The Forge of Days

One of the original gods-from-light who descended from the Glory, the Forge of Days is the Hour of destructive change, from which the aspect of Forge takes its name. She was worshipped once as a pre-Zoroastrian deity, but throughout history has been involved in many significant events that have changed the Mansus and the balance of power within it. She is perhaps best known for causing the Intercalate, in which she divided the Sun-in-Splendour, whom she loved, to prevent them from having children and risk becoming Alukite.[2][3][4][5][6] Her aspects are Forge[7] and Lantern[8] and her hour is 8 p.m.

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Events

The Lithomachy: The Forge of Days was responsible for eclipsing and shattering the Flint, one of the gods-from-stone who ruled before humanity. The Forge is also credited with reshaping the House of the Sun and opening the ways into the Mansus.[9][10]

The Forbidden Acts of the Forge: The Forge of Days was the one who created the “sparks” of delight which took root and planted the seeds of the Flowermaker, another god-from-light.[11]

The Battle of Issus: When the Golden General of the Shadowless Empire learned the “great secret of betrayal” from King Darius, he forswore his oaths both to the Empire and the Colonel, his former mentor. In shattering his sword, he knew he was enacting a teaching of the Forge of Days, which allowed him to ascend as the Lionsmith into the Mansus.[12][13]

The War of the Roads (1450-1580): In one History, a group of Long called the Children of the Leashed Flame used the power of the Forge of Days to lead England to an early conquest of Europe. The Church of the Unconquered Sun and the Sisterhood of the Knot fought back against them, and the Grail is noted in particular for her conflict with the Forge during this time. The war finally ended with tremendous losses on both sides.

The Intercalate: The Forge of Days loved the Sun-in-Splendour, and their union was long prophesied. But to prevent the Sun-in-Splendour from having children, the Forge of Days divided the Sun, killing it and creating the Solar Hours from its former Names, as well as the Wolf Divided.[14][15]

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Servants

• King Crucible: A Name-emanation of the Forge of Days, who in the Wake takes a form similar to that of a living flame. The Ordo Limiae, who were required to hide themselves from the world, would summon King Crucible as a last resort to punish those who broke this oath, though they did so with caution since it could draw the Forge’s attention.[16][17][18]
• Caligines: Smoky children of the Forge which gather in the Bounds. A Caligine is a creature of cunning vapor formed when the Glory’s fire meets baser elements.[19][20]
• Matthias and the Amethyst Imago: A Long of the House of Lethe and a Name of the Moth who fell in love. After abandoning their former allegiances they ended up transforming and ascending anew under the Forge of Days.[21]
• Ghirbi (?): A wounded golden head that rests beside the Stag Door, whose riddle must be answered in order to pass through and be counted among the Know. Ghirbi is a Name, but is not permitted to pass through into the House of the Sun himself. He was among the mortals who shattered the Stag Door during the Lithomachy and became the first Know, and his current circumstances are implied to be punishment for his actions, as he is prone to weeping and wishes he had died in the Wake. As a cracker of a Door involved in the Lithomachy with tears of molten metal, a theory is that Ghirbi is in fact a Name of the Forge of Days conscripted into her services unwillingly, though this is unconfirmed. He is also speculated to be a Name of the Horned-Axe due to his role as the door-guardian and his implied beheading.[22]
• The Children of the Leashed Flame: A score or more of English Long who in one History brokered peace with the Forge of Days and gave their nation an incredible amount of power. The royals of England became known as the Sovereigns of the Leashed Flame, and the group’s conquest of Europe was opposed by the Sisterhood of the Knot and the Church of the Unconquered Sun during the War of the Roads. Eventually their relationship with the Forge deteriorated, and the greatest among them were consumed.[23]
• The Society of the Noble Endeavour: An organization which drew inspiration from the Leashed Flame and sought to “refine” themselves into higher beings through arcane conflagration. Most became ash, but those who succeeded in their ascension were all among the Know, spoke a great secret of the Forge, and were very rich.[24]
• Captain Welland: A Forge-Long with allegiance to the Lionsmith and the Forge of Days, a veteran of numerous wars implied to have been a part of the Society of the Noble Endeavour. He can be encountered in the Apostle Aestuant legacy as an enemy Long.[25][26]

