Perched upon the lonely self named Blackfeather mountain where Ardbog, Down, and Ulaid meet, Aandeg Blackfeather forges his craft in solitude. His tower home rises from the misty Ardbog slopes — a spire of black stone streaked with soot and old runes. From there, a winding stairway leads up to his throne, a seat of carved basalt that overlooks the clouds at the mountain’s highest peak — the point claimed by Down. Few dare climb that far, and fewer still return the same.

Aandeg is known for his quiet intensity. His hair, black as a raven’s wing, is often tied back with a strip of leather, and his eyes reflect the shifting steel hues of his forge. Years of working alone have made him both strong and strange — a man of few words, more at home among flame and metal than among men.

Background

Born in the lowlands of Ardbog, Aandeg apprenticed under a wandering smith known only as The Red Hand. After his master’s mysterious disappearance, Aandeg withdrew from the world, claiming the triple-peaked mountain as his home. Over time, his name became legend among travelers — some say he forges weapons imbued with the whispers of the wind that sweep from all three realms; others claim he bargains with spirits that dwell in the deep veins of the mountain.

Though he lives as a hermit, he occasionally descends to the borders to trade — bartering his finely crafted arms for raw ore, herbs, or tales of the world below. His presence commands quiet respect; even local lords hesitate to anger the smith who "sits above three realms."

Personality

Aandeg is introspective, disciplined, and fiercely self-reliant. He holds to a personal code of balance — the hammer and the anvil, the flame and the wind, creation and destruction. While he appears distant, those few who earn his trust find in him a steadfast ally and a wise, if enigmatic, counselor.

He distrusts politics and prefers neutrality, though he understands power well. His throne atop the Down peak is not one of rule, but of watchfulness — a symbolic seat, representing his dominion over his craft and his chosen solitude.

Rumors & Legends

Some say ravens deliver messages to his tower and watch over his forge — perhaps his namesakes, perhaps something older.

Others whisper that the mountain itself speaks to him in dreams, teaching him secrets of earth and flame.

A few even claim Aandeg Blackfeather is guarding something ancient buried beneath the mountain — a relic from before the realms were named.