Ornn

Overview

Ornn is the Freljordian demi-god of forging and craftsmanship. He works in the solitude of a massive smithy, hammered out from the lava caverns beneath the volcano Hearth-Home. There he stokes bubbling cauldrons of molten rock to purify ores and fashion items of unsurpassed quality. When other deities—especially Volibear—walk the earth and meddle in mortal affairs, Ornn arises to put these impetuous beings back in their place, either with his trusty hammer or the fiery power of the mountains themselves.

Background

Not much is known about Ornn's early life, only tales and stories told around campfires persist, and even then the validity of these stories is not known.
One such story tells of when Ornn was young. Looking for a fight with a worthy opponent, Ornn challenged the land around him to a battle. Ornn fought the land, reshaping it with each blow. He headbutted mountains, beat valleys into shape, and shaped the earth into the landscape of what would become known as the Freljord today. When he was tired, Ornn thanked the land for the glorious match, and in return, the land opened itself to him, showing him its core. This gave Ornn the power of the primordial flame, and Ornn then dedicated himself to forging tools and weapons.
Another story tells of how after his first home burned down, Ornn made a mountain out of ore, and inside was a forge that channeled the primordial flame from deep within the earth. However, the mountain was too hot even for Ornn, who slept through his first home burning down around him, and so he channeled a sea of cold water into the mountain. It took three days for the home to finally cool, and the ocean had dipped a few inches because of how much water was used. So much steam had risen from the cooling that the sky soon filled with dark clouds and burst with snow. It snowed for a hundred years, and that event is what causes the Freljord to have so much snow even today.

Notable Creations

It is said that one day, Three Sisters came to Ornn for help. They asked him to dig a hole deep and wide enough to lure their enemies into. Ornn said yes, as he was already planning on digging a hole, and the proposed site was a fine spot. After he was done digging the hole, Ornn returned to his work. Several years later, the Sisters, having endured years of war, came to Ornn again. They asked him to forge a bridge over the abyss, made out of a metal that fell from the sky. This metal was so durable and unyielding that only he could forge it. Ornn agreed, accepting the metal itself as payment. He built the bridge, and so durable was it that it would have stood until the end of time had one sister not ruined Ornn's work by casting spells onto it.

In the making of this bridge, Ornn had made a tool from the star metal that he called 'hammer', as he had used it to hammer. Ornn grew so attached to this hammer that even when he had thrown away his favorite spade and eating fork, he could not bring himself to throw away the hammer. He still uses the hammer to forge his creations to this day.
One of Ornn's last known creations was made when a troll named Grubrack challenged him to a drinking contest. Ornn accepted and promised that if Grubrack won, he would build him a door to protect Grubrack's riches. When the time came, Ornn lost due to Grubgrack putting a shard of True Ice in his drink, causing it to infinitely melt and put endless amounts of drink in Ornn's cup. Ornn was angry at Grubgrack for cheating, but stuck to his word and built the door. However, once Grubrack closed the door, he could not get it open, no matter how hard he tried. The door was indestructible, so much so that many years after its creation,a heroic man elected to go through the mountain around the door in order to reach a child stuck behind it.
Grubrack could not get it open no matter how hard he tried. Ornn did not care, and considered it justice for Grubrack cheating. To this day, some say that just before an avalanche, you can still hear Grubrack's wails, lamenting on his lost riches.

The Hearthblood

In time, like many other demigods, Ornn amassed a group of followers. They were legion of some of the best forgers in Runeterra who came from far and wide to hone their skills under Ornn's guidance. They called themselves the Hearthblood, for they never felt the bitter cold of the Freljord and could bare the intense heat of lava and fire just beneath them, heating up the ground. They presented their work to Ornn, and every so often he would appraise their work, calling the best creations "passable." This was a big compliment from Ornn, as he rarely ever appraised anything, instead electing to let good work speak for itself. He never admitted it, but Ornn secretly cared for the Hearthblood. He admired them for being dedicated to nothing but honing their skills, and not giving him sacrifices or preaching the misconstrued words of their god to people who did not want to hear. They made him smile, though no one could tell because his mouth was hidden behind his beard.
One day, Ornn's closest sibling Volibear and his followers came to visit him. Volibear had grown jealous of the love that Ornn's followers freely gave him, and was itching for a fight with Ornn. Volibear came and asked for swords and axes for him and his army of followers, but Ornn refused, not wanting to have anything to do with his brother's warmongering. Volibear threatened to take what his brother wouldn't give, and in return Ornn charged onto Volibear and hit him with his horns so hard that the base of Ornn's mountain shook. They fought for eight days, causing lightning to strike the mountain and molten lava to explode out of the ground. When it ended, the Hearthblood were killed and their home was destroyed. Volibear and Ornn still lived, returning to their individual pursuits. Volibear swore off his brother and shed his rune-inscribed armor, electing to instead fight with tooth, claw, might, and thunder. Ornn returned to his solitary work, continuing to make weapons and armor for years to come.

Recent Events

Ornn continues his work in solitude, not interacting with anybody. His name is still spoken, but not by many. Every now and then, smoke rises from Ornn's mountain. Some say that he is lighting his furnace to stop the fire underneath the world from going out. Others say that he is building a great weapon. And there are some who claim that he is dead, as he has not been seen in the Freljord since his fateful battle.

Appearance

Ornn has a large humanoid-like figure with a square shaped torso and muscular arms, chiseled by his endless work of forging and crafting weapons. He has the head of a ram with large horns and a large red beard that covers up most of his face. Ornn's eyes, left arm, and the tips of his horns glow orange with the heat and power of primordial fire, and he wears nothing but a large metal apron around his torso.