Mythforging

The Crafting of Legend
Behind the veil of reality, all things are bound together by threads of narrative. These insubstantial threads tie creator to creation, event to participant, and deed to hero. They can be shaped or created by the actions of those living in the universe, and as an aspect of world becomes more defined, so too does the tangle of threads binding it. When enough threads come together, they can define objects, locations, people, and anything else which possesses connections to the world. This tangle of narrative fibers is known as a Legend.

To some degree, all things possess Legend. Even the humblest peasant or rotting refuse has a story of how it came to be, of what it is, and the events that shaped it. However, not all Legends are equal. The greater the significance of a person, item, event, or location, the more powerful the Legend it will have. This is not a coincidence, but a natural consequence of a powerful Legend’s effect on the world.

Mythforging is the art of manipulating Legend into usable forms. The ability to touch Legend to such a degree is normally impossible, as the narrative threads that compose it are hidden behind an impermeable layer of reality. However, entities who themselves possess a significantly powerful Legend deform this barrier merely by existing, and under the right circumstances, can pierce through.

In much the same way as a very massive object deforms space around it, a massively powerful Legend deforms the boundary between the physical world and the narrative threads that wind under it. Similarly, locations with powerful Legends thin the boundary, as do events of Legendary significance. No Mythforging can be performed unless the barrier between the narrative realm and reality is thin enough to be reached through. The thinner the barrier becomes, the more precision and power the Mythforger can imbue into their creations.

Awakening
Awakening is the simplest form of Mythforging. It requires only an item to be Awakened, and circumstances which sufficiently thin the narrative barrier. Naturally, items with powerful Legends are both easier to Awaken, and more worthwhile. No other form of enchantment interferes with Awakening an item, though the effects of the Awakened item may not be the same as they previously were.

An Awakened item gains new properties based on both the content of its Legend and on the will of the Mythforger. By reaching through the narrative barrier and pulling through an item’s Legend, the Mythforger can manifest it in reality as extremely potent effects. An ordinary dagger which was used to kill a king may find that it cuts without pause through the flesh of those in positions of power. A skilled Mythforger can tweak and optimize the effects as they desire, though it is possible to Awaken an item without exerting any control over the outcome.

An Awakened object loses the ability to add onto its own Legend. The effects are permanent, and cannot be undone. Awakened items are extraordinarily difficult to destroy or damage, and can only be eliminated by circumstances fulfilling some sort of narrative requirement.

Sculpting
Sculpting is a step up from Awakening, and is vastly more difficult. It requires a far thinner narrative barrier, thus creating a need for more Legendary items, situations, and Mythforgers to even attempt the technique. Unlike with Awakening, other forms of supernatural enchantment can interfere, and must be accounted for when attempting to Sculpt an item.

A Sculpted item is similar to an Awakened item in that it gains abilities based on its Legend. However, a Sculpted item still possesses the ability to grow its Legend. This means that the item can grow in power over time, as more feats are accomplished by it and its wielder. Once an item is initially Sculpted, it can be left unattended by the Mythforger, or even given away. Changes to the Legend will continue to manifest effects, but without a Mythforger to shape them, they will be purely based on the new aspects of the Legend. If a Mythforger is actively wielding a Sculpted item when it begins to manifest a new aspect of its Legend, they can control how it is formed as with Awakening.

The unconstrained nature of a Sculpted item possesses inherent risk to the item itself. Should an aspect be applied to its Legend which conflicts with the purpose of the item, it can be severely weakened or even destroyed. In order to safeguard against this, a Sculpted item can be Awakened at any time. Doing so ends its ability to increase its Legend, but provides a final chance to rework the narrative threads into a new form.

Forging
Forging is the most difficult and complicated form of Mythforging. It is only achievable by entities with immensely powerful Legends, performing the technique in extremely significant situations or locations. Unlike Awakening and Sculpting, Forging does not take a Legend bound into an item and manipulate it. Rather, Forging reaches through the narrative veil and grabs a more ephemeral, powerful legend, and binds it into physical form.

In order to interact with a Legend to this degree, the Mythforger should be intimately involved with it. Barring this, they should have a focus of some sort with as powerful a connection to the Legend as possible, such as someone who orchestrated the desired story, or another item which was heavily involved. Unlike with Sculpting and Awakening, this focus will not be consumed, but rather used to catalyze the process.

Preparing a vessel to hold a Forging is exceptionally difficult, and requires immense quantities of power. The most effective resource to use is Root, though the extreme difficulty of obtaining it makes it less than convenient. In the absence of Root, a significantly Legendary vessel must somehow be created. There are numerous ways to do so, but none of them are simple or easy.

A Forging bound into a suitable vessel is an impossibly powerful tool. The Legend of an epic battle could be Forged into a blade that cuts down divisions with a single swing. A momentous journey might be forged into boots that grant abilities based on the trials faced. As with Awakening and Sculpting, the Mythforger is capable of optimizing and tweaking the effects granted from the bound Legend.

Once a Legend is Forged into physical form, it is considered to exist in the same state as a Sculpted item, and is able to change and grow more powerful with time and events. As with Sculpted items, it can be Awakened at any time for a final boost in power, and a chance to rearrange the narrative structure as desired.

A fully Awakened Mythforged item is an artifact to rival any in existence. It cannot be destroyed by any means short of completely erasing the Legend it is built from, and cannot be nullified under any circumstance.