Cercyons' Hammer and Anvil
Within the Hammer and Anvil, the ways are simple. One must work with skill and have that skill confirmed in order to advance. The (tentative) ranks follow. Their nomenclature is not standard, and it can be common for localized terms to take the more formalized rankings.
General Tenets
We do not act lazily at the forge. The forge is the rock upon which you stand. A poor forge with the greatest master will only produce poor work.
We do not take a Crafters' mark as our own. We earn our own marks by our own craft.
We do not teach poorly. We were not taught poorly, and so we will not bring shame upon our teachers by failing to teach the earnest student. If a student exceeds you, you have taught well. Send him on his way with a blessing.
We do not turn away those who are earnest in their wish to join. Skill can be taught. Heart cannot. If one is infirm or weak in some way, they must overcome that - help them.
Ranking
Bellows - Those who work the Bellows are the newest of the new or have brought such shame to the craft that they must unlearn what they have learned and begin anew. Those of this rank are never unsupervised, and any work they do is carefully inspected before being re-done. Despite this, their work is important, for without the bellows the fire is uneven, and what they do well is to be praised. Their advancement is gained by the crafting of a flawless nail. The nail is to be kept on their person during their working hours, a reminder of the humble origins that all must come from.
Nail - Those of the Nail are unsupervised for simple tasks and routine work. They are charged with operating the smelter, maintaining the general cleanliness of the forge and are allowed to craft simple routine items, such as nails and horseshoes without their work being checked or remade. Advancement to the next rank is proven by their crafting their own set of tools and an apron. The set of tools must be worthy of the name and be used by someone of higher rank to craft with. If the tools are suitable, they are given the mark of Cercyon and granted the title Maker. At the rank of Maker, they are given their first permanent mark; a brand or scar of Cercyon on their dominant arm. A tattoo is also acceptable if local culture prefers. In any case, the mark serves as a reminder that there is no advancement without pain.
Maker - The bulk of the Hammer and Anvil are the Makers. Journeymen who choose to not settle or who only have marginal skill, they can craft without supervision and set up their own forges, earning their own keep. They craft mostly for the commoners, but at any time may submit a work to be judged for advancement to Smith. The work may be armor, a weapon, or even an urn. Whatever work they craft must be flawless, or it is rejected and the Maker cannot submit for advancement for a full year. At the level of Crafter, their second mark is earned; their own personal mark to be placed wherever they will.
Crafter - The Crafter has proven themselves; generally they are the areas' best known smith, crafting works for the low nobles. Their works are sought after, and their mark guarantees quality. Items created by the Crafter are passed down, and they are generally found teaching the lesser ranks in some finer detail. They themselves are not (Or should not be) idle; their advancement comes from a genuine masterwork or discovery of some new way of forging that benefits all. After this, there is a solemn ceremony where they undertake their greatest challenge; walking 15 paces over coals taken from a banked forge, demonstrating mastery over not just metal, but the fire that shapes the metal.
Forger - The Forger is generally not an active craftsman; they spend most of their time grading the work of others and are the respected teachers of the Hammer and Anvil. When they do set their hand to the hammer, it is because a high noble or king has asked for their work. Their work is exceeded only by the gods themselves, as their entire lives have been spent in their service to the forge. They are the keepers of the greatest knowledge and are respected by all within the Hammer and Anvil.
Joining - Joining is a simple matter; one is born to the hammer and anvil or one joins by asking to work the bellows. It is only by asking to work the bellows can one begin along the path. If their work that day is acceptable, they are given the oath of the Bellows and their teaching begins.
Oaths: Each rank ceremony begins by reciting an oath. That oath is repeated at their advancement, before reciting the oath of their new rank.
Oath of the Bellows - My duty is to learn. Without the bellows, the fire does not form. I am low, but I look to the sky. I trust those above to guide me as I take the first steps. May Cercyon guide my hand as I work the bellows.
Oath of the Nail - My duty is to keep. I keep the forge clean. I keep the area as the makers demand. I keep the smelter in repair. I keep learning. The nail shall hold all things together. May Cercyon guide my hand as I learn the ways.
