Shǐmìsī

Shǐmìsī are smiths who forge supernatural metals, or forge mundane metals with supernatural skills, especially bailaohu and the nine great metals.

Guild

The art of forging metals with supernatural energies is an ancient art well respected in most of the world, but the very best are in Wuordon, where it originated. There and in many other parts of the world, much like blacksmiths (who play an important role in many communities), there are powerful guilds that control the knowledge of how to do it. While different places might have different guilds, the model for them is the Shǐmìsī Gōnghuì in Wuordan.

Shǐmìsī Gōnghuì recruits smiths who show promise in mundane metals, taking them from all over the country and sometimes outside of it. Whatever their skill, they start as apprentices, and they learn both through practicing smithing and through rigorous study in classrooms. Every class has at least nine members, but only a third of apprentices will graduate to master. An important part of their training is learning about aether and other mystical powers and properties, attaining the right mindset to attune oneself to the flow of natural energies, and to be one with their own body and qi.

Meditation

Meditation and special ceremonies become part of their routine. Without a certain amount of inner strength, they are unable to forge certain metals properly.

Tools

As well as attaining a certain inner strength, shǐmìsī must have the correct tools. In the guild, they must craft their own tools. Outside of the guild, many often buy secondhand tools from former guildmembers.

Hammer

The most important tool for a shǐmìsī is their hammer. The shaft of the hammer must be made from a kind of wood that resists high temperatures and does not allow for too much interference from other energies. Mundane, high-temperature-resistant woods are best. Though some hammers might have metal handles, those used by shǐmìsī must be wooden, lest the metal interfere mystically. The head of the hammer, however, must be made of one of the nine great metals: electrum, iron, quickvanadium, steel, living iron, bailaohu, dalim, recorium, or true iron. Most hammers are made from iron or steel, since those are the most common metals. In the guild, there are certain hammers from past masters made of the more powerful, rarer metals, that are sometimes used in ceremonies or for special forgings, but only the most wealthy or skilled shǐmìsī make a hammer from these metals for themselves.

Tongs

Tongs must be made from bailaohu (or one of the other rare great metals, but this is uncommon). As part of an apprentice's training, they must earn enough money via their smithing practice to buy enough bailaohu to make their tongs in the first place. Once they have bought the bailaohu, they are allowed to use a master's forge to make the tongs.

Anvil

The anvil must be made from cast or wrought iron, like any common anvil, but inscribed with special characters (白老虎, "white tiger"). The inscribing must be done by the shǐmìsī who owns the anvil; others may use the anvil, but the ownership may not pass to another without a special ceremony and re-inscription.

Forge

The fire-source for a shǐmìsī's work must be able to reach incredibly high temperatures, more so than a mundane forge. In order to do this, they must acquire special fuel, notably méitàn, a form of coal with high aetherial energy in it. This coal is found in abundance in mines near Wuordon, in Unbul, and in a few other parts of the world, but mostly it is imported.

Apron and Gloves

The apron and gloves of a shǐmìsī are usually made of cow-leather inscribed with 白老虎. The same rules apply to ownership of these tools as to the anvil. Sometimes they are made from stegosaurus scales, dragonscale, or the hide of a creature with high levels of shebv heya or other shebvic energies (which are less likely to interact with aether).

Water

Water often has a natural amount of aether in it, which can sometimes interfere with the forging of aetherial weapons. Therefore, the water used in shǐmìsī forges for cooling is de-aetherized first by running it through a special mesh made of zinc, which is capable of absorbing supernatural energies.

Other Tools

Other tools used by a shǐmìsī must follow the same basic principles: either be inscribed with the white tiger markings, neutral of energy, or able to withstand powerful energies and heat.

Metals and Properties

Common Metals

Mundane metals can be forged by a shǐmìsī or other smith to produce mundane objects, but all metals have trace amounts of aether in them (or other energies), and a shǐmìsī can tap into that to make better tools, weapons, armor, etc. than a common smith can. Below are the special properties of some common metals:

