Strength is the power of muscle and bone—the force that a person can bring to bear through physical exertion. It determines how much can be lifted, how far a stone can be thrown, how much a blow can accomplish. Strength is partly hereditary and partly the result of labor, but even the hardest-working miller cannot exceed the limits that strength sets for them.
Feeble
Feeble individuals possess little physical power. A feeble person tires quickly under exertion, cannot lift heavy burdens, and throws without force. They may be healthy and capable, but their muscles simply do not generate the power others take for granted. They suit themselves to labor that demands care rather than strength.
Weak
Weak folk lack the forceful quality that comes with true strength. They manage light labor and can lift a moderate burden, but heavy work exhausts them. A weak farmhand cannot swing a hammer with authority or pitch hay for a full day without rest. Their limits are real, though not desperate.
Average
Average strength suits most ordinary labor. A person of average strength can lift a sack of grain, swing an axe with reasonable force, and work a full day at physical tasks without collapse. Most folk possess such strength, which is adequate for the world’s ordinary demands.
Forceful
Forceful individuals possess strength that is plainly above the ordinary. They lift heavy burdens easily, their blows land with authority, and they can labor all day and into the next. A forceful blacksmith accomplishes in an hour what an average one requires two for; a forceful sailor hauls rope with casual power.
Mighty
Mighty individuals are prodigies of strength—the sort of which tales are told. They lift what seems impossible, their blows could fell an ox, and their labor seems inexhaustible. Those of mighty strength are rare, and often used for the heaviest labor, though many find other applications for such power.
In Practice
When a merchant must move a barrel of wine from cart to cellar, the feeble person requires help simply to tilt it. The weak one manages to move it slowly and with effort, resting frequently. The average person carries it in a reasonable time. The forceful worker moves it without apparent strain, accomplishing the task as a side matter. The mighty worker carries it one-handed.