General concepts
The forge of souls is an ancient piece of relic technology, and is almost certainly one of this civilization's most important achievements, as well as one of their most advanced. It almost might be better to think of the forge as an NPC than an object, as it does have its own intelligence and awareness, though not in a way that players or characters will understand.
The intelligence of the Forge is alien and arcane, but highly utilitarian. The pillars used for the control spheres will raise and lower to comfortable heights based on the approach of a user and their stature, and it has infinite patience.
Description
The forge is a circular pool of water about two feet deep. Against its back is a semicircular mural depicting servitors, tools, and other miracles of creation, with a statue in the center of it, hands outstretched as if cupping a handful of liquid, though they are empty. On the far side of this statue, where one would logically approach the pool from, is a circular dais with two marble columns, each topped with a black stone hemisphere. These hemispheres raise and lower based on the forge’s perception of the user’s size, making them comfortable before the process begins. The entire structure is the same white marble with gold veins found throughout the city, with engravings and sigils along the rim and basin that indicate arcane purpose.
Interface
To use the forge, one steps onto the dais and places their hands on the black control spheres, which will raise or lower automatically to match the user’s stature comfortably as they approach. Where their hands connect to the spheres, they will glow blue. This establishes the link between the intelligence of the forge and the mind of the user. The user is then eminently aware of a powerful and alien presence filling their mind, not intrusively, but rather, simply waiting and paying attention to them.
Words are not exchanged at any point. The user does not hear a voice in their head telling them information; This is, instead, a direct and instantaneous data transfer triggered entirely by thought and the user’s desires. The forge is basically reading the user’s mind as they think, and feeding them information that they need to know directly. If the user wishes to make an axe, they do not need to tell the forge to make them an axe. The thought that they want an axe triggers the font to display, in liquid form, an axe for it to create. If the user has any thoughts on the design or implementation, they do not need to actively voice them or even direct the forge; The forge reads those thoughts and either makes them in tandem with the user’s thoughts, or feeds the user the intuitive knowledge that their desire is problematic or impractical and cannot be made. When the user is satisfied that what they desire is being created, they instinctively know the resources the forge will need to accomplish it because the forge plants the knowledge directly into their awareness. It is an exchange where two minds basically think as one, and the entire process takes mere moments- But even for the heavily indecisive or those who spend a lot of time, it has infinite patience, and silently works with the user as long as they remain connected.
The user retains all faculties and motor function, and can remove their hands at any time. Doing so breaks the connection, and the forge falls inert once more.
Use
Once the user has decided on what they want, they are given the knowledge of the cost and know that they should place the crystals needed directly into the water. Once placed within, the crystals dissolve like sugar, vanishing, and the forge gets to work. The first feeling is like the entire world is humming, as magical fields activate to facilitate the shaping process. Then, the hands of the statue fill with a glowing blue liquid from seemingly nowhere, which is then poured into the water below. The glowing liquid swims and swirls about, assembling the desired object as it flows. Once the assembly process is completed, the fields fade, and the item can be retrieved. Any attempt to retrieve the object before its completion will find the surface of the water completely solid and unbreachable.
Repair of items works similarly, with the broken item added along with the crystals, and the glowing fluid reassembling the missing parts and repairing any damage.
To create armor, the user steps into the water, and it flows up and over them, engulfing them for a moment, which the user is aware is safe, then flows back down, leaving them dry. The forge now knows their measurements and stature to make the armor with.
Adding more data
The forge only knows how to create a limited selection of items, most notably, common items of level 2 or lower. It can learn how to create other items, however, in one of these ways.
1: Give it an item. An item it doesn’t know can be placed in the water. The forge will examine the item, figure it out, and then return the item to the user. This gives the forge the knowledge of how to recreate the item without destroying it, but does not impart the user with the knowledge, as the forge’s techniques for creation are incompatible with the user’s mind. This also works with broken items.
2: Let it read your thoughts on the item’s creation. If you know how to create the item in question, using the interface will allow it to read your thoughts on how the item is made. It can convert your knowledge into a usable procedure to create the item itself. This typically means that you need to break the item down first, but now the user also knows how to create it still.
3: Find a crafting matrix. Some artisans throughout the city stored their knowledge in what look like long, thin copper pyramids with engravings on them. These were to allow them to store complex designs easily, but these can also be processed by the forge to learn those designs (These are essentially formulae that can have multiple items)
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