The Legend of Hammer Crater

The legend of Hammer Crater is a short story about the origins of the huge crater making up the eponymous district in The Archonate. Its written form was compiled by Archon Isling in the early GE-era, after gathering oral stories and rumors that had been passed down through generations.

There are numerous controversies regarding the story. Many believe this story to be nothing more than a fairy tale constructed to instill fear the fear of the gods, some say it's a metaphor to explain how meteors work to those without the wit to properly understand. Among the walditharians there are those who claim the story to be an absolute truth, a holy scripture written by an Archon, some believe the story to be partially true, but heavily embellished, and then there are those who believe the story is only about the morals, disregarding the events within.

The Legend of Hammer Crater

Part one

Long, long ago, there was a farmer who was known far and wide as the luckiest man in the lands. The lucky man had laid claim to a piece of acreage plainly blessed by the siblings of glow and growth. He thanked the gods, and his farm grew.

The man worked as hard as any other, and with his work he grew stronger. When others fell ill, his health was whole and hearty. For he was the luckiest man in the lands. He thanked the gods, and his farm grew.

When his farm had grown substantially, the man could no longer work alone. But he had become rich enough to hire people to help him, and lent a piece of his fertile lands to an old and experienced farmer. Now two people worked the land, and the profits increased. He thanked the gods, and his farm grew.

The lucky farmer had now earned more than one could need in one lifetime. Yet the lands were still fertile, so he wanted more. One, two, three families were lent plots on his lands and were put to work. And his farm grew.

The man no longer found time to work, for he spent all his time making sure everyone else were working. When the old, experienced farmer was worked to death, the man lent more lands to new families for them to work on. And his farm grew.

"You must till more, to me you swore that you would work as hard as me!
You peasants aren't free, I shall not hear any plea from the likes of you"
And his farm grew.

Part two

The man's arrogance and pride had grown with the size of his farm. He now wanted more families to come work for him, but his reputation had been sullied by his own hubris. The man would now demand even more from those working for him. But his farm did not grow.

"Do you not want to labor and toil on this here blessed soil, favored by a god?
I am unflawed, and you are a fraud for leaving my farmland fallow!"
But his farm did not grow.

The workers could not meet the farmer's unreasonable demands. He wanted them to work all day and night through every season. Anger and greed clouded his mind, for he always wanted more. And so he started beating his workers bloody as punishment. But his farm did not grow.

When his workers could not and would not work, the man also punished their families. Wives were beaten, their children were abused, their belongings taken by the man who already had all he could ever need and more. But his farm did not grow.

Part three

After a rainy summer month, a peasant worker on the farm could not pay the farmer his rent. He and his family had been sickly, and had barely enough to survive. The farmer became furious for his lack of profits. He saw it fit to execute the peasant for his insult, for how dared he have his life when he could not spare his coin?

The farmer sent away the peasant's family and burned down their house. He held the poor man in ropes and rode towards an old oak in the center of his lands, where he would by hung by his neck until dead.

The rich farmer says:
"Your crimes against me have been severe, for ruining my fiscal year
your end now draws near. I shall shed no tear!
It is all your fault for laying waste to my farm most exalt.
No offense can compare, and now you shall hang in fear!"

The poor peasant answers:
"I have done you no wrong, despite you singing along
to what is surely Misery's song. In this place you do not belong!"
I curse you by Waldithare's might, may he with his hammer smite.
His justice stands strong. Now, do not prolong!"

As he hanged, the peasant's neck snapped with the sound as of by thunder. The clouds above parted, revealing fiery red metal accelerating towards the ground. Pounding the once-blessed soil, the Hammer of Justice struck the rich farmer and all surroundings hard, leaving a barren crater. And the farm was no more.

Analysis

The text is divided into three parts. The first three stanzas of the first part ends with the farmer thanking the gods, and his farm grows. As he gains more wealth he becomes less humble, and no longer thanks the gods. Instead he starts pushing his workers to work more than before, as show in the 6th verse where he speaks directly to the peasants. His words are written in rhyme, removing some validity from some walditharians' belief of this story being absolutely true.

In part two the farmer starts abusing his workers with an increasing degree of severity. Every stanza in this part ends by stating that the farm does not grow anymore, despite the workers being pushed to their limits. Scholars say this part proves two things:

1. Those who are being overworked can soon no longer work. This point is regarded as essential in making laws about work ethics, and lays the foundation of workers' rights within the Archonate.
2. Those who do not honor the gods' blessings, and those who do not heed the signs from the gods are doomed to misery

Part three lacks the structure and repetitions of the previous parts. Going through the very specific events of the day Hammer Crater came to be, the farmer decides his own authority is sufficient to sentence a man to death for not having payed him for a month. There is a stanza with the farmer passing the death sentence. The following stanza is the peasant cursing the farmer, praying for the god of justice to smite him. With the death of the peasant, what is assumed to be the hammer of Waldithare crashes down on the farmer, creating Hammer Crater. The story ends with the sentence "And the farm was no more." alluding to the endings of the stanzas in part one and two about the growth of the farm.

Archonate Districts Map

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The location of Hammer Crater within the Archonate.