"The action of bringing something into existence."

Such is the meaning of creation. It can come as something as simple as a blind fool beating two rocks against each other to make a tool out of them or as complex as the very spark that formed the universe, and in turn, created an endless wave of creation through the ages.

Whether small or grand creations are a way for some to leave their mark on the world. Some as works of art that leave one's mind trying to understand the hearts of its maker for years to come. Sometimes as tools used to ease the life of those who use them. And sometimes, their creation causes others to create their own or are improved on by the next line of creators.

And no such creations left such a sense of wonder, inspiration, and innovation than the works of a crafter with seemingly otherworldly skill in their art. Said crafter was known to the world as Los. A fitting name as all information on who or what Los was, was ironically 'lost' to time. Going further, some to this day are not even sure if Los was a single being or a group master craftsmen due to the size and number of Los' creation.

Los' creations included; marvelous sculptures of gods, heroes, villains, and devils, ancient cities that swapped rulers who fought over them more time than one could count and grand bridges, roads, waterways, and dams that shaped the lands in its entirety. Myths even go as far as to say that Los could mold the sky itself to their desire, such as the dazzling auroras of the north and the south or the stars that were lined up just right to form an image.

But one would ask, 'how could any of these wonders of the world be the work of one being or even a group?' To put it simply, Los signed their work; at each of these creations somewhere, somehow and without any uncertainty, one name was written in every known language. This name was...

Los

Some instantly understood that these creations were from the same mind and could only hope of matching the machinations of 'Los' now formally known within the crafting world as the God Of Crafting. Rightfully earned, as none could hope to match the sheer brilliance of this unknown crafter or crafters.

But others opposed this view, as it made no sense. Even taking the unknown mindsets of the gods into account the fact that Los left their creations with only their name to show for it was baffling. Many gods who willed miracles into the world would seek out worship from all who witnessed their divide might, shower their followers in small bits of wisdom, and guide their people to the gods' idols.

Los, despite the title of a god, was no such thing. They created something, left their name, and that was it. No rules to live by in hopes of catching Los' eye. No nuggets of truth that would enlighten the world. No methods of customs that would lead their followers to a better understanding of their god.

When Los' creations were studied and in turn the many attempts at copying the Crafting God's skill, there were no guidelines in the making of Los' work. No blueprints, no leftover failures, or models. Nothing that would point anyone in any way as to how Los went about their work. Was it all by magic or the skilled hands of a craftsman? Were tools use, or was Los some monster that didn't need such things?

And when those who took up the challenge of matching the Crafting God's work. Their fruits of labor were met with utter rejection as masterpieces in their own right when up against Los, even those who never once heard of Los saw the perfection in their work.

However, every secret, no matter how old or new, how well hidden, important, or otherwise, will be learned with enough effort, persistence, and a bit of luck. As it were when a piece of Los' greatest creation revealed itself to the world on a fateful world or as many scholars have come forth to say, 'on just another normal day, it was found out of nowhere as if by dumb luck.' This was none other than...

The Valley Of Los

Some 500 years ago, in a valley between the borders of the Laudonian kingdom and the Tenno Empire, a vast network of buildings was found. At first, most thought it was the remains of a great nation that had been abandon by its former citizens. Once various craftsmen, scholars, historians, archaeologists, and many more of a similar profession came to this valley to learn its secrets. They came to a set of odd discoveries.

Firstly, they found that these buildings were not some grand city but part of something more as there seemed to be parts of it where everything just stopped in a hard edge as if cut off. Another mysterious find was the inhabitants near the valley all reported the buildings all appeared one day with no rhythm or reason to them. But there was some reason to them as they invoked the styles of different cultures from around the world.

Continuing their work, the researchers began to piece together what all these buildings were. Some housed tools, other held materials, inside more were unfinished works/prototypes, and far more interesting were plans and notes on how the place was put together and much more. These plans and notes led to creations such as Port-Stones, automatons, and the process in which one could forge items out of Monster Ore.

And all of it was marked with a single name...Los. Again and again, a prideful reminder to anyone who came across something that they would know who made and owned everything within this valley of lost knowledge, lost creations, and lost imagination. Finally, written at what is now today known as the valley's center was the only indicator as to what all of this was: City Of Imagination, Golgonooza: Industrial site-E.

Crafting District: Main Office Building

"...And that will end our lesson for today..." Toffa bowed to a group of young up and coming crafters. She just went through a routine history lesson that the Crafting Heads handled every once in a while. "...now you're all free to take a look around here and take some notes. That's it! Don't give me a reason to use one of these, alright!" She padded the tools kept on her person as the group broke up and went around the examination room.

"Ahhhh..." Just in time for the Dwarf to let out a deep sigh. While giving out tours and lessons like these were all well and good for the image of the Crafters Of Gorz, not to mention put the Crafting Heads in good light with Deller. "...if any of them even did this besides me..." Toffa muttered while doing some touch-ups on a desk with a hidden chest compartment.

In truth, more often than not, it was left to Toffa and Anthony to handle these lessons. Bearytorats knew his history and how to explain it, but he was a dick that put off more people than he brought in. Keif was...Keif, a big guy with a big heart but a small brain when it came to anything other than gathering materials. Half the time, he needed someone to teach him.