Oath of the Maker - My duty is to make. The mark of Cercyon is on my arm, and I will not fail. I am a master to those below and apprentice to those above. The Maker shall do what is needed and continue the work. May Cercyon guide my hand and my mind.
Oath of the Crafter - My duty is to craft. My mark joins the Mark of Cercyon on my arms, and I will not fail. My tools will ever be ready for work, and my mark will never be given to poor work. I will hold those below to their tasks, and I will hold myself higher. May Cercyon guide my hand, mind, and heart.
Oath of the Forger - My duty is a Masters'. With the Forgewalk do I prove myself master over the tools, the iron, and the fire itself. My work will always be the finest, and my apprentices ever sharp. May I be blessed to join Cercyon at his forge at the end of my days.
Regression:
It is possible to fall from ones path. Age, disease, and other such things can rob a smith of skill. Human nature can also lead someone to act outside the bounds of the Hammer. When this occurs, corrective actions must be taken. Examples of crimes against the Hammer and Anvil include but are not limited to:
- Claiming anothers' work as your own
- Theft of tools
- Knowingly teaching incorrect methods
- Destruction of the forge
- Swindling another member of the Hammer and Anvil
Generally speaking, justice should be dispensed commensurate with the action, with intent taking due consideration. Severe actions that show a thorough lack of character may be punished with a loss of rank. Any and all marks they have earned are stripped from their bodies, violently if need be. Repeat offenders should be few.
Life and Death:
While the forge is certainly the lifeblood of those who follow Cercyon, it is not the only thing. Families are encouraged, along with humility. In death, the body of the smith is cremated (generally at their forge) with all the pomp and circumstance their rank allows, along with a token of their life to accompany them in the afterlife.
Contents
A travelers visit to the temple
In this modern day, one seems to find gods on every corner - most would seem to be charlatans preying on the ill-fated. So it was when my ears heard of Cercyon, who claimed heritage from mighty Vulcan, but appeared to wish his own path. His temple can be found near the Campus Martius, not so close to the temple district that he shares space with his mighty progenitor and the other greater gods, yet not so far that a patron of other gods could not walk in and find new places for their prayers.
Upon first glance, it seems this Cercyon has aspirations - the temple itself is divided into four portions, a grand entrance where conversation can be had about Cercyon and how one lives, to the left and right are quarters for priests and acolytes, and the final area to the rear are the forges and smelters. The entrance and dome itself require a special attention, for there is a marvel of sorts - the dome itself. It is not a traditional stonework, but a series of very thin pieces of rock, allowing light to come through. The thinnest of holes at the top allows a ray of direct sunlight to pass through to the base of the dome, where there are three separate marks also of a thin rock.
I asked, and was given explanation for the marks - the morning mark was Cercyons' own mark, for at first light was when the work of Cercyon began. The mark at the high-sun, a mark of his priest Tiburtius. The final mark was for the elder and first priest Alfhard. I sought each of them out in turn; Tiburtius was until recently an acolyte of Vulcan. Tiburtius spoke of Cercyon with a converts' fervor, praising his god to no end as he was shaping iron to some unknown purpose. When pressed as to his change of godly service, Tiburtius face looked conflicted, and it seemed as though some manner of error had cast him out from Vulcans' grace. It may be that Cercyon is a god to those skilled failures of Vulcans' priesthood.
It may also not be so, as Alfhard was no Roman, he was instead a barbarian of Germania. Through a translator, he confirmed that he had witnessed Cercyons' creations and that there was no explanation for them save godly. Alfhards' face was cragged and old, and he seemed like he would have been far more comfortable hammering metal than speaking with me - or any other activity, truth be told. He did however lay out the ways and expectations of Cercyon to those who would pray to him. He did however confirm that the two sets of living quarters were to be for men and women, as it was expected by his lord that women could also become smiths and thereby enter his priestly ranks. If I may be so bold it seems patently absurd, as the purpose of a woman is well-known and well-documented, I will not belabor the obvious here. This may in fact be the point of contention that drove Cercyon to create his own priesthood apart from Vulcan.
