The Hammers of Jadira

A Hammer of Jadira, colloquially also known as a Stronghammer, is perhaps the most influential type of weapon to ever be produced on the continent of Noria. Its arrival reshaped the ways war was fought in Jadira more than the stirrups did in Aruël.

The old captain sat high on his sahal steed, looking out over the dunes of Jadira cast red by the setting sun. Behind him the army of High Lord Eran prepared for the upcoming struggle. In front of him, just out of eyesight, behind a sea of hot sand, he knew to be the fortified oasis of Aldab. A young soldier, the rookie he had just been assigned, approached.
"Praise be Eran, captain.", he greeted, "The strongmaster wishes me to tell you that he will need another hour to prepare for our departure." The sourness in his voice was unmistakable. "Very well, son. Tell the men to bring the sahal back to the stable masters. We will not get any use of them after nightfall." The boy hesitated, and then spoke. "May I speak freely, captain?" The captain only nodded. "Why are we enabling the strongmaster with his outlandish requests? Everyone else of the commando was ready hours ago. Now because of the delay we will need to hurry by foot if we want to reach the walls before moonrise."
The old captain sighed. "I understand your frustration, son, I really do. But even without the difference in rank, the strongmaster can get their way. You know he is Lord Erans younger brother?" Now the rookie nodded. "Well, that is not the reason, if you are wondering. The reason why we heed his requests, no matter how outrageous they may seem, is that his presence here will save many lives and ensure we are back home before the month is over. Your life included." The old man descended from his saddle before handing his sahals reins to the boy. He stroked the giant lizards neck frills. "Now go get him back to the scaleminders, and then tell the strongmaster that we will be awaiting his arrival on the edge of the camp."
The boy hurried off and the old captain turned back to the sea of red. He let the sun caress his skin, seeking to enjoy the warmth as long as he could. He wondered if he would survive the night. He also wondered if the boy would make it. To guard a strongmaster often meant living with a target on ones back. He had survived it many years now, but even still he felt his hands shaking at the coming slaughter.

Common Powers

While each of the seven hammers has a unique power, they share a set of common properties.

Enhancing Infusions

A hammer is wielded by a Strongmaster, who is trained from young in the ways of using the hammers powers. The first property of the hammer is that, once activated, it slowly leaks magical vapors, which improve the physical capabilities of the wielder. The wielder becomes stronger, his bones and tendons become far more durable, and his mind becomes quicker. The infusions however only improve what is already there, so to actually use the hammers powers, the strongmaster needs to keep his body in prime physical shape.
Additionally, the use of the hammer brings terrible wear on the body of the master, despite the physical enhancements. After around fifteen years, a strongmaster is usually forced to retire, because his body is significantly damaged.

Siege weapons

When the strongmaster swings his hammer, the magic greatly increases the density of the hammer head, and by proxy its mass. The longer the swing, the heavier the head becomes. And the momentum behind the swing becomes more and more dangerous. With a single swing, doors and barricades are splintered. Portcullis bars dent and bend out of shape and with enough persistence, even the very rock of the walls is turned to rubble.
This is a hammers main purpose. In the hands of a capable strongmaster, a fortress and defensive positions become essentially useless, IF the attacking party can get the strongmaster close.

Ritual

The power needed for this kind of magic does not come by easily. As a result the hammer stores more and more energy from its focus, building up the required energy. To release it, the strongmaster needs to perform a ritual of blood, ideally his own, but that of enemies in combat can do in a pinch. The ritual inverts the flow of power within the hammer releasing what has been saved.

Image source: Death of the Jadiran Strongmaster by Ninodonlord (via Midjourney)

Item type

Weapon, Melee

Creation Date

Summer of 4 LE

Related ethnicities

• Jadiran

Rarity

A total of seven Hammers can exist. To make a new one, there needs to be an unbound focus.

Weight

3 to 7 kg

Dimensions

around 170 cm haft + 10 cm head length. head shape varies

Base Price

priceless

Raw materials & Components

Metal is scarce in Jadira, which is why the heads of a hammer are carefully constructed and rarely see any decoration. The haft is made from the strongest wood traders can bring from far away.

Jadiran folly (via Midjourney) by Ninodonlord

Above: The destructive path a strongmaster has cut through a fortress.

Mechanics & Inner Workings

The strength a hammer brings is directly tied to its focus, one of the seven great oases of Jadira. The exact magic infused into it is a closely guarded secret and in fact contains the potential scandal of a lifetime.
While the power source is obviously drawn from the lifegiving aggregation of souls a great oasis inevitably draws in, the effects a Hammer combines to achieve its destructive capabilities, are tellingly similar to the Hammerblessing of the Orcs. Given the orcs extinction within the Jadiran territory, which resulted from the genocide most strongly pursued by the families surrounding the then young Jadir I, it is unsurprising that none have drawn the comparison so far. Still, the orcs are only one mountain range away from Jadira, and eventually destiny may come knocking.

Manufacturing Process

To make a Hammer requires both a talented smith as well as a mystic, who can bind the collective soul of an oasis to it. The process is intertwined with the smithing of the weapon, forcing both artisans to work long hours alongside each other, carefully planning out their next steps.

History

The first hammer was created in the year 4 LE at the behest of the then Lord of Elazzar Jadir, which finally enabled him to conquer the other oases and found the Kingdom of Jadira. The knowledge on how to create new hammers was guarded with utmost jealousy and as a result after a while all seven High Lords of the Oases were descendents of Jadir I.
There are only three instances in the history of Jadira of a Hammer changing posession to a different family. The first two times the hammer was destroyed in the struggles for Barab, in which the line of Jadir first lost and then regained control of the oasis. In each case a new hammer was created using the Barab focus.
The third time a Hammer changed families is in the recent coup of Klelek, where ruling Jadir family was ousted from power and the hammer was not destroyed in time. There have been calls among the other Jadir Lords to unite to reclaim control over Klelek, but by now the Lords are no longer bound by familial bonds as they once were and so the Hammer stays out of their reach.

Significance

The posession of a Hammer of Jadira is the mark of true nobility for a house. Its posession is closely guarded and more often than not the strongmaster wielding it is closely related to the noble house.

Influence on Combat

The impact of the Hammers can not be understated. Their arrival heralded in the beginnnig of the realm of Jadira. Now, each of the seven large oases of the country posesses a single hammer and usually the oasis has great need of its abilities.
The large population centers were forced to adapt new strategies, building starshaped forts, employing scouts and watchmen extensively to spot an approaching strongmaster and their army, and layering defenses to name a few. Inversely, smaller, less wealthy fortified settlements were suddenly at the mercy of their betters. Where previously every small lord might have refused to bow to others, safe behind his walls, he now must carefully consider the safety of his position.
Open combat remains mostly unchanged and in fact one reliable strategy of countering the Hammers is to not have walls at all, if you can afford to.