The Forge and rune stones: Edda is expecting you
The Forge is no longer a mystery box. Official alpha footage shows the bench, the tabs, the materials, the recipe list and a real item being crafted. This page separates what the screen shows from what the store only promises.
The loop, as confirmed
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Find a rune stone
The store says rune stones are found in each land. That implies biome-specific or region-specific stones, not a single global currency.
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Learn the recipe
A rune stone teaches a recipe. This is a knowledge unlock, not just a material.
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Bring materials to Edda
Crafting happens with Edda Ironhand at the Forge. The material list has not been published.
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Craft, then climb
The Forge is positioned as a progression system, not an endgame-only bench. Use it while leveling.
The Forge screen, observed
An official in-description loop shows the Forge UI clearly enough to read. This is alpha footage, so labels can change, but it is far more concrete than the store copy.
| Element | What the screen shows | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Tabs | QUARTERMASTER · GEMWRIGHT · THE FORGE | Observed |
| Header | EDDA IRONHAND — SMITH · THE FORGE — FORGE LEVEL 1 | Observed |
| Level progress | “3 crafts to level 2” / “2 crafts to level 2” | Observed |
| Tutorial | “LESSON 3/3: Now strike: press FORGE. This first one is on me.” | Observed |
| Materials | Ember 13 · Rune 10 · Oathsteel 2 · Heartwood 6 · Sunstone 6 · Frost-Iron 8 · Deepstone 6 · Bog Amber 6 | Observed |
| Gold | 200,000 in the demo character | Observed |
| Craft controls | ADD A MOD 24/25 · REFORGE 1/6 · MASTERY 3/3 · FORGE | Observed |
| Item panel | Thorn Crown; 29% increased Defences; +17 maximum Energy Shield; +29% Lightning Resistance; +24% Cold Resistance; Open: 1 prefix, 1 suffix; item level 60 | Observed |
Recipes seen in the alpha
The recipe list is visible in the official Forge loop. These are exact names and costs as shown, including one spelling inconsistency between the list and the preview.
| Recipe | Effect | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Heartblood | Crafted maximum Life prefix | Free · Edda’s lesson |
| Ox Brand | Crafted Strength suffix | 1 Ember + 1 Heartwood |
| Hart Brand | Crafted Dexterity suffix | 1 Ember + 1 Heartwood |
| Owl Brand | Crafted Intelligence suffix | 1 Ember + 1 Heartwood |
| Mossmend | Crafted Life Regeneration suffix | 2 Ember + 2 Heartwood |
| Emberward | Crafted Fire Resistance suffix | 1 Ember + 1 Sunstone |
| Rimeward | Crafted Cold Resistance suffix | 1 Ember + 1 Frost-Iron |
| Graveward | Crafted Poison Resistance suffix | 1 Ember + 1 Deepstone |
| Fen Spring | Crafted mana regeneration or mana on kill suffix | 1 Ember + 1 Bog Amber |
| Frostplate | Crafted armour, evasion or energy shield to armour | 1 Ember + 1 Frost-Iron |
| Hawk’s Eye | Crafted critical strike chance suffix | 1 Rune + 2 Sunstone |
From official alpha footage. The list row spells “Heartblood”; the preview spells “Hearthblood”. Treat the names as provisional. A selected recipe can be blocked if the item already has a crafted mod — the UI says “It already has a crafted mod. Undo it first.”
What a crafted item looks like
The same loop shows a real item panel. It confirms several systems at once: prefixes and suffixes, item level, energy shield, and crafted mods.
- Base
- Thorn Crown Seen in public footage
- Defences
- 29% increased Defences Seen in public footage
- Energy Shield
- +17 to maximum Energy Shield Seen in public footage
- Lightning Resistance
- +29% Seen in public footage
- Cold Resistance
- +24% Seen in public footage
- Open affixes
- 1 prefix, 1 suffix Seen in public footage
- Item level
- 60 Seen in public footage
- Crafted mod
- +43 to maximum Life (from Heartblood) Seen in public footage
What is still unknown
| Question | Status | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Where is the Forge? | Observed bench with tabs | A hub UI; the physical location is not shown |
| Does crafting cost gold? | Not in the shown recipes | Recipes cost materials; gold is displayed but not charged in the clip |
| Can recipes fail? | No failure shown | The clip only shows a successful craft |
| Are affixes deterministic? | Yes for the listed recipes | Each recipe adds a named mod |
| Can rune stones be traded? | Unknown | Single-player; no trade UI shown |
| Are there recipe tiers? | Forge Level 1 shown | “3 crafts to level 2” implies a level track |
Updated after the official Forge loop. Still alpha UI.
What playtesters report
Deterministic crafting would change the loot guide completely: rares become bases, rune stones become recipes, and gold/materials become the real currency. We are not building that guide until the recipe UI is documented.
What to craft first, now that we can see the list
Without a recipe list, prioritise by slot and by bottleneck. The first craft should solve a problem you can feel, not chase a perfect item.
- Weapon first if your clear speed is the bottleneck. A weapon upgrade affects every fight.
- Defensive slot second if you are dying to the same damage type. A resistance or life craft can be worth more than damage.
- Movement or resource third if the build feels clunky. Crafting a fix is cheaper than rebuilding the tree.
- Do not craft a perfect item early. Early Access craft costs and recipes will change; save the rare materials for a slot you will keep.
A practical opening
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Take Heartblood immediately
It is free, it is the tutorial craft, and maximum Life is useful on every character. The observed version added +43 life on an item level 60 base.
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Craft the resistance you lack
Emberward, Rimeward and Graveward each cost one Ember plus one biome material. Fix the resistance that is actually killing you, not the one that looks neat.
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Use attribute brands to unlock gear
Ox Brand, Hart Brand and Owl Brand are cheap fixes for a gem or item requirement. Do not rebuild your tree for one missing point.
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Save Hawk’s Eye for a real weapon
It costs a Rune and two Sunstones. A crit suffix on a leveling weapon is a waste; on a weapon you will keep, it is a build step.
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Do not stack crafted mods blindly
The UI blocks a second crafted mod until the first is undone. Check the open prefix/suffix count before you spend materials.
Who is Edda Ironhand?
Edda Ironhand is the smith who runs the Forge. That is the entire public description. She is not confirmed as a quest giver, a merchant, a faction leader or a narrator. Her name is Dwarven-coded, which fits the universe, but we will not invent a backstory for her.
- Talk to Edda before selling crafting materials.
- Check whether her dialogue changes after each rune stone.
- Note which recipes are learned versus which require a material.
- Check whether the Forge has a level or reputation track.
- Screenshot the recipe list. It is the fastest way to contribute to the wiki.