The Demon

Then said Rôg in a great voice: "Who now shall fear the Balrogs for all their terror? See before us the accursed ones who for ages have tormented the children of the Noldoli, and who now set a fire at our backs with their shooting. Come ye of the Hammer of Wrath and we will smite them for their evil." Thereupon he lifted his mace, and its handle was long; and he made a way before him by the wrath of his onset even unto the fallen gate: but all the people of the Stricken Anvil ran behind like a wedge, and sparks came from their eyes for the fury of their rage. (The Book of Lost Tales 2, HoME Vol 2, Ch 3, "The Fall of Gondolin") [Independent RP blog for Rôg, from The Book of Lost Tales by J. R. R. Tolkien. Icon by formenost.]

[houseofthehammer-blog]

Appraisal | Rôg & Rúmil

[rumiloftirion]

“Please do," Rúmil nodded, fingers lacing together which his fledgeling took as a sign that it could hop out of its nest box and settle on his hands, still glaring at the intruder in the office.

"I would like your opinion on any improvements that could be made,” he added, trying to settle the possessive corvid down with a gentle touch between its wings.

[houseofthehammer-blog]

“Yes.” At least with all the time between the original construction and now, there had been some technical advancements in smithing that would allow greater technical feats. It would be more a question of how well he could fit those advancements in without ruining the feeling of the university. 

He nodded his head, a slight incline of his shoulders turning it into a bow, and pressed his palm to his heart. “Will return soon.” And with notes, and other people to speak for him, but that was more than he could muster to tell the other before he had exited the office and rejoined his smiths to hear what they had seen.

[salgant]

Freezes midstep on his way past, looking startled at the sound. “Ah, Rog! What a pleasant surprise to see you emerge from your lair!”

[houseofthehammer-blog]

“Pleasure is mine.” Though in what sense he meant the words, it was difficult to tell through the sheer gruffness of his tone. “Off somewhere?”

[houseofthehammer-blog]

theotherwesley replied to your post:theotherwesley liked your post “(Throws open the...

YOU COULDA BEEN THRALL OF THE MONTH. YOU COULDA BEEN A CONTENDER

[houseofthehammer-blog]

theotherwesley liked your post “(Throws open the doors to his forge and crosses his arms.)”

(Turns around and walks right back in.)

[houseofthehammer-blog]

sharpglance liked your post:(Throws open the doors to his forge and crosses...

“Hm.”

[aewlaer]

“Evening.” With a little frown, he reaching out for Rôg, bidding him to come closer.

[houseofthehammer-blog]

He approached, unfolding his arms. No words were needed to offer a gentle touch, nor a warning when an embrace came so slowly it could have been escaped by a sleeping child.

[houseofthehammer-blog]

aewlaer liked your post:(Throws open the doors to his forge and crosses...

“Evening.”

[echohillforge]

The last of 70 railroad spikes knives… I’m out of gas.. Going to be a tough week #keeppressingon #blacksmith

[houseofthehammer-blog]

(Throws open the doors to his forge and crosses his arms.)

[houseofthehammer-blog]

Appraisal | Rôg & Rúmil

[rumiloftirion]

"Yes any that are worn out or look like they are going to wear out within the next two decades would be good," Rumil nodded, reshuffling the papers before him "any that are not as well made or are badly designed as well."

He knew there were a couple of those about. The infamous window on the second floor for instance which slammed itself open and closed unexpectedly.

[houseofthehammer-blog]

"Will find them." No doubt, in their deep examination of the halls, the party of smiths would find the most serious damages in the later pieces.

He could almost hear them now--yes, now he could hear them. Rôg's head turned, focusing in on his party's speech. They were near the turn he had took, discussing the structural integrity of a chandelier, and if they would do better to copy the design or to find a simpler replacement.

"Fine to keep exploring?" he asked Rúmil, when he had his fill of listening.

[houseofthehammer-blog]

Appraisal | Rôg & Rúmil

[rumiloftirion]

That was…more words than he’d heard the Smith say since he’d met him and Rúmil got the feeling that it was more words than Smith Rôg ever said usually.

"Thank you," he said softly, "I would not have thought they would be held in such regard since they were created in the infancy of our city. And yes the Serati was my idea… I knew a little bit about forging, all Tatyar did so I went to the forges and inscribed the fixings myself as they were made."

His knees were not liking standing up for so long, so he sat again.

[houseofthehammer-blog]

The smith nodded several times, taking in the details of his words and what his words implied. "Good," Rôg rumbled. The outburst had not only stressed him but also embarrassed him. He stepped back, resting one of his hands against the doorframe.

"Wish to replace any later pieces?" he asked, when he felt he had his full focus back. Surely one of the journeymen would get him when they needed them again; they could afford a little more conversation, as far as he could hold one.

[houseofthehammer-blog]

Appraisal | Rôg & Rúmil

[rumiloftirion]

There was a warning caw from the nest box on Rúmil’s desk. The angry looking fledgling inside it glared at the intruder into its domain.

Rúmil reached out and scratched the top of its head and looked to the head smith, Rôg hadn’t it been?

"Welcome how may I help you? Is everything alright?" he asked, forcing himself to rise to confront the large man who made his generous office suddenly seem quite cramped and confined.

[houseofthehammer-blog]

He entered with delicacy, unsure as to what might be behind the door. "Yes." The bird distracted him, causing his mouth to linger open, before he shook his head. "Everything is--"

The smith took a deep breath. 

"--exceptionally crafted, not only in technical execution but in forethought. It is shameful that anyone tried to deviate from their standard. We will strive to match the high level of care that has allowed so many pieces to survive through the ravages of time in new and replacement works."

