Forged Rivalries

Quest · Chapter 3 · Swamp Camp

Quest Parts

  • Forged Rivalries:
  • I could get Stone the materials for the weapon.:
  • Darrion should see the weapon.:
  • I could pay Stone for forging the weapon.:
  • I'm supposed to steal the design.:
  • I need to bring the design to Stone.:
  • Stone is making the weapon. It'll take a while.:

Materials for Stone's war hammer

Stone asks for five steel bars, two iron wood shafts, two iron bands, and two leather strips. The dialogue says you can instead pay 1,000 nuggets for him to source the materials.

When the materials are complete, Stone tells you to come back the next day. The finished hammer is then shown to Darrion, who explains the forging: a properly counterweighted head, an iron-reinforced shaft, and a balanced spike and head.

The stolen design route

The other route is to take the design from Gomez's quarters and bring it to Stone. Stone warns you to keep quiet because the design carries a royal mark. Ask Stone about his price before choosing this route.

Stone again needs a day to finish the hammer and tells you not to mention it to Gomez. Gomez discovered the design was missing and had Stone imprisoned, so keep the work quiet until it is finished.

A hammer made under pressure

Stone's war hammer is another attempt to prove that his work deserves to stand on its own. Five steel bars, two ironwood shafts, iron bands, and leather strips become the raw materials for a weapon that must be both heavy and balanced. Stone can source the materials for a steep price, but gathering them yourself makes the hero part of the craft rather than merely its customer.

Darrion's later examination gives the weapon a second standard. He looks for a counterweighted head, a reinforced shaft, and a spike that does not pull the weapon off balance. The rivalry is not only about who owns a design; it is also about whether a smith's work can survive the scrutiny of the person who taught him.

The royal mark and the dangerous shortcut

The alternative route steals the design from Gomez's quarters. Stone warns that it bears a royal mark, so copying it is more than taking notes from a rival—it is risking the attention of the man who controls the castle. Once Gomez discovers the loss, Stone's imprisonment shows how quickly a craft dispute becomes an exercise of political power.

The hero's choice between materials and theft determines what kind of legacy the hammer carries. One route builds a new weapon through labor; the other turns a powerful symbol into contraband. Either way, the finished piece is made in secret, because the castle treats knowledge as property and punishes anyone who tries to move it without permission.

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