Any Dwarf can tell you that the smith's art is a subtle blending of the four Elements. Air blows over Fire to heat metal from the Earth and is quenched in Water. Understanding and controlling the delicate balance of these things is nessesary if one is to be considered a Master.
Old Lundin was a Master, and also a cleric of Hephaestus. Half of his long life he had dedicated to the one and the other half to the other. In his younger years he walked the world doing the bidding of his god and in his later years he worked the forge. In these pursuits he had gained great understanding and not a few scars.
And so it was that when, in the twilight of his life, he announced that he would take no new orders for work so that he could undertake his own private project, all the community was buzzing with the gosip of it. What would it be? Surely this would be a masterpiece that would go down in history! The greatest achievment of a very full lifetime. Lundin worked in secret. He chased off those who tried to get a peek, which only made people more curious. In the end he hired some local toughs to keep the gawkers at bay so he could work in some semblance of peace. Lundin alone knows what took place in his forge, but strange lights were seen and Words of Power were spoken and some believe that Hephaestus himself manifested there to bless the work. What would it be? A mighty weapon to drive our enimies away for all time? Armor fit for an emporer? The people could only wait.
In time, the waiting was over, and Lundin emerged to announce that the work was done. To be continued.