This also introduces a small absurdity into the world's narrative. How did civilization ever get beyond the iron ingot conundrum?

All these ingredients are in the tutorial chest, so even if you never take the Smithing perk to learn these recipes, you can still craft them through experimentation. Just dumping them all in the crafting UI. The Ingot you get from Ennathil's supplies, combined with the Wood you harvest in her camp, lets you make the Hammer, before you leave her camp.

Her Coal and 3x Ore form your next ingot, which you can then use to craft the pick, etc. Of course, following up our discussion about recipes, you still need to discover or learn the recipe through the perk. And the +2 Fire Res in that perk needs some buffing too.

After that, if you camp or explore in hill terrain or caves, you can find more materials through exploration or camp harvesting actions. You can also always find these at general goods merchants. For example, looking at Horton in Llanford at level 2 with a random character right now, I can see enough coal and ore for an ingot and enough wood for a tool. And he refreshes his stock daily, Other merchants in towns within hill and mountain regions will sell you ingots directly.

Originally posted by ER Raven:

All these ingredients are in the tutorial chest, Other merchants in towns within hill and mountain regions will sell you ingots directly.

Oh! I may have a suggestion for you! Maybe those beginner perks can be made to stand in for those initial tools. Like the +2 fire res perk also counts as a hammer, for the purpose of crafting? You might even have a series of those for early levels that can be taken by characters to stand in for basic tools.

While I know they're in that chest in the campaign, that's not something you have access to without the tutorial-- like my new character with a fresh start has points in smithing, but can't make ingots without a hammer, and can't make a hammer without ingots. I do have like 6 ore and 6 coal on him-- but I can't use 'em. How was the first iron ingot made in this world?

To be honest, it would be done with a smelter, not a hammer, so it’s not something a player could realistically do everywhere if we want to stay lore accurate. Then again, the smelter won’t be arriving before properties do, so it was either that or nothing.

Yes, I see your point. The main issue is that Llanford, due to its geography, has ingots as an import, so they will rarely, if ever, appear in Horton who can sell Materials. I can probably have the blacksmith merchants there sell ingots, too, since those two are the ones importing them for the most part. I’ve already made notes, will think on it more, and address this in the next patch. ;)

Originally posted by ER Raven:

To be honest, it would be done with a smelter, not a hammer, so it’s not something a player could realistically do everywhere if we want to stay lore accurate. Then again, the smelter won’t be arriving before properties do, so it was either that or nothing.

Yes, I see your point. The main issue is that Llanford, due to its geography, has ingots as an import, so they will rarely, if ever, appear in Horton who can sell Materials. I can probably have the blacksmith merchants there sell ingots, too, since those two are the ones importing them for the most part. I’ve already made notes, will think on it more, and address this in the next patch. ;)

Oooh I see-- this is something that you're not finished with! I didn't realize it was a place holding measure! Of course, something like a smelter makes the most sense, but I didn't realize that was in the cards.

Well, cool! I admire your adaptability!