Star Steel
Meteoric Steel
Meteoric Iron is found in asteroids across Alanspace. Occasionally these collide with Aldern, most commonly during Gilgurth impacts when the world passes through the Cloud. Meteoric iron, along with Copper, is one of the oldest known metals to be used by mankind on Aldern. Humancultures were using this iron long before the Dwarf of the Cutting Mountains began pulling iron from the mountain depths. Surviving samples of beads appear in the Edian Age, and are found in graves across Ethae. The use of this type of iron can also be found on Dergonhad in tools found from roughly the same period. In later eras, when the dwarves were mastering smelting iron, samples of meteoric iron daggers were appearing in Ancient Siduum, and spear tips were common in many of the cultures of eastern Dergonhad. With the advent of steel production, it was inevitable that this iron would be used as well. However, its rarity compared to common iron, and its varying quality has always kept its use minimal.
When found, meteoric iron is unevenly mixed with other metals and impurities. It is a long process of heating and hammering to extract the iron for making steel. Even a crucible melting the metals down does not always remove all the impurities. This leaves the star steel nearly always inferior to steel from traditional sources in marshal prowess. This steel struggles to retain a sharp edge and will often have a dull cloudy appearance. There are even examples of fractures appearing in the metal under stress, due to minor impurities remaining in the metal. Through history, these qualities have made star steel for favorable for ceremonial uses, or in spear tips and arrowheads, than swords or armor.
This leaves one to wonder why star steel swords and armor appear through history, such as the flaming blades of the Isle of Iracro royal families. Many chalk this up to cultural and ceremonial reason, and they would be correct in this assumption. However, there is another reason. One few understand about the mysterious metal. This is that this metal has drifted in space since the dawn of time, far from Aldern and its Kianon.
All matter on Aldern as absorbed Kianon, the energy flowing from the core of the world. Kianon is one of the primary energies that creates the Anon, what most call Magic. This gives nearly every inorganic mineral of the world properties that can be exploited into what could be called enchantments. It is these properties, when guided by master smiths during the forging process, that produce swords beyond their common counterparts. Star steel is deferent. Drifting through space has exposed it to Solanon energy, the other primary force of magic. This gives star steel unique qualities not found in traditional steel. The Solanon within can be molded into effects like the afore mentioned flaming weapons of the Iracra people.
Star Steel weapons, when enchanted, often feel warm to the touch, some hold an internal glow in the metal. These weapons are favored by magic-using people, who often use them in favor of a Wand or Staff due to their strong core of Solanon. Properly smithed and enchanted star steel are far more durable than their common counterparts, holding an edge as if it were traditional steel, and able to withstand more damage than other steels.
In spite of its inferior qualities as a raw steel, star steel is an extremely rare metal, usually going for triple the price of standard steel on the open market. Its rarity also means there are very few master smiths out there that understand the metal and how to imbue it with enchantments needed to make the created item truly remarkable.
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