The smithy of Portown is a place where the steady rhythm of hammer against anvil echoes from dawn until dusk. Thick stone walls and heavy oak beams help contain the heat of the roaring forge, while the smell of coal smoke and hot iron drifts across the nearby road. Travelers often notice the smithy long before they see it, guided by the ringing of steel and the orange glow that spills from the open workshop doors.
Though modest in size, it is one of the busiest and most important buildings in the settlement. Brother Smythe is a capable and hardworking blacksmith whose practical skills have earned him the respect of Portown's residents. Friendly enough to exchange a few words with customers, he is nevertheless far more comfortable at his anvil than in lengthy conversation.
Weapons can be sharpened and repaired after hard use, armor riveted back together, and damaged shields reinforced. The racks and shelves are stocked with practical items such as nails, spikes, hammers, crowbars, lantern hooks, horseshoes, and other pieces of ironwork essential to both vlocals and wandering adventurers. Brother Smythe is also willing to fashion custom items when time permits, though such requests usually require several days before they are ready.
As with many places in Portown, the smithy serves as more than just a place of business. Farmers stop by while waiting for wagon wheels to be repaired, merchants pause to have their horses reshod, and adventurers often gather outside to discuss rumors before crossing the road to the Green Dragon Inn.
Brother Smythe hears a surprising amount of local gossip while he works, though he rarely repeats what he has heard without good reason. For newcomers to the settlement, the smithy is often one of the first places where they gain both dependable equipment and a sense of Portowns hardworking, close-knit community.
