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Weapons are a mainstay in the fantasy genre. There’s many different kinds, from swords to maces, and they’re used in both attacking and defending. However, they didn’t just appear out of thin air; rather they were created by not just one blacksmith but many across the world. His base of operations is none other than the fantasy smithy.
While many blacksmiths are officially affiliated with the local armor shops, there are a good number of those who are independent, choosing instead to run their own businesses. Some run it out of their homes or nearby them whereas others own their own buildings that house a smithy.
While not considered a building outright, a fantasy smithy can be one under the right conditions. That is, it needs to have the correct equipment. Elements like a forge go a long way in making one feel like a real building which enhances your audience’s immersion in the world you’ve built from the ground up.
When mulling the best location to plop a smithy, keep in mind that it is in direct competition with the armor shop. A blacksmith who’s chosen to go independent doesn’t want to be close enough to his competition, lest it steal away his customers. Instead, he wants to be in an area that’s best for his business.
The smithy affects the world in several ways. One of which is that it provides the means people use to attack or defend themselves in battle. In their hands, people have the power to change the lives of other people, both for good and ill, which originated from a smithy somewhere in the world.
This is article number thirty in the fantasy buildings series. For more, you can see what we have on our blog page!
In order to make a smithy that fits seamlessly in the world, there are several things you need. The point of this is to make it feel as real as it can be, which your audience will love! They can spot the difference between one that feels as if it’s been there for a long time versus one that was just put there just to have one. That is a big no-no!
The very first thing a fantasy smithy needs is a forge. Without it, the blacksmith can’t make any weapons. Since it generates quite a bit of heat, it needs to be in a well-ventilated area so that the blacksmith doesn’t suffer from heat exhaustion. This is precisely the reason why you see many forges outside. For those that are inside, they set in a way that they’re both inside and outside, allowing the heat to escape.
Next up is the anvil. This heavy metallic object is where the blacksmith takes newly-forged weapons and pounds them into shape, using his trusty hammer. It’s located not a few feet away from the forge so that he can quickly work on them before they get too cool. The anvil is perfect because it’s a hard surface capable of withstanding immense heat.
Before he can sell them, the blacksmith needs to sharpen the weapons he worked on atop the anvil. That’s where the grindstone comes in. This object is used in making pointy weapons like swords so sharp they can easily pierce the skin. After they’re razor-sharp, handling them correctly is critical to prevent getting hurt.
The fourth element of a fantasy smithy is the pail. Pails are filled with water to cool down the lava from the forge and lower the heat on the weapons after they’ve been worked on. They’re also used to ensure that the temperature in the forge is exactly right so that the blacksmith can make the absolute best weapons to sell.
The importance of the hammer to a smithy cannot be underscored. It is the blacksmith’s best friend as he uses it to flatten out newly-forged weapons or help mend the broken pieces of a weapon. He uses it whenever he’s working on the anvil which is quite often.
It wouldn’t be a fantasy smithy if it didn’t have any ores. The type of weapon the blacksmith is making depends greatly on the ore that he melted in the forge. There are many different types like steel and gold. The best blacksmiths in the world have a deep knowledge of these ores and what they can be used for when it comes to creating weapons.
Where are you likely to find a smithy? Remember that many blacksmiths are employed by the local armor shops which many towns and cities across the world have. The vast majority of people buy weapons from them but some of the best blacksmiths in the world choose instead to go independent. The question is, where do you find them?
Just like all businesses, a fantasy smithy needs to be in a place that’s easy to get to for their customers. Aware that their main competition is the armor shop within town, the smithy is located quite a distance away from it. Since the armor shop is found alongside the main roads, the smithy is on the same roads, just further away but not so far away that people won’t make the trip. It’s usually found in the outskirts of town.
Since many armor shops do business in towns and cities, many smithies have elicited to base their operations out in the countryside. The roads are busy all year round with travelers and merchants going from one place to the next and they’ll need to acquire new weapons or sharpen their blades. The blacksmiths will assist them, for a fee of course.
A fantasy smithy can also be situated at an entrance to a cave that goes through the mountains. Being located there gives people preparing to enter one last chance to stock up on weapons before stepping foot in, especially if it’s teeming with monsters or mercenaries. It can mean the difference between life and death.
Nearby natural resources is a great spot to find a smithy. Resources like mines or forests have a continual stream of traffic of people going to and from which increases the chances of people being attacked so that thieves can abscond with the stolen raw materials. To mitigate the chances of this happening, having a smithy near these resources gives people a chance to get weapons to protect themselves and deter would-be attackers since these resources are typically far from town.
Since it primarily focuses on making weapons, the smithy plays a pivotal role in the world. It makes weapons that are meant to destroy other people or protect their users from being attacked. Every blacksmith who crafts a weapon knows it will be used at some point and that only motivates them to make ever stronger weapons.
Instruments of war such as swords all originate from a forge, whether it be from an independent fantasy smithy or armor shop. The kingdom’s military typically has a forge that produces military-grade weapons though some of its higher-ups have signature weapons. Some of these weapons were specifically created by an independent blacksmith since he can do things many of his brethren can’t do due to his not being confined to military regulations.
Some of the world’s best blacksmiths choose to not be affiliated with any organizations, opting to go fully independent. Having independence gives them the opportunity to increase the breadth of their knowledge as they work to break new ground without being bound to any entities. They experiment using a combination of different materials to make stronger weapons at their forge. As a result of their research, new and more advanced weapons are developed which eventually spreads all over the world.
A fantasy smithy makes unique weapons that simply cannot be replicated anywhere else. They could have unusually colored blades or specifically designed hilts or be composed of rare materials that are hard to find in the world. These remarkable weapons have a higher attacking power than the majority of their counterparts and sell at a higher price.
It’s also where the blacksmith can make specially-requested weapons. While many blacksmiths are content with making a select number of weapons, some take special orders, seeing them as an opportunity to tap into their knowledge in order to make magic swords or something else. Whenever someone wants to make a particular kind of weapon and has the money to afford it, he’ll go to a blacksmith who is capable of doing it.
A fantasy smithy is where objects such as swords are born out of fire and forged into sharp, metallic objects that can pierce the skin in just a number of seconds. Whether it’s the hot days of summer or the frigid days of winter, there will always be someone who wants to buy something that was made from a smithy.
If you’re looking to make a fantasy smithy that feels natural to your world, it’s imperative to have everything it needs in order to make it work. Elements such as the forge and anvil go a long way towards making the smithy fit right in. After all, it isn’t one if it doesn’t have any of these elements!
As you consider the best places to set down a smithy, think about it from the blacksmith’s perspective. Its major competition is the armor shop which means it doesn’t want to be located right next to it. This is the reason why you see it in places like the countryside or the outskirts of the city as being located a distance away from its competition increases the chances of customers going there.
The world’s best blacksmiths have chosen to use their knowledge to push the boundaries of making weapons and not have to owe anyone anything. They experiment to make new types of swords and other weapons which they sell, admittedly at a higher price though that money is worth it!
Having a fantasy smithy in your world gives you a chance to develop weapons unique only to it since only the top blacksmiths have the capabilities to do just that. You simply can’t go wrong with having it in yours!
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