Asherstone
Properties
Material Characteristics
It is incredibly shiny and shimmers in even the dimmest of light and yet is black as night. It is incredibly hard and requires huge amounts of power to even dent it.
Physical & Chemical Properties
Very hot to the touch, Asherstone, when cracked, pours out lava at unbelievable volumes, often quadruple times as much lava as there was stone.
Compounds
No other material has been able to react with asherstone as the magma it spews out upon forced reaction inflicts irreparable damage on the other reactant.
Geology & Geography
Asherstone is incredibly rare and is only found deep underground. The largest deposit yet uncovered can be found at Hazak-Krul and it is one of the reasons the city got off the ground so quickly and successfully.
Origin & Source
It is its own ore, found embedded within rocks and stones as well as contaminating other ores.
History & Usage
History
Initially, the dwarves feared asherstone due to its dangerous and largely volatile properties. Eventually, however, under the guidance of the scientist and smith Harlaw Metalbreath, they came to tame the stone and are now the only race with the knowledge of how to exploit asherstone and harness its power in manufacturing.
Discovery
First discovered in small quantities in a small mine near a dwarven village in the Freehold, its discoverers perished upon experimentation with it and their identities are completely unknown. It took decades of experimentation and careful testing for Harlaw Metalbreath to fully harness its potential.
Everyday use
It is only used by the Dwarven Freehold and is the core of their energy production for manufacturing, particularly in Hazak-Krul.
Hazards
Due to the sheer volume of magma and lava than pours from even the smallest rocks of asherstone, it is incredibly dangerous and even in recent years careless dwarves have lost their lives to it.
Reusability & Recycling
Asherstone is destroyed upon use, but the energy produced by its consumption is such a benefit to the dwarves that they care little.
Distribution
Storage
It is stored in huge vaults deep in dwarven manufactories, encased with a chamber filled with water.
Law & