Mageiron

With a satiny sheen, Mageiron is the ultimate metal used by technowizards in the construction of the finest magical items.

Properties

Material Characteristics

Mageiron and its associated alloys is a satiny metal about as strong as steel and as light as aluminum. The different alloys adjust the properties making it harder but more brittle, softer but more flexible, or accentuating certain magical properties. The harder an alloy of Mageiron is, the shinier it becomes. Otherwise, the color of the alloy depicts the magical properties of the raw ores included.

Physical & Chemical Properties

In its unalloyed form, mageiron is a satiny gray with a sheen associated with the source of the raw ore. If the raw ore comes from a fire-based source, then there is an orange hue to the sheen, for example.

Geology & Geography

Mageiron comes from crushed dragon bones. The potency of the material is dependent upon the age of the dragon and how recently it has expired.

Origin & Source

Mageiron is actually crushed dragon bone, smelted in magical fire. Plasma forges can also produce mageiron, though plasma-forged mageiron is always black without a sheen. Alloys of plasma-forged mageiron do exhibit a colored sheen consistent with the alloyed additives, however.

Life & Expiration

Once a dragon dies, the half-life of its bones for use as a source of mageiron is about a year. The magnitude of the starting value is determined by the age of the dragon and is directly proportional to the amount of PPE available to the dragon in life.

History & Usage

Industrial Use

There are a number of established alloys of Mageiron. Only materials originating from supernatural magical beings have been successfully alloyed with mageiron. The following are materials that are known to establish useful alloys:

1. Angel Ash: Charred angel flesh particulate can be added to mageiron to give it a golden sheen and enhance healing and light magic
2. Crushed Petrificum: powder created by crushing a petrified being. adds a brownish hue to the sheen and enhances petrification and associated magic
3. Crytallized Ooze: Nearly any shapechanging, ooze-like or otherwise shapeless supernatural being can be crystallized by first dissolving it into a solution and precipitating it from the solution. The means of doing so depend on the chemical compounds that make up the being. The magical essence persists in the crystal, regardless of the compounds, and it is this magical essence that is used to make soft flexible mageiron alloys with a blue sheen. This alloy enhances fluid-based magic.
4. Dried Spine: When the spinal column of a magical being or magic user is left to air dry on a ley line or in an artificial magical field similar to a ley line, the dried spinal cord can be harvested from it and will provide a white sheen that can be used to enhance physical buff and debuff magic
5. Dried Vampire Blood: Added to mageiron, provides a red sheen alloy that enhances regeneration or bleeding properties
6. Fairy Dust (ground and smelted fairy bones): Adds a purple sheen to the metal and accentuates mental and illusion magic.
7. Fairy Powder (crushed fairy wings): Adds a pink sheen to the metal and enhances flight and mobility magic
8. Freeze-Dried Demon: Living demon flesh that has been frozen and crushed in its frozen state can be added to mageiron to improve fire-related magic
9. Ground Gargoyle: Made from the teeth and claws of live gargoyles only, adds a greenish-gray sheen and greatly enhances the strength of the alloy, but does make it more brittle and less flexible. If the teeth and claws come from dead gargoyles, the brittlenessis excessive and the strength is actually worsened.
10. Mage Brains: The sun-dried brains of magic practitioners provide a rainbow sheen like an oil slick and give a minor general-purpose enhancement for use in almost any magic
11. Powdered Lunatic: Powdered bones of a were-beast. Adds a silver sheen to the metal. Can be used to improve alteration magic.
12. Powdered Vampire Bones: Creates a black sheen that seems to absorb light and aids in possession and warding magic
13. Albus Eyes: The gem-like portions of an Albus' eye are concentrated arcana. Alloys made with it assist with perception, scrying, and detecting the invisible.
14. Sunflower Oil: Adds a golden glow to alloy and adds effectiveness versus undead, especially vampires

Only the most accomplished mageiron smiths have knowledge of more than a few of these alloys. Most mageiron smiths know none at all. Research into potential alloys is secretive and closely guarded as the creation of new alloys can lead to incredible notoriety and an immense payoff until other smiths learn to reproduce the results. Due to the nature of the raw materials, mage smiths tend to be mistrusting and unscrupulous and therefore are reluctant to share openly with the rest of the scientific community. The exception to this can be found in the Coalition States and New German Republic, which openly share their scientific results between them.

Refinement

The dragon bone must first be dried and pulverized before it can be smelted into mageiron.

Hazards

Inhaling raw mageiron ore and even some alloying materials can provide a magical high in beings attuned to magic. The effect is an increase in available PPE associated with the potency of the powder and the amount inhaled. When the high goes away, there is a 10% chance of minor permanent PPE reduction. The high is addictive.

Environmental Impact

Mageiron and its associated alloys has created a market for the raw materials. Unscrupulous poachers happily hunt beings that can be used for mageiron and its alloys.

Reusability & Recycling

Mageiron can be resmelted and re-used; however, once smelted, any alloyed materials are lost.

Distribution

Trade & Market

Mageiron can be found in the markets of Atlantis, Tolkeen and the Federation of Magic. It is also possible to find it rarely offered by travelling merchants almost anywhere.
The Coalition has also started experimenting with mageiron and its alloys. First brought to the attention of coalition scientists by the examination of captured items, secrets of its origins and manufacture were revealed through capture and interrogation.

Storage

Raw Mageiron ore must be kept dry. Once smelted, it can be kept in any state. If it can be kept on a ley line or in a container that is constantly magically charged, the half-life is aborted.

Law & Regulation

Mageiron and its alloys are outlawed in their ore form in most civilized societies who claim to have respect for living beings. There are many societies, however, that are ignorant of the source of mageiron and have therefore established no such prohibitions.
Smelted and Mageiron and mageiron alloys do not suffer the same prohibitions, although people who recognize it will still have adverse reactions to its presence.
In societies without the same regard for magical life, mageiron is often seen rather as a status symbol. So places like Atlantis, the Federation of magic and some of the back streets of Tolkeen view mageiron as a valuable commodity. Likewise, magic-hating societies like the Coalition States and the First Apocalyptic Cavalry view the material dispassionately as merely a very rare and valuable resource.

Mf

Value

Mageiron is rare and extremely expensive. So are the ingredients used in making mageiron alloys. Alloyed mageiron is even more rare and expensive.

Color

Mageiron takes on a color associated with the magical properties of the raw ore with a secondary sheen associated with other additives alloyed with it.

Melting / Freezing Point

Only Plasma fire or concentrated magical heat can be used to smelt Mageiron and its alloys.

Density

On par with aluminum.