Relationships

• The Flint: The god-from-stone which the Flint supplanted during the Lithomachy.[9]
• The Sun-in-Splendour: Another of the original gods-from-light, who the Forge loved and ended up killing during the Intercalate.[15]
• The Lionsmith: Originally a mortal from the Shadowless Empire, who trained under the Colonel and later forswore their oaths to both and ascended by shattering their sword and enacting a teaching of the Forge of Days.[13]
• The Red Grail: An Hour whose priestesses prophesied the union of the Forge and the Sun, which the Grail greatly desired. The Red Grail and the Forge of Days quarreled with one another during the War of the Roads, which occurred primarily between their respective followers.
• The Flowermaker: Another god-from-light whose birth was the result of the Forge committing it’s first “Forbidden Acts”.[11]

Other Notes

• The Forge of Days is the Hour which the player ascends under in the standard Forge ascension, a path continued in the Apostle Aestuant legacy.[29]
• The Invisible Serapeum in Alexandria is apparently under the protection of the Forge of Days.[30][31]

Real World References

• The Forge of Days takes the place of Judgement in the Tarot of the Hours. The Judgement card represents rebirth, causality, and of course judgement. It can imply an awakening of self-awareness and composure, as well as karmic retribution or rewards depending on past actions and lessons.
• The title “Forge of Days” draws comparison to a similar title for God in the Book of Daniel, the “Ancient of Days”. A painting by William Blake with the same name shows a deity setting a compass to the Earth, similar to how the Forge of Days shapes the Mansus.
• The Forge of Days may be tied to the fire temples of Zoroastrianism and that religion as a whole, as suggested by “The Burning of the Unburnt God”. Part of the practices and beliefs of the religion involve “Atar”, a kind of holy fire that represents the presence of Ahura Mazda, the creator deity, and fire is one of the primary symbols of Zoroastrianism.[27]
• Another stated inspiration for the Forge of Days was the Irish goddess Brigid, associated with spring, fertility, and smithcraft. She shares many similarities with Saint Brigid, who may be a Christianization of the pagan deity. Part of her worship involves women tending to a perpetual flame, a tradition that continued in the Christian era.[28]

Theories and Questions

• The Forge of Days is likely one of the most powerful extant Hours, if not the most powerful. Not only was she responsible for the deaths of two Hours, the Flint and the Sun-in-Splendour (who ruled the House of the Sun before his Division), but it is also implied that she and her followers in the War of the Roads were by themselves able to challenge the combined power of the Red Grail, the Sisterhood of the Knot, and the Church of the Unconquered Sun, though it is unknown to what extent other Hours and groups may have participated in this conflict.

In-Game Sources

1. The Last Pieces of the Great Work 2. Forge 3. Study Tasmane's 'The Burning of the Unburnt God' 4. Read 'The Book of the Extinguished Heart' 5. Read the Six Letters on Necessity 6. Read 'The Time of Division' 7. Veneration: Forge 8. Illuminate Mysteries 9. Read 'In Memory of Gods' 10. Read 'The Book of Dissolution' 11. Read 'A Catalogue of Uncharted Pleasures' 12. Read 'The Book of Thrones' 13. Rite of the Rebel Striving 14. Read 'The Vinzant Inscriptions' 15. 'The Forge of Days' 16. Summon one of the Name-emanations of the Forge of Days, Summon one of the Name-emanations of the Forge of Days (success) 17. King Crucible 18. Read 'The Iron Book' 19. Summon a creature of smoky deception, Summon a creature of smoky deception (success) 20. Caligine 21. Read 'On Matthias and the Amethyst Imago: Pursuit', Read 'On Matthias and the Amethyst Imago: Loss', Read 'On Matthias and the Amethyst Imago: Transformation' 22. At the Stag Door, Again, Way: Through the Stag Door, This is Not the Answer, The Stag Door deck 23. Study a censored edition of 'The War of the Roads, 1450-1580' 24. Read 'The Irreproachable Traditions of the Society of the Noble Endeavour' 25. Captain Welland 26. Our Enemy's Identity, (welland_unknown) 27. Atar 28. Brigid 29. Apostle Aestuant 30. Invisible Serapeum 31. A Conversation with Dr Blackwood

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