Brassweaver was of the vast brood of the Cosmic Serpent. According to the Aeldari myths Brassweaver was "neither oldest nor youngest, neither greatest nor weakest" of the brood and is described as "worthless in trickery yet priceless in loyalty". Unlike many of the Cosmic Serpent's brood, Brassweaver's allegiance was to Vaul instead of Cegorach.
Brassweaver is regarded as a symbol of loyalty and rebating and sometimes as a guardian of important places. When seeking atonement, one might take the "Path of the Brassweaver".
Overview[]
According to the Aeldari myths, Brassweaver fancied himself as a shrewd trickster and went his own ways trying to fool the gods. When, in his foolishness, he tried to trick Morai-Heg, the Crone caught him and demanded a favor for Brassweaver's freedom. Having little choice, Brassweaver agreed to the Crone's demands and went on to steal the Heart of the Maiden from Vaul's forge.
The Smith God was lost in his works, great hammer shaping the elements into artifacts without equal and in the noise of the forge the Brassweaver creeped into Vaul's chambers and took the Heart of the Maiden. As the Brassweaver was stalking his way out, a sun rose up and Vaul lifted his head swiping sweat from his brow and noticing the blue glistering that came from Brassweaver's scales. Seeing the valued Heart of the Maiden, Vaul dropped his hammer and grasped Brassweaver who tried to escape the forge. Too late, Brassweaver tried to squirm his way out of the Smith God's grasp but it was of no use. The hardened fist squeezed the wyrm and with a bellowing shout Vaul demanded an explanation. Brassweaver whimpered before Vaul's might, revealing his obligations to Morai-Heg. Seeing the sincerity in Brassweaver's eyes, Vaul, in his kindness, chained the serpent into his anvil, leaving the shackles only a tiny bit too large.
Having hammered for five nights, Vaul finally left his hammer on the anvil and went to rest. Brassweaver had noticed the kindness of Vaul and now squirmed himself out of the shackles. Afraid of the Crone's response to his failure, Brassweaver took a big lump of gold from Vaul's forge and shaped it into a heart. He then fled the forge and returned to Morai-Heg, announcing his success and presenting the Crone the fake Heart of the Maiden. Cheerful of Brassweaver's success, Morai-Heg granted the serpent a drop of her blood from her severed hand so Brassweaver could learn a single thing and then she let the serpent go.
Morai-Heg placed the golden heart in the body of her stillborn daughter, in a hope of her resurrection. Such were the Brassweaver's artisan skills that when the Crone placed the golden heart into her stillborn daughter, it began to beat and it took the shape of a mortal's heart. Waking up with the cold gold heart within her chest, the daughter rose up examining herself. Delighted of the resurrection a single dew dropped from the Crone's cheek, only to freeze from the enmity as she realised the serpent had fooled her gravely. The heart was cold and the Crone's daughter was savage, soulless beast and with great regrets Morai-Heg drove the beast from her lair. All the while cursing the Brassweaver to the depths of the Void.
Brassweaver returned to Vaul's forge where he squirmed back into the shackles and when Vaul rose from his rest, he nodded for the blue serpent which had took residence in his house.
Adaptations[]
Symbol of the Brassweaver
Myth of the Brassweaver is known to the Harlequin masques as the Golden Maid and is sometimes performed as a prequel to the Hundred Swords of Vaul.
According to the Harlequins of the Masque of the Words Gouged, the shackles crafted for Brassweaver were used by Khaela Mensha Khaine when he shackled the Smith God to his anvil. While the dance performed by the Masque of the Weeping Hundred, clearly depicts how Brassweaver is left in shackles next to his master as the Bloody-Handed God ties Vaul to his anvil.
Some believe that the single wisdom granted by the Morai-Heg to Brassweaver was the secret of how to smith the greatest of swords, Anaris. A secret which Brassweaver shared with Vaul.