Long before the industrial rise of Xemascus and the age of modern kingdoms, the orcish forge master Gorvak Ironfather undertook the greatest act of craftsmanship ever attempted in Llithe. Guided by devotion to Dederus, the Primordial of the Forge, Gorvak sought to create weapons that embodied the ultimate mastery of metal, fire, and discipline.

To accomplish this, he traveled to the volcanic island of Calidum, where the molten earth burned hotter than any forge known to mortals. There he constructed a solitary forge along the obsidian slopes and began shaping a rare alloy known as Xemascus steel, a metal capable of enduring unimaginable heat while retaining perfect structural integrity.

Over decades of relentless work, Gorvak forged nine legendary swords, each representing a principle of craftsmanship and battle. These blades were not merely weapons but living symbols of Dederus’s doctrine: that true strength comes from patience, discipline, and mastery of one's craft.

When the ninth blade was completed, Gorvak collapsed beside his anvil, his life spent in the final strike of the hammer. His body was found among the soot and obsidian of Calidum, surrounded by the cooling forge that had birthed the greatest weapons the world had ever known.

The Nine Swords of Dederus were scattered across Llithe, their locations shifting through centuries of war, discovery, and legend.