and offered them peace if they would only kneel before him alongside the Maxim, the Kamin, the Ozen, the Sein, and the Kaisen. Yet the Sixth Tribe were not interested in the Hero’s plans or the greatness of the other tribes. They were pleased only by great works of art and culture, stories and tales. As such, they challenged the Hero to spin a tale greater than that of their greatest, the Storyteller. For seven days and seven nights, the Storyteller and the Hero each formulated their tales and prepared to tell them to their followers.

On the dawn of the eighth day, the Storyteller spun the tale of gods and mighty warriors of elder days, a story of worlds far beyond and below the land they inhabited. His tale was fantastical and beautiful, a masterwork of his tribe.

The Hero, however, told a tale, not of fantasy, but of reality. His tale was cold and hard, yet soft and warm, simple and infinitely complex, beautiful and terrible in every way. Those who heard it were struck by rage, by sadness, by happiness, and by fear. There was no doubt in the minds of any present of who had won the challenge.

The Storyteller admitted defeat with tearful eyes and the Sixth Tribe vowed to follow the Hero for all time.

The Seventh Tribe:

The Hero came before the Seventh and Final Tribe, Balhu, and offered them peace if they would only kneel before him alongside the Maxim, the Kamin, the Ozen, the Sein, the Kaisen, and the Roc. They refused, for their tribe was ruled by only the strongest. Their leader, the Warrior, demanded combat with the Hero. For seven days and seven nights, the Hero and the Warrior battled in heated combat.

On the dawn of the eighth day, the Hero finally defeated the Warrior, throwing him down. Yet, when he could have struck the killing blow, he chose to grant mercy instead.

The Warrior accepted defeat and the Seventh and Final Tribe vowed to follow the Hero for all time.

The Land of Iron:

With all Seven Tribes, Maxim, Kamin, Ozen, Sein, Kaizen, Roc, and Balhu, under his command, the Hero revealed his plans to all his followers: A land of great power and might, led by the Hero and his descendants, a realm blessed by the gods above and below.