To continue, there are a few areas off from the main that seem to be sleeping quarters for those in ill favor with their lord Cercyon. I asked, and was soundly rebuked. Those appear to be known among the worshippers as Godas' Chamber. Goda being Cercyons' wife, but with no temple to call her own. The painting within the chamber shows a woman of fierce mien, graceful look, and a grand devotion to her son and husband. The purpose of these chambers is apparently to give the wives a place to rest - it came about as a result of Cercyons' labors with his father Vulcan taking so long that Goda fell asleep within Vulcans' temple. Upon realizing what he had done, Cercyon allegedly resolved that such a thing would not happen at his own temple, and thus were these created.
The air of the temple is mixed. In the areas I was allowed to visit, the smiths were in a grand humor, and laughter was often present even as they discussed the techniques and shared meals and stories with their fellows. However the demeanor changed markedly upon their entrance to the forges, and all trace of humor fell like a cloak discarded. They became severe as they went to do their lords' tasks, whatever they might be.
Off the temple proper are several shops with the crafts of Cercyon for sale to those who would purchase. There is another shop in the market with similar items, and I found an order of sorts with these items. The lowest tier of items are unmarked. Above that are items with a single mark, created by someone of greater skill. Above that, items with 2 marks, one of the smith and one of Cercyon. The rarest items are the ones' that are only given the mark of Cercyon. Interestingly, items with the Mark of Cercyon can be found at all ranges, but all are of the finest quality. I find myself perplexed by this, however the ways of this god are as noted earlier, odd.
And so I close with mixed feelings with regard to this new god; his work is doubtless, his followers devoted, but his teachings fly in the face of common sense. I would encourage those who would seek him out to question discretely.
The Sermons of Cercyon
Here we find the thoughts of Cercyon on various subjects, in no particular order.
On the subject of slaves
The slave is a object and a person at the same time. To hold a slave is to prosper, and that is a good thing. However, those who would hold to my ways must hear me well as I speak on this. The slave has one desire above all, and that is freedom. With this weight about them, it is difficult to hear their prayers, to myself or any other of my brethren gods. Thus it is that I lay this charge before you, my children. If you prosper in your life such that you can purchase a slave, mark well the date, the price, and the daily cost of labor for their duties. From then on, their labors to your household shall be weighed against their purchase price. On that day when their labor has exceeded their purchase price, take them to my temple and show that you have the great prosperity to not only purchase a slave, but to free one as well. If you have been a master worthy of the name, your freedman will return to your house to continue their labor as a free man, and turn their mind to prospering as you have prospered, under the eyes of my temple. By freeing them thus, you may lose a slave but gain a brother, and thus the world will be better for it.
Do not charge a slave for their bread and board. We do not charge a horse for their shoes and hay, we accept it as a right and proper cost of ownership. For those who do battle and take slaves in battle, your cost is different. Apply all the cost of your travel and battle to your battle slaves' purchase. Do not estimate these costs meanly, for a prosperous battle means you have well-earned spoils. Upon your return to home and hearth, make your word and keep it.
On Fire
Attend and heed my children, for these words are for your ears and for you to speak to others. We speak of fire and we look to the forge, for the fire is there. But as the fire burns within the forge I remind you that there are three fires within each of you that must burn as well.
The first fire is the fire of the eye, for the eye sees. The eye looks upon a poorly-wrought thing and demands better, the eye sees the flaws and fixes them in seven ways before hand touches hammer. The eye looks, the eye creates what will be for all to see. This is where things begin. This is a fire that must be tended, for without it no flaws are seen, no error corrected, and no newer and grander things happen.
The second fire is the fire of the arm, for the arm takes what the eye sees and gives it form. The arm takes up hammer, pulls metal from forge, and gives it proper shaping. The arm takes the poorly wrought thing and makes what will be into a thing that is. This is a fire that must be tended, for an arm that has no fire will not strike true to the anvil, and no good thing will be made.
The third fire is the fire of the heart, for the heart is what gives desire to the form. A mason desires stone, and all the teaching in the land, the finest tools and hottest forge will not make him a sword-maker. The mason may make the sword, but the eye of the master will see the sword for what it is - iron with no heart. The heart gives life to the eye and the arm, and turns any object made into something worthy of the gods.
Remember these fires and if you lack them, set aside your tools for a time and walk where you live. See the people, take their hand, and listen to their heart. Then return to your forge to your tools, light the fires and create with eye, arm, and heart.
