The young and budding town of Tysill is a small mining colony in the middle of the Greater Ghenial Woods. Their main export was in the newly discovered Soul Gems and silver. Thanks to this, it quickly became a hub of craftsmen and enchanters. Coin flowed through the streets freely, filtering through the pockets of the great Tysill family, of course. Ben arrived on the doorstep of a local blacksmith that he had been in contact with before. As a man of 29 years and with the pride of a true craftsman, he got on his knees and begged the man to allow him to work and live in his workshop.
The man, Silvar Hammerblood, was happy to take the young man in. He could always use an extra hand in the forge, he would say. Ben was grateful for the kindness of his guest, making sure to be as mindful as possible of his position. From the moment he awoke to the moment before he went to sleep, he worked the forge and stoked the fire. Every day he pounded away at the hot iron and poured molten silver into molds. The work in the Hammerblood Forgery was much different than the work he did before. Since Tysill mined silver, crafting jewelry and finer craftsmanship was required more often. Much different than the occasional family heirloom and farming tool.
This seemed to be no problem for Ben Vulcan, with his hammer in hand he felt there was no end to his talent. Silvar was astounded by his new employee’s adaptation, he began giving him more and more jewelry commissions. Little did Ben know that the work he was paid peanuts for was being sold for buckets full of coin. Even still, he worked from dawn till dusk, what could he possibly do for so long? He experimented on Soul Gems, jewels that grew in the earth and were capable of harnessing magic energy and storing it for later use.
No one was quite sure how these crystals seemed to grow or why, but in certain areas, they grew rapidly. To the point that a depleted mine would be completely refreshed in only a few years. This was the foundation of wealth for the Tysill family, and it appeared to be an indefinite source of income. Smaller businesses like the Hammerblood Forgery were given a small amount for experimentation, any inventions were sold directly to the Tysill family. They were sure to reward their crafters well, to ensure their loyalty. The rumors of turncoats disappearing helped keep them loyal as well. None of that really mattered to Ben, he was simply excited to be able to experiment on the Soul Gems.
He found many uses for the gems, their ability to retain magic energy was astonishing and he quickly fell in love with them. So much so that he pushed the boundaries of their existence to the very limit. He crushed them and refined them, reducing them to dust and mixing them into metals. The resulting metal was capable of storing and channeling one’s own magical energy. With enough concentration one could hone the blade and make it dozens of times sharper and far more durable. This metal was dubbed Magic Steel and became the very standard for craftsmanship in the future.
Ben shared this discovery with his boss, Silvar. The two presented their new creation to the Tysill family. It quickly became apparent that Silvar intended to take the credit for Magic Steel. Betrayed once again he could feel the rage boil in his heart, the fire in his soul ignited with hatred. This time though, he had something to lose, his invention and his beloved Soul Gems. In the dead of night, the embers of the forge glowed faintly orange. Ben snuck into the workshop of a rival blacksmith’s, he stole the man’s hammer and quickly returned to sleeping Hammerblood.
Looking over the man who took him in when he was at his weakest, who fed him when he was hungry and gave him a place to work when he was needy. He raised the hammer and bludgeoned the man to death in his sleep. Not stopping until his brain matter painted his pillows and his skull laid in fragments. He took the hammer covered in blood and hair and hid it away in the owner’s workshop. Then, he washed his hands, incinerated his bloodstained clothes, and went to sleep. In the morning he “found” his dead employer and reported it to the authorities.
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