Behind the Scenes Notes #2: Forging

Minor Spoiler warning for techniques that haven’t yet been introduced to the main series. There are no story or plot spoilers, only mechanics that haven’t been properly introduced yet. If you wish to keep them a surprise skip any sections with terms you’re unfamiliar with. Spoiler warning over.

Fundamentally, forging is the most “basic” of the crafting skills, alongside leatherworking, stitching, etc., as it covers all things blacksmithing. At its core, it is the least fantastical element of crafting. Many variants of the forging skill will also incorporate basic versions of leatherworking, stitching, etc., as components of the overarching skill. 

Core Metals

The Grade scale of materials in Universe’s End follows Poor->Mythical, and metals are no exception. Core metals can be upgraded through the tiers, spanning at least three tiers.

Enriched Iron (Common/Uncommon/Rare)

Pneuma-enriched iron, or just ‘Enriched Iron,’ is a material that starts as Common grade. While labeled as “Iron,” it is important to note that the material itself is NOT iron, just very similar. It may be enhanced in the same fashion as regular iron is enhanced to steel. Variant refinement maxes out at Rare by utilizing Inversion Processing.

Family Variants

-Stabilized Steel

-Crimson Steel

-Solarite

-Stellarite

-Inversion Iron

-Night Copper

[Redacted]

Peripheral Metals

Unlike core metals, peripheral metals are usually grade locked, i.e., a common-grade metal can’t be improved past that. Peripheral metals can be used as either a main metal at tier (i.e., a Rare-grade peripheral is usable as a primary metal for the late mortal/early immortal brackets) or otherwise used as a secondary/tertiary component material in alloys.

Hiveinite

Grade locked at Uncommon, Hiveinite is a semi-organic material made by the larvae of Ash worms. The larvae consume minerals and trace metals within ash and sand. 

Alchemical Metals/Isotope Variants

Metals/materials that only exist in part due to alchemical refinement. A peripheral material undergoing extensive alchemical refinement or alteration will no longer be classified as a Peripheral material.

Hiveinite*

Quality: Uncommon

Isotope Variant: Stable Affinity

 An altered form of Hiveinite that has been adjusted through alchemical affinity reduction/replacement. While still an uncommon quality, it is NOT grade locked, such as the base Peripheral base variant.

Quenching

Items may be quenched in varying substances. Substances ranging from mundane to common grade will have minimal effect outside real-world examples. Rare+ can potentially alter base traits of materials in more drastic ways to adopt properties that wouldn’t typically be found on an item. Quenches are either naturally sourced or made through alchemy.

Lacquering

After an item has been mostly completed, it may undergo lacquering. Like Quenching, lacquering is bathing an item in a substance, typically a liquid. Unlike Quenching, which is simply the process of cooling an item, lacquering can be considered a toned-down version of Gem Crafting, in which a temporary layer is applied to an item that will always grant a boon and a bane.  Lacquers are either naturally sourced or made through alchemy.

Liquid Fire Lacquer

-Boon

Ever Flame Edge: A constant red-hot temperature is maintained, inflicting burns and granting greater cutting power through certain substances

-Bane

Brumal Brittleness: Exposure to temperatures below a certain point will slowly degrade the item's strength, eventually causing it to shatter if not adequately maintained.

True Folding

The far and away most prominent feature of Forging is the ability to utilize the process of True Folding. Low-tier and low-skilled are limited to basic folding, the regular method on Earth of folding metal to expel impurities and increase uniformity. True Folding is when a skilled smith folds metal/material so that not only does the metal fold on itself, but an increased amount of physical matter can take up the same space.

Typically, physical matter is more than 99% space at the atomic level, and True Folding allows that number to be decreased.

[Iron Ingot] → Regular old ingot >1%

[Iron Ingot +1] → An ingot composed of folding two regular ingots together in such a way that they take the same physical space as a single ingot without the loss of any physical matter =1%

[Iron Ingot +2] → 3 +1 Iron ingots =3%

[Iron Ingot +3] → 4 +2 Iron ingots =12%

[Iron Ingot +4] → 5 +3 Iron Ingots = 60%

[Iron Ingot +5] → 6 +4 Iron Ingots AND an “Iron Core Seed”

[Elder Iron Ingot] → 10 +5 Iron Ingots AND one “Neutron Core Seed”

Due to the increased physical matter, weight does technically increase, but how much depends on the smith's skill; a master smith can ensure minimal weight increase due to the conceptual strength of their skill. Even a True Immortal Craftsman cannot entirely prevent weight increase.

Example:

Elder Iron Ingot w/out conceptual weight reduction: Approximately 10,000x the weight of a regular ingot

Elder Iron Ingot WITH conceptual weight reduction from a True Master: Approximately 100x