The Steel Traps
"Gather round, all! The offering of steel and sweat is made, as the fire of the sun itself comes to greet us! Before your very eyes, watch as the flames dance, the metal sings, and my illustrious body enraptures to tame our materials into a craft worthy of its name! Yes, for the sun that shines down on this day, to the art of the smithing itself, and every form I shall undertake, it is all undeniably... THE ZEDELLI☆STAR☆STYLE!"When the sun shines brightly over the verdant fields of Wind, those within the city will hear the clanging of steel, the cheers of the crowd, and the boasts of a showwoman, as that is when Ramona Zedelli is taking her stage, and working her forge. Originally an unnamed smiths building ages ago, what is now The Steel Traps was once a lonely hearth, one that had sat alone and never held a flame for more than two decades. But, in an act of love and dedication towards the craft of smithing, it has turned into the latest storefront of the traveling smithy, Ramona Zedelli.
Purpose / Function
Ramona wished to bring her family's specific blacksmithing style to the rest of the world and spent many years traveling the land as part weaponsmith, and part entertainer. Now she brings it to the village of Wind with the same purpose: Forge powerful weapons, durable armor, and efficient tools while also sharing the bounty of the Zedelli family technique.
Alterations
The Silver Coin Square always had a small smiths station on its outskirts, but as the market became flooded with more sellers than crafters, it went widely unused, especially as new blacksmiths set up their own full forges. Since her arrival, Ramona has used a part of her earnings not only to spruce it up but to expand it into a fully covered booth and forge. While not a grand building or forge like others, it's functional and a static feature in the shifting stalls of the market square.
Architecture
The original hearth that is a part of the structure of the building was a traditional brick and cobblestone creation, and when Ramona Zedelli made a permanent storefront she decided to pay respect to that and constructed the framework of her front with brick and cobble all the same, although a bit reinforced and refurbished with the help of more modern aids.
History
It was a foggy morning before the mists had risen and the sales had begun when a tall and broad shadow walked into town. Visitors were nothing new to Wind, the city of merchantry, but something about this visitor commanded attention.
Perhaps it was her strange clothing, formal yet open. Perhaps it was her immense height, standing more than 7 feet tall, along with her intense musculature. Perhaps it was the fact that she walked through whistling a tune without a care in the world, but no matter the reason a small crowd had already gathered when she made it to the long-cold stone hearth on the outskirts of the Silver Coin Square.
"So," vibrated a voice that commanded attention, "You are the humble stone that is calling, ay? Worry not, for I am now here." Flicking a small splinter of kindling into the hearth, the strange woman caused it to ignite into a bright flame in an instant, waking up the stones that had been sleeping for decades at that point.
"Are there any bellows for this lonely stone?" She asked the crowd, wondering how she performed the stunt with apparently no magic. "N-No," someone spoke up. "The forge hasn't been used in many years, decades even."
"Hmm, very well then, I shall have to clean it myself." She said, turning back. Before anyone could ponder the meaning, the woman put down the humble pack she traveled with along with a flamboyant tophat, planted her feet firmly on the cobblestone beneath her, and pushed a small burst of wind into the hearth, raising the flames and clearing some of the smoke from the dirtied materials that were already inside.
This persisted for several minutes until the smoke in the hearth became smoother and less pitch-black, and the flame rumbled quietly with contentment. As it did, the woman sat on the stone bench connected to the hearth and lit her pipe.
"Who...who are you?" The member of the crowd who spoke up asked, stepping closer to the strange woman.
"Who am I?" She flipped the tophat off of her bag, resting it carefully on her head and flicking up the brim. "I am the great Ramona Zedelli, and I'm here to work my magic."
That was how the famed Ramona Zedelli first stepped into the town of Wind two years ago, and in that short time, she's made herself quite at home and quite the name among the streets, all while she nurtures the small flame she awoke on that foggy day.
Tourism
The Zedelli family is already known through the smithing world as one of the premiere artists of the craft, and many make a pilgrimage to their homeland on The Isle of Strength to seek their wares or their instruction, but Ramona is a rare member of the family that carries that knowledge outward, so many fanatics of the craft come by her stall.
It doesn't help that Ramona is one handsome, muscular, flirtatious, and very spirited woman, whose skills in performance nearly match her skills in smithing, causing many to line up to see her eponymous traps, amongst other muscles, as well as the process of creation.
Of course, this goes without mentioning the genuine artistry of her crafted metal wares, all of which radiates with a shine and buzz as if capturing the gleam of the sun itself.
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