IV. The Blacksmith's Workbench
— craft, repair, upgrade · the patience of iron —
The blacksmith's stall presents three modes upon his anvil. Craft forges a new thing from raw stock. Repair restores a worn item's durability for a smaller fee. Upgrade raises an item's stat ceiling — rarer, costlier, and irreversible.
Illuminating Stone
"A sigil-stone, set in iron, that holds the light of day for hours. Belt-worn. Frees both hands."
Materials Required
Result
Repair, Plainly Stated
Why durability matters
Each blow against a beast, each strike against a chest, costs a notch on the weapon's durability bar. A weapon at 0 shatters in hand — and is lost.
This is the design's bulwark against the player abusing one favoured sword forever. Carry a second. Switch. Or return to the forge.
The repair sum
Repair costs scale with damage and item tier:
| Tier | Full-repair cost | One-tap mend |
|---|---|---|
| Common | ~ 30 % of craft | 5 g / pip |
| Fine | ~ 35 % | 10 g / pip |
| Master | ~ 40 % | 20 g / pip |
Repaired items lose 1 pip of maximum durability per repair past the third.
Upgrade Tree (sketch)
Upgrades take an item from Common → Fine → Master. Each tier requires its predecessor and a rarer reagent. Below: the path for the Iron Hammer.
The Sampler — What You Can Make
Illuminating Stone
Bright sigil-stone in iron. Belt-worn, two hands free. Battery-bound.
Iron Hammer
Cheap, slow, hits like a falling beam. Repairs easily.
Shortsword
Fast swings, modest damage. Good against the swift things.
Comical Pauldrons
Cartoonishly oversized. +12 Defence. Other players will laugh — and live.
Helm of the Hare
A rabbit-eared sallet. +6 Defence · +Speed when fleeing.
Repair Mallet
Single-use field repair. Restores 25 % durability to one weapon in your satchel.
Smoke Pot
Throws a sooty cloud. Beasts lose sight for ten seconds. Run.
Lure-Bell
Drop and forget. Rings four times. The dark comes running. Use to clear a corridor.