Orichalcum

Orichalcum is a rare, naturally-occurring magical metal found in small veins. The only known veins in the history of Azimuth have been within the borders of Tarteria, and was the power source behind the unification of Keeleon. Since the emergence of this valuable ore, the history of Tarteria has been driven by the use and control of this resource.

Description

Orichalcum weighs nearly as much as gold and is colored with a subtle magenta-green sheen. A skilled smith can blend orichalcum into steel to create an alloy. The nature of orichalcum helps facilitate this process, allowing it to seep into steel as it is blended and tempered.

Sources

For the Kingdom of Keeleon in the Third Age, many mines were dug in western Tarteria. Most of this area was later submerged by the formation of the Green Metal Bay.
In the Fourth Age, the mines at Aktempto continued to produce orichalcum until the settlements destruction at the start of the Tarterian War.
Currently, there are no known veins of orichalcum ore.

History

The Third Age: The Age of Zenethia

In the late Third Age, Warlord Keel mined the rich veins of orichalcum in his tribe's lands, said to be a part of the modern-day Orichalcum Peninsula. Keel used this metal to wage war and press his influence across northern Tarteria and unite the orc tribes under one banner.
When the Santeem explorer, Tamas Havin, founded a settlement on the northeast edge of Tarteria, his troupe encountered the new unified orcish kingdom of Keeleon. The new settlement of Port Haville opened the door to maritime trade for excess orichalcum, which brought riches back into Tarteria.
At the end of the Third Age was The Great War. At the emergence of Esturk, The World's End, the lands to the west of the Rexun River were rocked with a great subterranean explosion and entire swathes of land fell and submerged into the sea. In a moment, most of Keeleon's orichalcum mines were lost to the waters of the new Green Metal Bay or collapsed to rubble beneath the Western Valley.
During the events of the Great War, many armies gathered to fight the scourge of Esturk and his demonic and bestial forces. As they fought side by side, orc warriors and those of the other races shed blood together and fought and died for the fate of the world. The races of humans, elves, and dwarves were introduced to the valor of these warriors and the strength of their orichalcum weapons.

The Fourth Age: The Age of Shadow

After the events of the Great War, the orichalcum trade was core to the recovery and growth of this land in the early Fourth Age, and sea trade flourished. Konenbur imported much of this and put it to great use in the armor of their elite warriors, the Greenscales, so named for the glean of the armor and blades.
As a result of the expanded trade, orcish influence grew greatly in the north and the orcs expanded southwards to the Orog Range. While the Kingdom of Keeleon was unified, the clans of the hobgoblins were not, and they could not stand against the orcs' orichalcum so ununified, leading to the Baloratak War.
However, with the loss of most of the orichalcum mines, the resource began to grow scarce. The drive to find more brought orcs to the higher reaches of the Orichalcum Peninsula, and the mines at Aktempto were started. As a result of the damage caused from Esturk's emergence, the rifts would eventually allow for deeper mining in the region than had been able to be attempted prior.
Eventually, in the late Fourth Age, the mines would reach too deep, and Esturk would emerge once more. The Tarterian War saw the destruction of the Aktempto mine, the last orichalcum mine in Tarteria.
On 2 Avedar 4A 996, the Zenethian Heroes reached the Aktempto ruins and descended through the deepest orichalcum mines to battle Esturk.

The Fifth Age: The Age of Beginnings

In the Fifth Age, no veins of orichalcum are being mined and the historic locations of the ore have run dry. The Queendom of Keeleon has a great desire to find the valuable ore once more.
In an attempt to find more orichalcum, many prospectors and 'educated' orcs, influenced by their families' times in the dwarf kingdom, Endor, founded the settlement of Thoriktown near the Khushuut Mountains.

Type

Ore/Mineral