"Anthony owes me for this..." Toffa kept muttering as she worked. Today was Anthony's turn at giving out a history lesson, but it was also on a day when Deller was dealing with some business with the king, making it the perfect day for the tinker to run off with Blake and get to the Valley of Los before the Orc would notice. "...Deller's gonna be mad..."

"At what, Miss Toffa?" Asked the very Orc craftsmaster, who should have been locked away in some heavily guarded office discussing important topics on the upkeep of the entire city.

"BOSS!" Toffa screamed as if her heart was being ripped out of her chest and threw her arms into the air. "Shit!" And sent the entire desk she was working on high into the air. "Argggh!" Until it hit the ceiling and was smashed to bits that fell around her like snowfall.

"Hmm? You are quite on edge today, Miss Toffa?" Deller questioned the Dwarfen woman as some workers came to deal with the now destroyed desk. "But nicely done ob this part here." He did pick up the chest compartment being the only thing not wrecked by Toffa's outburst.

"Oh! Why thank you, boss! But wh-wh-what are you doing here?! Hehe!" Toffa frantically asked with a nervous laugh as her eyes darted around. "I thought you were supposed to be having talks with the king for most of the day."

Deller didn't take notice of Toffa right away as he was more interested in the small chest in his hands. "...Oh? You know how the king is with his duties. Plus, the queen wasn't around to keep us on track, but we got to most of the more important parts." He answered, then used a set of tools from his mechanical arm to make some adjustments to the chest. "Does it work now?" After that, he pushed a few random spots on it, and the whole thing came open. "Ah, again nicely done, Miss Toffa." He set it down on a work table.

Toffa chacked a smile at that like always when Deller gave her a mark of approval. "Oh, it's nothing! Boss! All in a day's work!"

"Like with helping Anothny sneaking off somewhere?" Deller asked in a dull tone as Toffa kept a toothy grin on her face even as she turned away from the Orc. "I know that I allow him some freedom in anything he does, but usually, he comes to me before anything else..." With a grab of his iron hand to the Dwarf's head, he turned her right around, still with that grin on her face. "...you only smile like that when you're trying to hide something so..." Next, he got down to her level and barred his tusks at her. "...out of with it."

"Ugh..." Toffa cringed at the face in front of her. It was usually meant for anything doing with Reiner or when someone went behind his back. "...Anthony's off to the Teleportation Center today..."

"Where to?" Deller growled in question. He understood that his student liked to go off and study some new finding he came across but never had Anthony did so without his master's knowledge, and on top of that, he got one of his Crafting Heads to back him up on it as well.

"Well...you know how he locked himself away to go over those ruins, right?" Toffa asked in return and was slowly backing away as Deller stood up.

"The ones that Reiner's boy can open, right?" For some odd reason, Deller looked up with a scowl on his face.

"Yeah, those. So after learning something about 'em, he got a hold of Blake, and now we're on their way to the..." Toffa began then breathed in to brace herself for whatever Deller would have coming her way. "...Valley Of Loc..."

"..." Deller's scowl disappeared from his face, his eyes widen in shock for a moment and slowly lowered his head back down at Toffa. "...how long ago did they go over there?"

"Ugh..." Toffa wasn't expecting that reaction of Deller, but it was better than getting yelled at by him. "...an hour and a half at the most? They haven't left the kingdom...yet." She answered with a shrug, seeing as Deller wasn't looking like a raging beast anymore. "Hmm?" That is until he turned on a dim and marched off. "Uh, boss? Where are you off to?"

"To stop those two idiots before they get in over their heads..." Deller answered with his back to Toffa as he marched. "..." Then stopped at a work table where there was a small cannon. "...has this one been approved yet?" He asked while rubbing his iron arm with a slow nod.

"Unless you want the rest of your arm to go, then yea..." Toffa answered, crossing her arms at Deller, who took a moment to look at the rest of his arm as if considering it. "...boss, it's not my place in asking, but why isn't Anthony allowed to go there? He isn't a boy, and he knows how important the valley is to us crafters. You let the rest of us go there, so I don't ge-eh?" She would have kept going, but Deller held a hand to stop her.

"I know, I know, but...there is someone there he shouldn't meet...either should Reiner's boy. They're not ready yet for that kind of trial," Deller informed Toffa, gritting his tusks at something that was picking at his mind since he found out about this.

"Trial? What Trial? All I got was getting added to the main research crew there and forced to work for a few days." Toffa was left confused by Deller's words.

"Do you remember the one in charge of that research team?" The craftsmaster asked with a look of disdain on his face.

"Of crouse! Kind of hard not to remember the guy. He left a 'big' impression." Toffa threw her hands up when answering.

"He's the whole reason why either I, Reiner, or our students should ever go there. Now I'm off to stop those two asses from bringing a very big headache down on me." Deller stormed off after that.

"..." Leaving Toffa to listen to his thunderous steps like a soldier off to war. "What happened in the valley with you?" Toffa thought, but something at the corner of her eye got her attention. "WHAT DID I TELL YOU!?!" Some idiot had the bright idea of messing with a prototype for an automatic saw machine and got some of their clothes caught in its teeth. "Stay calm! Or you'll lose a limb, you jackass!"

Chapter End