Efestos Faber
Ekestos, also known simply as Faber, meaning blacksmith, presents with an imposing physique honed by millennia of labor. His weathered face is etched with the passage of time. A mane of fiery red hair and beard, the color of his divine heritage, reaches his waist. His eyes, the most striking feature, glow with an internal, unearthly fire that emits a low-level thermal radiation. With it Efestos can manipulate molten metal with unmatched precision.
Driven by an inherent artistic impulse, he possesses an unparalleled mastery of metallurgy, evident in the legendary weapons he forges for the Pantheon. However, his true passion lies with humanity, a connection forged from his human lineage. He remains aloof from the petty squabbles and power struggles of the gods, preferring the solace of his forge nestled within the volcanic peaks of Mount Aethel.
Records from the Third Era indicate Ekestos' presence during the Great Cataclysm. The Pantheon Aethel, fractured by internal conflict, clashed with an entity known as the "Devourer." Ekestos, defying the God of War, Pyrothos, refused to craft weapons for the divine conflict. Instead, he secretly supplied enchanted tools to a human resistance movement instrumental in repelling the Devourer. This act of defiance strained his relationship with the Pantheon, solidifying his solitary existence.
Ekestos' seclusion is rarely breached. However, one notable incident involved Malister, a young human scholar obsessed with the Pantheon. Consumed by a desire to possess a weapon touched by the divine, Malister embarked on a perilous journey to Mount Aethel. Despite the mountain's treacherous terrain and the formidable beasts that guarded its slopes, Malister's determination remained unwavering. He eventually infiltrated Ekestos' forge, only to be discovered by the demigod himself. Ekestos, surprised by the audacity of the mortal, listened patiently to Malister's impassioned plea. Recognizing the young man's genuine curiosity and lack of malicious intent, Ekestos offered him a different kind of gift. Instead of a weapon, he presented Malister with a pair of enchanted tongs, imbued with a fraction of the forge's magical essence. These tongs, Ekestos explained, held the potential to revolutionize human metalworking, allowing mortals to create objects of exceptional quality and durability. Malister, humbled by the demigod's unexpected generosity, returned from his ordeal forever changed. The tongs became a source of inspiration for generations of human artisans, serving as a testament to Ekestos' belief in the potential of humanity.