• Tin: a common metal that is used in many objects, in the hands of a shǐmìsī, tin can be turned into some of the finest jewelry in the world.
• Bismuth: the bright colors of bismuth are often used by shǐmìsī to create materials that come apart easily.
• Zinc: as a metal that can absorb esoteric energies, zinc is commonly used by shǐmìsī in objects intended to resist, filter, or acquire those energies.
• Gold: one of the most important metals in the world, gold in the hands of a shǐmìsī can be turned into wonders, notably for objects that can contain or otherwise wield ma'dhahabi, jewelry that is somehow more valuable than commonly crafted gold, or used for objects with heavenly essence.
• Silver: silver is the most magical mundane metal, to the point that it is absurd to call it mundane. A shǐmìsī can capture the inherent mystical properties of silver to make almost any kind of enchanted object.
• Palladium: shǐmìsī can turn palladium into some of the finest spear-heads in the world; they also sometimes use it for special book-bindings, seals, and writing implements.
• Copper: another metal that has multiple properties, shǐmìsī often draw from it powers of order which allow it to be used for things that last a long time or retain their shape; they also use it for anything that needs to channel or contain void energy.
• Aluminum: the light weight of aluminum can be exploited by shǐmìsī to make objects lighter than air.
• Platinum: the metal of renewal, platinum can be forged by a shǐmìsī to create beautiful metallic flowers that act like living flowers. They can also use these for holy objects.
• Nickel: nickel is used by shǐmìsī for any object that needs to channel any kind of psionic energy.
• Cobalt: considered an unlucky metal by shǐmìsī, they only use it when they wish to make something with a flaw in it. Some less ethical shǐmìsī will use it to make objects that sap the heart from those who touch it.
• Brass: shǐmìsī are often approached by seers and others using the energies of fate to turn brass into finest thread and wire, but it is also used by shǐmìsī for vessels of fire and special masks.
• Bronze: shǐmìsī turn bronze into the finest conducter of electricity in the world.
• Chromium: shǐmìsī use chromium for works of art.
• Titanium: the strength of titanium amplifies to something far beyond mortal capacity when forged by a shǐmìsī.
• Wolfram: a shǐmìsī can make wolfram into fine arrowheads and hunting knives, or they can turn it into armor so light and malleable it can be used by those seeking to move stealthily yet still protects them from powerful assaults.
• Wolfram Carbide: a shǐmìsī uses this for the very strongest applications of metal.

Quick Metals

Forging quick metals takes special methodology that shǐmìsī learn in their schools. To forge quick metals, a shǐmìsī must first make special molds out of one of the nine great metals, then seal them under de-aetherized water for a week. Once this time has passed, they remove the metal and place the mold over a fire that makes the liquid boil, removing the impurities within. The metal is then poured directly onto the anvil and forged as if it were solid.

Living Metals

The improper forging of living metals will kill them, which will get a shǐmìsī expelled from the guild, arrested, maimed, and/or killed. The process requires an extra step in the forging process wherein the shǐmìsī pours a special powder called hǔ fěn, which is made of méitàn that has been ground down and soaked in de-aetherized water for a week.

Tierinium

Only a shǐmìsī can create tierinium, the allow that combines the nine great metals. They do this by a special process called lǎohǔ de yìshù, the art of the tiger, which requires nine weeks of meditation, forging, and special inscriptions.

The White Tiger

The White Tiger, bái lǎohǔ, is the elemental of metal, and a powerful symbolic and literal figure of shǐmìsī and their art. In order to master their art, shǐmìsī must sleep nine nights with a literal white tiger. On the ninth night, they will have a dream that shows them the last secret to forging the metal bailaohu (the use of de-aetherized water, which is never taught by anyone in the guild nor any other shǐmìsī to an apprentice). Those not in the guild usually simulate this process via other dream- or vision-quests. Those who specialize in creating these are also called bái lǎohǔ.

Variations

There are many, many, many variations of the white tiger smiths throughout the world.

• Agirkuruku: a shǐmìsī who works in a graviluceat foundry, usually in New Wath.
• Eirgera: a shǐmìsī who works primarily with magnacopper, but also other shebvic metals.
• Ferrier: some shǐmìsī use livadi to help them shoe horses.
• Metallotech: shǐmìsī who use their skills to build, create, design, or study machines.
• Mupfuri: [shona] a Taggaran shǐmìsī who works only with metals containing celestial essence.
• Sayigh: a shǐmìsī who uses ma'dhahabi and is a master goldsmith, using all kinds of gold.
• Schmied: a Stolzene shǐmìsī who works only with metals containing infernal essence.
• Telpetan: an elven shǐmìsī who uses ashar to forge all kinds of silver.

And there are some variations in Wuordon who specialize in various kinds of smithing or metal-use:

• Chuángōng: shǐmìsī shipwrights, usually making ships that can sail on magma.
• Kuǐlěi shī: shǐmìsī who make and use great, complex metallic puppets in festivals and major performances.
• Tiě nǚwū: an "iron witch", a female (or non-male) shǐmìsī who practices their craft alongside witchcraft.
• Zàojiǎ zhě: criminals who use their smithing skills with supernatural metals to counterfeit coinage.
• Zhěngxíng qì: a shǐmìsī who specializes in making metallic sculptures as works of art.
• Zhì qínshī: a shǐmìsī instrument-maker, makes metallic instruments, including metallic strings.

Exploitation

Shǐmìsī are much sought after workers. They are often lured away from Wuordon by the rich and powerful. Others are taken as slaves. But most find that in the wider world, without the guild to support them, they are often exploited viciously.

Skills

Some common skills:

• Smithing (obviously)
• Metallurgy
• Horseshoeing
• Warcraft
• Mining
• First aid (treating burns)
• Repairs

Stats

The typical shimisi will have the following variations from the base stats of their nation/species:

PRO +2
ATH +1
STR +6
AWA +2
WIL +2
STH -2
PRS -1