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The consecration began before the weapon was complete, during its forging. The smith who created the blade performed ceremonies that imbued the metal with power from its first heating. The fire that melted the iron was not ordinary flame but sacred fire, kindled according to traditional protocols, fed with woods chosen for their spiritual properties.
The water used for quenching received special attention—it might be collected from sacred springs, mixed with herbs known for protective qualities, blessed through prayers spoken over it before the hot metal was plunged in. The hiss of steam as the blade cooled was understood as the weapon’s first voice, the sound announcing its birth into the world.
Some smiths performed sacrifice during the forging—blood dripped onto the anvil or into the fire, offerings given to ensure the weapon would serve its owner well. The sacrifice created debt that the weapon would repay through faithful service, bound it through blood-obligation to protect the warrior who would eventually wield it.
The finest weapons received names during their forging—not random labels but names that carried meaning and power, that described the weapon’s nature or predicted its future. A sword might be named “Leg-biter” or “Ice-of-battle,” names that were not merely descriptive but prescriptive, that shaped what the weapon would become through the power of naming itself.
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