It was the most he'd said to anyone since he'd come back, and even more the most he'd said in one breath. He swallowed heavily, seeming stunned at his own comment, then asked, "Sarati details were your idea?" The words sounded choked, as if trying to hold back some sort of great emotion.

[houseofthehammer-blog]

Appraisal | Rôg & Rúmil

[rumiloftirion]

Rúmil nodded and was left a little bereft as suddenly all the smiths expanded outwards and he was left alone in the centre of the corridor. He wasn’t sure what he had expected, maybe being asked which fittings in particular needed copying.

"I shall be in my office, it is one corridor over," he informed a passing apprentice and beat a unhappy retreat, skin crawling for unknown reasons.

[houseofthehammer-blog]

Rôg remained engrossed in the structures for another fifteen minutes, walking around and checking each on the observations of each of his folk before moving to the next.

Only then did he notice that their guide had vanished. Even with his usually collected expression of emotion, he wound up twisting around himself in his attempt to regain sight of what should have been an easy to spot person. Seeing him, the youngest member of the group pointed down the hall. "He said he's going over to his office, thataways," she informed the master, who raised his hand and headed down the to the next corridor to find him.

The office was easy to spot, with a placard on the door to distinguish it from other, lesser doors. It already stood ajar, with the common smell of parchment paper slightly more concentrated near it.

He decided to enter as politely as he could. Rôg held the cracked door steady and knocked on the wood above the handle. (Even the blackwork here, which must have been touched thousands and thousands of times, looked in good condition.) "Pardon," he said, glancing through the crack for the occupant of the room.

[medievalcheryll-blog]

BBC’s Mastercrafts looks at how medieval and ancient crafts were undertaken when our ancestors had none of our modern day machinery or production line factories to help them. This episode looks at Blacksmithing, but there are also episodes on Weaving, Pottery, Leather, Stonemasonry, Stained Glass, Thatching and Green Woodcraft. All the episodes feature a modern day master taking on apprentices in each profession, teaching them the same techniques used in bygone days. A great watch if you want to find out more about these crafts used in the Medieval era.

[houseofthehammer-blog]

Appraisal | Rôg & Rúmil

[rumiloftirion]

Rúmil nodded, “yes the Old Buildings have been preserved as much as we could. There are some sections that are virtually intact from when the University was first built and we’ve tried to keep our fixings the same though we haven't been always able to fight against what was fashionable at the time. The new projects however will very much be in a style similar to the old.”

They went into the open hallways with their white stone and progressed deeper and deeper, centuries of building and renovation beneath their feet before they began to see the brilliant mosaics and tiling of the old buildings around them.

"There we are, this is where the original university starts. Please look your fill. We don’t use this area for classes very often anymore, it is mainly offices and storage."

[houseofthehammer-blog]

A style similar to the old. Rôg looked to one of the master-smiths and nodded, knowing that Maeril would be strict enough to weed out any unnecessary embellishments in the apprentice works.

"Thank you." Rôg responded, offering a small bow to Rúmil. A small gesture to his party had them fanning out to their preassigned roles, examining the different blackwork pieces to learn better how they'd been forged and tempered.

For his own work, he went to the railing of a stair. He could recognize letters engraved into the underside and beckoned to Nambar, the other master he had with him.

"It's sarati," they murmured into his ear when they reached him. "It is common in the older buildings as a good luck charm, to preserve the structures."

"Worked well," he replied. "In the plans?"

"They were there in full, I checked."

"Good."

[sharpglance]

Untitled || Rog and Maeglin

[sharpglance]

"That is the truth of it."

But it was not the whole of it. Hands still folded over his stomach, Maeglin kept his eyes on Rôg, though not on his face. He looked different… the same, in general. The shape of his face and the curves of his features were the same, as far as he remembered. But there was something different… he looked less ragged, Maeglin realized a moment after pondering it.

Rôg’s scrutinizing eyes were almost uncomfortable, but he’d endured like gazes and ones that made him feel as though he stood naked for inspection. Maeglin clenched his jaw and the muscles of his body became taut as though it would hold him firmly in place as the other came near while doing his business about his shop.

“Is this what you have been doing since then?”

[houseofthehammer-blog]

In other days, he would have had the strength of gaze to look like he was trying to imagine how he would eat his target sometime in the next hour. Now, he had neither energy nor taint enough to manage it.

"When needed." Rôg released Maeglin from his gaze and began focusing on his work again. He removed his apron and hung it by the door, but did not bother to remove his gloves. "Came to sight-see, or for more?"

[houseofthehammer-blog]

Appraisal | Rôg & Rúmil

[rumiloftirion]

Rúmil’s eyebrows crawled up his forehead at the terse greeting and he was suddenly thankful he’d not left one of the student-teachers here to greet them because it was rather overwhelming, all these muscled, large crafters with their leader the largest and subtly menacing without meaning it (probably.)

His lips twitched, and out of no where he wanted to sneer, maybe snarl. He wanted to look bigger and more intimidating and he wanted them to know their place as they walked across the grounds of his university.

He gave himself a firm shake and gestured to the buildings, “this way please. Everything has been stripped down and is ready for you to begin.”

[houseofthehammer-blog]

Rôg managed to restrain himself from immediately walking on in the direction indicated, instead waiting for Rúmil to lead before he started walking. Just a step behind, he told himself, trying to keep their host within his range of sight.

"The old buildings first?" he asked, nodding in the direction they were going. Behind him, he could hear the scratch of pen on parchment, a journeyman taking notes on unmentioned details on an uneven schedula. "Some fixtures still intact?"