Elven Steel

The Dwarves of Cartyrion have spent many millenia mining the deep places of the world, harvesting metals and other materials from the rock. They have learned over those years how to use fire and brute strength to refine and shape those metals into useful tools and deadly weapons. All the Folk know this, but only a few of them realize just how ingenious the Dwarves have become in the matter of working different metals together to achieve specific results. One of the many alloys developed by the craftsfolk of the Iron Hills Delve quickly became a favorite among the Elves of the Elvenhome, with whom the Dwarves traded extensively. In fact, demand for weapons and armor made of this alloy was at one time so high, the material came to be known as Elven Steel.

Properties

The alloy called Elven Steel by the Dwarves is considerably lighter in weight than common weaponsteel. Items shaped from it are therefore easier to wield, and since it holds an edge better than common weaponsteel, blades made from it are considered more deadly. It is more resistant to stress damage, meaning armor made from it is not only lighter than common armor, but also more durable.

It polishes to a silvery, almost mirrorlike apperance, making it a choice for more elegant weapons and armor. Furthermore, that mirrorlike finish never rusts or fades with age, even in damp environments. The metal of Items made millenia ago with the alloy look as new today as they did when first forged.

Production

Manufacture of Elven Steel requires that two rare and special metals be added to the traditional carbon-treated iron that weaponsteel is comprised of. The Dwarves of the Iron Hills Delve - where they were first discovered - called these two metals whitesteel and silversteel. While whitesteel has since been discovered in other Delves, Iron Hills remains the sole producer of silversteel in all of Cartyrion. The precise formulas dictating the relative quantities of the three metals, as well as the desired alloying temperature required, are closely guarded Dwarven secrets.

An alloy called Lesser Elvensteel is produced in other delves where whitesteel can be found - this material has all of the properties of Elvensteel except for the mirrorlike shine. Furthermore, while it is more resistant to rust and decay than weaponsteel, it will age, becoming more brittle as time goes by.

Elven Steel Meta

Elven Steel is a fictional alloy inspired by the Mithril (or Mithral) of other fantasty RPG settings.

It is suggested that weapons made from this metal are lighter and easier to use and that they do slightly more damage than their common counterparts. If the concept of "finesse weapons" exists in your game setting, consider granting it to weapons made of this material.

Armor made from it should be slightly stronger than similar armor made from common steel.

The fact that the metal does not seem to age means that many players / characters will mistake an elvensteel weapon or piece of armor for one that has been magically enhanced. While the metal does, in fact, take to magical enhancement quite easily thanks to its fine quality, it is not inherently magical itself.

Footnotes

Dwarven Metals from A to Z

Many metals we are familiar with in our real world have equivalents in Cartyrion, though the names are different. Iron, steel, copper, silver, gold, platinum, brass, bronze and pewter are familar, but others may not be:

Airmetal is Aluminum for the US folks, and Aluminium for the rest of the world. It is called Airmetal because it is so lightweight. It is usually used in pure form, but can be electroplated (with magical lightning) using Bluemetal to prevent corrosion in harsh environments.

Bluemetal is Zinc, so named because of its bluish-white tinge in pure form. Rarely used in pure form, it is essential for corrosion-resistant electroplating and for making brass.

Silverstel is Chromium; it is used almost exclusively in alloys such as Elven Steel to impart it mirrorlike luster to finished materials.

Watermetal is Tungsten, so named because of its extremely high melting point. (Scholars believe it must be heavily infused with Water Energy to be able to resist Fire so well). While possible to use in pure form by the most highly skilled artisans, its most common use is to be alloyed with steel to make Dwarven Steel (Adamantite).

Whitesteel is Titanium; it can be used as a pure metal, but is more often alloyed with silversteel and steel to form Elven Steel (Mithril).