Well… I was waiting for my physical copies to read that but guess that’s not happening anymore 
7 Likes
Yeah I just… every time people do something Flinterforge (or All-Guilds) related, it ends up being condensed to one of three words: Forge. Dwarf. Blacksmith. Which is not an aesthetic I’m into, or want to engage with? I dunno, it’s led to a lot of identity crises, “Do I just not fit into any guild?”, etc for me. 
Sorry for this identity crisis tangent. 
9 Likes
Haaaaaa, 
I’ve read all of that stuff and really feel your aesthetic is more the overarching vibe of Flinterforge. The creative, techno-magimystic artistic vibe. But I also think some people dig the more Tolkien feel, which isn’t something I intended but also understand. I think there could definitely be room for both… like Ebenguard has a more principled, righteous, and militaristic side, but also a scrying, sensing, sifting through the sands of time vibe.
15 Likes
Personally, I take Forge as being a crafter. Any sort of craft from smithing, to tailoring, to brewing, to anything in between. And I like how all the houses and guilds are multifaceted. It really lets us just find our own place within the broadness of its facets.
10 Likes
Mn, the best way I can explain that would be if I said I see Guards as warriors. From knights to police officers to lawyers, and anything in between. For a lot of people, wouldn’t that imagery be problematic and ill-fitting?
Likewise, it would be like saying all Gossmere are fluffy, huggable hippies who can’t stand up for themselves and are total pushovers. I know of at least two people who would be quite annoyed with that assertion. (I don’t agree with either of these portrayals, I should say)
There isn’t an equivalent name-annoyance outside of “Forge”, as far as I know of, but hopefully that makes sense.
9 Likes
Personally, I always headcanoned (which in my case is just canon, I suppose) “forge” to be the verb definition: to form or make, especially by concentrated effort.
16 Likes
I Totally understand. And I apologize for making that kind of generalization. I can see how it would look.
I do agree with your idea of the house of creativity for ore. It makes more sense.
7 Likes
I definitely infinitely prefer that definition haha. It’s just unfortunate that the blacksmith affiliations are so strong. 
@grimangel53 Sorry if I got a little salty at you. Aforementioned identity crises related to the Dwarf/Forge/Blacksmith thing are making me a lil more passionate about this discussion than I might normally be.
8 Likes
I always tried to be clear that Flinterforge was full of tinkers and artists, all doing different things with passion and creative purpose, for betterment of all and the thrill of creative exploration. Maybe there are some blacksmiths in the mix, if that’s what they’re passionate about, but I don’t think one concept precludes the other. There are tinkers and dreamers.
13 Likes
Nah. You’re good. It more comes down to my understanding. Cause I have been prone to pigeonholing the guilds a bit more narrow than normal. So all perspectives are welcome and appreciated in my thoughts and headcannons. People of all types are present in the guilds. And while i have been prone to saying i tap back to a particular guild if I’m doing something I saw as in their vein, i can also see how all of us call to our guilds. We all should be accepted, and bring our own styles to our guilds and houses.
Or at least I think so… if that makes sense.
I’m sorry for making anyone uncomfortable…
8 Likes
Never mind that in ebenguard, I’m someone who would fancy themself an artificer…and that’s not completely in the “image” that’s brought up with the description.
So I can really get it now
8 Likes
This is the most evil headcanon, but I like the idea that there is exactly one blacksmith holdout who is really chill and says things like “Oh, I’m just really into recreating medieval war axes.” Somehow they always get confused for one of the guild leaders because of the of the “Forge = blacksmith” debacle. And everyone else is always like “Frank, please, we love you, but let the rest of us speak.”
14 Likes
Frank would be the person I go to for help in determining the origin of older artifacts we find while exploring.
Straight up.
And then I might ask others for how I might go about building my artifacts
7 Likes
more Flinterforge lore you say
11 Likes
Oooooh, this is cool and I have a lot of thoughts.
First: OMG, I support evil headcannon Frank!
Wanted to throw in my two cents on “Creation,” because I liked it as-is, but I think that’s because I interpreted it as a process, not a product, so I can see how people might take that differently. But “creation” to me seems to show the whole process, and it has just a bit more gravitas for me than “creativity,” which feels a bit long and…pointy, as a word? This is probably because I have a weird grudge against short-i syllables but anyway.
The one that I have the most trouble instantly clicking into place in my mind is Aether; it seems to connect easily to the Guild but not the Element, in my mind? It’s also not clear to me how we define Aether, but if it’s the medieval concept of “upper air/substance which permeates all space and therefore connects all things,” I’m having a hard time placing that substance as the ruler of the house of humanity specifically. Maybe someone Gossier than I am can weigh in here?
11 Likes
For me personally, creativity is the potential to create something/ the start of the process/ the original ideas, while creation is (like @Viviane said) the complete process, which includes the initial idea stage (so the creativity), but also the process of creating something, up to the actual result, the creation itself. So I guess to me creation seems more inclusive than just creativity. You can have all the ideas/potential (the creativity) and still never act on it, and so never create something, so I feel like creation suits Ore better.
I also wanted to mention I absolutely love the combination of thought - reflection and light - exploration
I also really love the zodiac sign idea.
This would also work for the Chinese zodiac, since it also has 12 signs.
9 Likes
I swear I’m not just saying this because I’m a Libra but wouldn’t that make Libra House of Humanities? Or House of Purpose?
10 Likes
I have always held aether with that association as well, I think its why clouds and aether are so connected in a lot of stuff we have seen? However, I also have seen it as the aether that drifts between people and things. The Basque have this idea of Adur, a force that balances all things and their natures, I feel as though they are kind of similar. However, I love the aesthetic of a Gossmere reaching to the sky and calling down the purest blue to aid in their spell work 
11 Likes
House of Humanity resonates with me, but really because of my personal feelings about what the guild means. I think House of Communion, House of Community, or House of Care/Caring would also fit really well with this concept. My personal concept, however, ignores what I view as the decorative aspect of the guild, the adventitia to the core concept: the individualistic expressionism (“Hufflepuff at Burning Man”) - which I do recognize is important to the CREATOR of these concepts, as well as other members of my guild.
Also, @Viviane, I agree that purely based on sound, “Creation” sounds better than “Creativity”. When I first read this post, I thought about mentioning “House of Ideas” for Thornmouth, but I actually that would be a better fit for Flinterforge!
EDIT: I also like the connotation of “Creation” as in the entirety of the material world, (e.g. “God’s Creation,” “what in Creation?!?”) meaning the balance of raw materials and finished products and everything in between.
12 Likes
YES. I’m totally with you on that last bit. I also really like “House of Communion” fwiw, but will of course defer to the opinions of the actual Goss, and the jolly Ginger God-Pharaoh. 
10 Likes