Lore:Skyforge

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The Skyforge
Type Forge
Continent Tamriel
Province Skyrim
Hold Whiterun
Appears in Skyrim, Legends
The Skyforge circa 4E 201

The Skyforge is an ancient forge built into the base of a bird statue atop a hill overlooking the plains of Whiterun Hold in Skyrim. It predates the city of Whiterun, which was built around it.[1]

The forge is known for producing Skyforge Steel (also known as Skyforged Steel),[2] the highest quality steel in all of Tamriel.[3] It is said that a blade forged in its fires can cut through sinew as if it were parchment.[4] Some steel weapons created at the forge are known to be imbued with lightning.[5] It is said that the souls of ancient Nordic heroes are what give Skyforge Steel its strength. The Companions traditionally hold funeral pyres on the forge; following the funeral of a great hero, the Skyforge has been known to "awaken" and allow high quality metal to be forged, equivalent to that produced by the ancient Nords.[3]

History[edit]

Following the retaking of Saarthal, the Five Hundred Companions of Ysgramor parted ways, with the band of each ship setting out to conquer all of Skyrim (then known as Mereth) from the Snow Elves who inhabited it. The first group to set out were the crew of Jorrvaskr, who arrived on the plains of Whiterun Hold. The scout Jonder the Tiny was the first to sight the great bird statue of the Skyforge, but the Nords were wary as the entirety of the Whiterun plains were uninhabited by elves. The band's elven captives looked at the statue with fear and claimed that it predated the elven habitation of Skyrim. They could say nothing of those who had carved it from its mother-stone, but it was known to drive a magic almost as old as Nirn itself, described as some remnant of the gods' efforts to render a paradise in Mundus before the shattering of Lorkhan.[1]

The twenty-two members of the Jorrvaskr crew desired to possess the statue due to the elves' fear of it, and so they founded the mead hall of Jorrvaskr, built from the wooden hull of their ship at the foot of the Skyforge. In time, the city of Whiterun grew around the mead hall, and its founders became the modern mercenary band known as the Companions.[1][6] The patriarchs of Clan Gray-Mane established themselves as smiths in the city, and worked the Skyforge since the clan first settled in Whiterun, passing down the tradition over many centuries.[3][7] Female smiths were also known to have worked the Skyforge.[8]

Following Kyrnil Long-Nose's founding of the Circle in the late Second Era,[9] the upper ranks of the Companions became infected with lycanthropy after the Harbinger Terrfyg made a bargain with the witches of the Glenmoril Coven.[10] This tradition was passed down throughout the centuries via ritual infection of those admitted to the Circle. This ritual would take place at night in a secret chamber beneath the Skyforge known as the Underforge. Ceremonial bloodletting of a Companion in their werewolf form would occur, and the aspirant would be required to drink this blood from a central basin.[11] Several shrines to Hircine were also set up in the Underforge.[12]

Some time in the Fourth Era, the Ebony Blade came into the possession of the jarl of Whiterun, who attempted to destroy it. However, not even the hottest fires of the Skyforge could melt it; the coals themselves seemed to cool when it was placed within. It was therefore locked away within Dragonsreach.[13]

By 4E 201, the Skyforge was tended by Eorlund Gray-Mane, said to be the best smith in Skyrim. That year, a gang of werewolf hunters known as the Silver Hand attacked Jorrvaskr, killing the Harbinger Kodlak Whitemane and stealing the Companions' treasured fragments of the legendary battleaxe Wuuthrad.[14] Kodlak's funeral pyre awakened the fires of the Skyforge, which was said to have recognized the greatness of his soul. This allowed for the production of high quality metal not seen since eras long forgotten, and Eorlund used this to reforge the recovered fragments of Wuuthrad, restoring the battleaxe to its ancient form.[3]

Following Kodlak's death, the remaining members of the Circle embarked on a quest to cure his soul of lycanthropy in death.[15] Several of the living members followed suit and cured their own lycanthropy,[16] although others remained bound to the beast blood and decided to rededicate the Underforge shrines to Hircine. The three ancient Totems of Hircine were recovered from across Skyrim and brought to the Underforge for worship, heightening the Circle's lycanthropic powers.[17]

Gallery[edit]

  • Concept art

  • A funeral pyre on the Skyforge (Skyrim)

  • A lycanthropy ritual in the Underforge (Skyrim)

  • A Totem of Hircine in the Underforge (Skyrim)

  • Eorlund Gray-Mane, famed producer of Skyforge Steel (Skyrim)

  • The Skyforge (Legends)

  • The Underforge (Legends)

  • A hammer made of Skyforge Steel (ESO)

Notes[edit]

  • The goddess Kyne was traditionally associated with the hawk by the ancient Nords,[18] although her connection to the Skyforge is unknown.
  • The All Forge at Myrwatch is known to be capable of producing metal of a similar quality to the Skyforge.[19]
  • One of the legendary gladiators of the Blessed Crucible was known as Inarfar, the Skyforged Razor.[20]

See Also[edit]

  • For game-specific information, see the Skyrim and LegendsHeroes of Skyrim articles.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Songs of the Return, Vol 7
  2. ^ Merenfire's dialogue in ESO
  3. ^ a b c d Eorlund Gray-Mane's dialogue in Skyrim
  4. ^ Lucien Lachance's dialogue in Skyrim
  5. ^ Skyforge Smith Hammer Style in ESO
  6. ^ Farkas' dialogue in Skyrim
  7. ^ Nords of Skyrim — Hrothmund Wolf-Heart
  8. ^ Skyforge Swordsmith in Legends
  9. ^ Great Harbingers — Swyk the Long-Sighted
  10. ^ Kodlak's Journal — Kodlak Whitemane
  11. ^ The Silver Hand quest in Skyrim
  12. ^ Totems of Hircine quest in Skyrim
  13. ^ Admonition Against Ebony
  14. ^ Purity of Revenge quest in Skyrim
  15. ^ Glory of the Dead quest in Skyrim
  16. ^ Purity quest in Skyrim
  17. ^ Totems of Hircine quest in Skyrim
  18. ^ Felldir the Old's dialogue in Skyrim
  19. ^ All Forge from the Myrwatch Creation for Skyrim Special Edition
  20. ^ Josef the Intolerant — Ilitha
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