Rise and Rise Again
Cathedral Forge
Copyright Dave Willis
Name: Cathedral Forge
Image Source: Cave Entrance by Dave Willis (Cathedral Cave, England); Steppes Domica Cave by Wikipedia
Intent: To build a location on the planet Ziost for @Ginnie Ordo to work her Beskar Smithy & Sith Alchemical Forge. Chosen for Ziost's strong ties to the Dark Side of the Force and it's proximity within the Mandalorian Faction Space.
Classification: Alchemical Forge & Beskar Smithy
Location: Dark Forest Cliffs, Ziost
Affiliation: Ginnie Ordo (Mandalorian)
Description: The Mandalorian Ginnie Ordo decided it was high time for her to have a Forge of her own in private, where she could practice her Beskar Smithing taught by her Master Craftsman father Jasper Ordo and Sith Alchemical arts she had picked up from her brother [member="Isley Verd"]'s diaries and a private series of holovids he had recorded for the use of his personal detail and collection. After receiving a tidy sum for mercenary work from [member="Aditya Amadis"], Ginnie was able to purchase transit to Ziost for herself and her crates of supplies. Ginnie has a standing opportunity with [member="Rave Merrill"] to work as a minor Alchemist for the AEL, and that offer inspired her to branch out for her own use and the use of her training in the art of the forge.
She had them land in the middle of a vast and seldom travelled forest, where dark powers were said to linger and bite at those who entered in. Dark powers didn't scare Ginnie. The only thing that scared Ginnie was the failure that would result if she didn't somehow craft a way to save her father's poorly physical condition or if she'd failed at being as strong as an Ordo ought to be. So it was the child concentrated on the land and her place within it, running until she found what appeared to be a dried up stream which ran in a straight line between the vaulted canopy of tall, monstrous trees. Further in off of the stream, she found two cliffs which had in times past come clattering together and at their joining formed a large vaulted corasional cave. The entrance was at first hard to see and the child had to hop down and down to get to the main chamber.
The main chamber of the Cathedral Forge is a naturally formed cave which reaches 90 meters (m) at its highest point. The majority of the chamber is 60 m - 90 m high and from 5 m at the entry to 25 m wide at its widest point under the mountain tops. The entry way is concealed from prying eyes by a durasteel door overlaid with small bits of rock and cuttings of slate, locked with simple clasps, until the blacksmithing girl can reinforce it.
The far wall of the chamber has a natural outcropping of stone 'steps' large enough for Ginnie to use as shelves and the highest of which she can use as a living area. The forge itself is nestled into the semi circle, built with rock, brick and mortar and sealed with the Dark Side of the Force to handle the energies and essences she will be applying to those items she manufactures.
Along the wall space by the Forge Ginnie placed webbing to hold tools, a work bench and stools. The anvil is placed near the hearth, and along one wall a thin ever trickling waterfall slides down the column of rock to a cistern pool, which flows downward and out a crack further in the mountainside toward an underground water table. Connected to the cistern is an artificially dug pool deep enough for a bath or for cleaning tools and the run-off from the forge trough. On the far side of the small pool is a plug to either contain the water or let it run outside of the forge and down the mountainside so as to not contaminate the water table.
A large, long wooden workbench has been built around a pillar and along a side of the cave wall, housing the more mystical supplies of Ginnie Ordo's personal forge. Although sparse now, through the course of her development as an alchemist the alchemical section of the Forge will continue to be added to and developed.
History: Before the pre-teen Mandalorian daughter of Master Beskarsmith [member="Ordo"] got to the Cathedral Forge, it had been two separate mountains with a small ravine running through it. Hundreds of years before its rediscovery, the ravine had been the home of a roaming tribe and waypoint for travellers who wanted fresh water and a place to lay their heads. Then, disaster struck. In a frothing war, the very foundations of the earth pitched and yawed. None survived, and the Dark Lords who had caused the destruction left the mountains crumbled, their cliffs cast together in a great seam, sealing the Cathedral into its' cave form today.
Once she found it, Ginnie began the act of preparing the cave for use. Using the skills she learned from her father Master Beskar Smith [member="Ordo"], she built a smithy into the cave and used a naturally occurring slit and widened it to create the cross flow for her chimney. She has running water, equipment set up and the location is ready for the girl to begin her crafting one project at a time.
Links:
- Hallowed Halls - Dev Thread - Where Ginnie goes looking for a forge all her own in the forests of Ziost & builds the rudimentary supplies and places.
- Little Girls Gossip - Mercenary Thread - Where Ginnie finds [member="Elaine Thul"] and gets information integral to the rescue of [member="Preliat Mantis"]
