Heavy Armor: A Forge-Wife's Advice

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Heavy Armor: A Forge-Wife's Advice

by Garshag gra-Sharkub

'll wager you don't even have what it takes to make armor. Think you can slave at the anvil all day, sweat stinging your eyes while you pound on iron, steel, or even orichalcum until you can hardly move your arm? Can you spend sweltering weeks lifting, hammering, and shaping until you've forged the perfect set? How afraid are you of serious burns?

Still here, huh? Good. Maybe you have potential. If you're serious about smithing, you've found the right Orc. I was raised in the forge; the bellows and anvil were my best friends and my hammer's never left my hands. I can tell you how real armor is made.

My advice: just get to work! Get some ore, step up to the anvil, and hammer out simple parts. Your first pieces may not be fancy, but you'll learn tricks as you go, like how to take mediocre armor and temper it into something stronger. You should look at other smiths' work as much as you can, too. Study exotic styles and materials and you'll get even better. But nothing beats practice, so get going!