Blacksmith Back Story
The blacksmith Heinrich grew up in the rural parts of Germany throughout his life, but was forced to move to the cities. Due to the rise of urbanization and factories becoming more commonplace, the way he earns a living is by smithing special order, customized parts that are not produced by the factories. Because of his private business, he is a little more well off than many people around him - he makes enough doing custom contracts that his wife and children aren’t forced to work in the factories. His children are able to attend school, so he has bright hopes for their future. Heinrich is strong due to his profession. He originally learned to smith from his father, who was also a blacksmith.
Heinrich has 4 living children, and 3 more who did not survive infancy.
Heinrich is away from home when the eruption occurs. His ultimate goal during the game is to find what has happened to his family. If they are still alive, he would like to find them again.
Heinrich lives with his family in the city of Essen - an industrial city in Germany near the major river the Ruhr. He lives in the inner city, where he can be close to his customers. His forge is separate from his family’s living quarters. This is why he is separated from his family at the time of the eruption - he is at his workshop instead of his home. The city of Essen is mainly industrial, with crowded housing and many steel mills. The primary industry at the time is the Steel Industry. Essen is the home to the Krupp steel empire. The Krupp steel mills are the primary employers of the population of Essen, and are the main reason that the city of Essen formed.
The city of Essen during the Industrial Revolution:
Krupp Steel Mills:
Heinrich is a large man, and very muscular from his hard labor smithing. He has a full beard and trimmed, but slightly ragged hair. His hair and beard are a dark brown color, almost black.
An example of an Industrial Revolution era Blacksmith workshop:
Heinrich is in his smithery, at the forge, hammering away at a piece of metal on his anvil. Sparks fly as the hammer makes contact with the glowing metal. The sound of the heated forge and hammering fill the workshop.
The door to the workshop opens, and a man wearing a gentleman’s coat and top hat enters the room. He carries a cane (for looks, not out of necessity) and is clean shaven except for a thick mustache.
Heinrich doesn’t hear the gentleman enter, due to the noise of the hammering. Soon he notices the man.
HEINRICH: Guten tag, Herr Schubert. I’ll be with you in a moment. Please take a seat.
MR. SCHUBERT: Fine, fine. Mr. Schubert takes a seat on a chair near the door of the workshop. Heinrich continues hammering for a few moments. He plunges the heated metal into a barrel of water next to the anvil, and a sizzling sound fills the air as steam flows from the barrel. He places the now-cooled metal back on the anvil and sets his hammer next to it. Heinrich gives the bellows a couple good pushes, causing the fire in the forge to grow hotter.
Heinrich walks to the seated Mr. Schubert. Mr. Schubert stands, and removes his hat.
HEINRICH: Forgive me if I don’t shake your hand, Herr Schubert. They’re dirty from the forge.
MR. SCHUBERT: As would be expected.
HEINRICH: What can I help you with?
MR. SCHUBERT: Well, I have an order I need……
The sound of a loud explosion interrupts Mr. Schubert. The ground begins to shake violently, and both Heinrich and Mr. Schubert are thrown to the floor. The barrel near the anvil tips, spilling water across the floor. Screaming can be heard from outside the workshop.
The shaking slows, and Heinrich can stand again. He rushes to the door of the workshop and looks outside. The streets are in chaos, people are running. In the distance, to the south, the sky is lit with a mysterious glow. Objects shoot across the sky like shooting stars.
Within moments the sky is covered by a dark, grey cloud, and ash begins to fall from the sky. Mr. Schubert joins Heinrich at the doorway.
A fireball falls from the cloud of ash in the sky and hits a nearby building, destroying it immediately and exploding into flames. Mr. Schubert is thrown to the ground again but Heinrich catches himself on the door frame. In the distance, more fireballs are raining from the sky.
Mr. Schubert stands and runs into the street, joining the group of people running from destroyed building.
HEINRICH: I have to get to Ingrid and the kids!