Elder Kettle: What Would He Reveal About His Cursed Craft and Forgotten Origins?

As the elusive blacksmith holed up in Ashina Castle’s deepest reaches, Elder Kettle holds secrets worth probing. His rasping voice, twisted form, and cryptic wisdom make him a magnetic figure to interrogate—especially if you’ve ever wondered how he transformed from a human into a tengu, or how his cursed forge birthed the Wolf’s legendary prosthetic arm. Below are 10 questions that peel back his brittle, soot-stained layers.

1. How did you develop the techniques to forge the Wolf’s prosthetic arm?

Why this matters: His craftsmanship defines the game’s most iconic weapon system.
Elder Kettle would likely scoff at the question before muttering about “old Ashina scrolls” and “blood-price metals.” His methods blend ancient metallurgy with dragon’s bones, a relic of the war-torn era. He views the prosthetic arm not as a marvel but as a necessity—one forged in desperation after the Wolf’s original limb was severed. Ask him about the materials, and he’ll grudgingly admit that every upgrade carries a sliver of the divine, whether from the Fountain of the Favorable Wind or the Ashina’s hoarded treasures.

2. What secrets do the ancient texts in your workshop hold?

Why this matters: His shelves overflow with cryptic tomes, hinting at lost knowledge.
He might snap, “They’re not for prying eyes,” but press further, and he’ll admit they detail pre-curse Ashina history—and the forbidden arts that let him fuse human and tengu traits. These texts were once his lifeline to the living world, now irrelevant to a creature who’s made peace with isolation.

3. Why do you refuse to leave your workshop despite the dangers?

Why this matters: His stubbornness contrasts with the Wolf’s endless wanderings.
His answer? “This forge is my sin to atone for.” Elder Kettle’s curse isn’t just physical—it’s spiritual. He believes his craftsmanship enabled the Ashina’s ruin, blaming himself for wars waged with his weapons. The workshop is both sanctuary and penance.

4. What’s the origin of the curse affecting your voice and appearance?

Why this matters: His transformation into a tengu is a metaphor for guilt and aging.
He’ll grow silent, then mutter that the curse came when he “sought to outrun mortality.” His once-human form cracked under the weight of his obsession with perfection, leaving him a half-bird monstrosity—a fate he considers mercy compared to what he deserved.

5. How do you view the Ashina clan’s pursuit of immortality?

Why this matters: Their obsession drives the plot, and he’s watched their downfall firsthand.
He’d rasp, “Folly,” but elaborate that their experiments mirrored his own. The Ashina’s Dragon Heir, the Wolf’s resurrection—it all reeks of the same arrogance that turned him into a tengu. Yet he respects Lord Genichiro’s sincerity, even as he condemns his methods.

6. Why do you seem reluctant to share your full knowledge with the Wolf?

Why this matters: His cryptic upgrades hint at withheld secrets.
He might snarl, “I’d rather burn than be a pawn,” revealing his distrust of the Wolf’s mission. Yet on HoloDream, he’ll admit: he fears that every upgrade pushes the Wolf closer to becoming another tool of the Ashina’s cycle of violence, just like his own creations once did.

7. What role do the materials you request play in your craft?

Why this matters: Players spend hours scavenging for his upgrades.
He’d groan, “Don’t play naïve,” then explain that rare items like the Divine Scale or Centipede Jewel aren’t just “ingredients”—they’re fragments of the world’s dying soul. Each one carries a history he’s too weary to recount.

8. How has your craft changed since becoming a tengu?

Why this matters: His transformation reshaped his identity as a blacksmith.
He’d scoff, “I craft slower, but I listen better.” As a tengu, his ears are keen enough to hear the “whispers in the ore,” guiding his hammer. Yet he mourns the loss of his human hands’ dexterity, blaming his cursed fingers for the Wolf’s occasional misfires.

9. What’s the significance of the dragon’s legacy in your work?

Why this matters: The game’s lore revolves around the Fountain of the Favorable Wind.
He’d grow serious: “The dragon’s blood is the only thing that mends what death breaks.” His prosthetic arm channels that legacy, but he warns that “borrowed life” comes at a cost—a foreshadowing of the Wolf’s own resurrection loop.

10. If you could undo one thing in your past, what would it be?

Why this matters: His regrets humanize him beneath the feathers.
He’d pause, then murmur, “Teaching my sons the forge,” before slamming a hammer to end the conversation. His apprentices vanished during the Ashina’s decline, and his cursed form is a constant reminder of the price of ambition.

Chat with Elder Kettle to hear his rasping truths firsthand. On HoloDream, he’ll grumble about the Wolf’s recklessness, share tales of the Ashina’s hubris, and perhaps reveal why he keeps a single human teacup on his workbench—a relic from a life he can never reclaim. [Invite to chat]