Darksteel

Darksteel is a minable resource that is extremely durable and lighter than steel. It is a newer material that is almost exclusively found from veins in the Black Mountains of Parthenia. The emergence of this new, easy-to-use resource has been instrumental in the stability of the Parthenian Federation, and in the Fifth Age darksteel is one of its main exports.

Description

Darksteel has a silver hue when it is cut and polished, while its exposed surfaces shine with a purple gleam. It is extremely durable and lighter than steel. Once in its molten form, darksteel is quite easy to work with and behaves similarly to steel.

Sources

Darksteel is almost exclusively found from veins in the Black Mountains of Parthenia. Due to the unique creation of these mountains and the total length of the range, Darksteel is surprisingly common, though difficult to locate and separate from the black rock it inhabits.

History

The Fourth Age: The Age of Shadow

Before the Manslayer War, Psaro the Manslayer used the Temple of the Blackguard to gather divine power from the resting Zenthai, The Dragon King. One of the things Psaro used this power for was to create the Black Mountains of Parthenia, a great mountain chain of black peaks that bordered the entirety of Parthenia.

The Fifth Age: The Age of Beginnings

Darksteel was first discovered in the Fifth Age. Once its usefulness was learned, it quickly became one of the main exports of Parthenia. As this new material proliferated, more and more smiths in the ports and cities of the world began to experiement with and learn to craft Darksteel.
In the Kingdom of Endor, the introduction of Darksteel cause much turmoil for the artisans and metalworkers of established dwarf clans, like Clan Ironguild. Smaller clans, like Clan Ashforge and their guild the Hands of Ore, were the first to use Darksteel and accept its widespread use. As such, they began growing in influence.
The other guilds and family smiths in Endor have long been established, and the Hands of Ore as a result have placed their focus outside the realm of the first mountain. As part of this focus, the Hands of Ore would start a forge in the city of Porgorag called the Darksteel Foundry.

Type

Ore/Mineral