Astral Forge

Astral Forges are ancient places shrouded in mystery. It is believed that these forges were used by the Divines back when they roamed on the material plane. These forges were thought to be incredibly powerful, and were said to be able to imbue the metal they worked with with the innate magic of the stars themselves.

By the Light of the Stars

According to legend, the process of forging with an astral forge was complex and required a skilled and knowledgeable smith. The smith would first have to align the forge's various crystal lenses and arrays of mirrors with the light of particular stars, focusing and concentrating the starlight into a searing hot flame. Once the forge was properly aligned, the smith could then begin the process of forging. The intense heat from the starlight would melt even the hardest of metals with ease, allowing the smith to shape and mold the metal into any desired form.   The true power of an astral forge lies in its ability to imbue the metal with the magic of the stars. As the metal was forged, it would absorb the magic of the stars, becoming infused with their power. There are still items and artifacts across the planes that (allegedly) were made in an astral forge. Such items typically have immense power and are more often than not tied to a divine being to some extent. Some artifacts that were made in an astral forge glow or sparkle with otherworldly light that proudly and clearly displays the power they hold, whilst others may look more innocuous. It is also worth noting that in contrast to some other methods of enchanting the magic of the stars imbued in the metal will never fade over time. This means that the weapons and armor created with astral forged metal would retain their enhanced properties and magical abilities indefinitely.

Lost to Time

Unfortunately, the knowledge and skill required to create and use Astral forges was lost to time, and it is now thought that all Astral forges have been either destroyed or forgotten. Although there is little to no evidence to support it, some scholars believe that some knowledge about the forges is still preserved in the practice of crystal infusion, which also uses an array of lenses and enchantments to focus arcane energy into a gemstone. However, for those who are knowledgeable about the divines and may even have deciphered ancient Astran texts, the legend of the astral forge remains mostly a mystery, but the thought of rediscovering and mastering such a powerful forgestill a dream of some who wish to create or restore powerful artifacts.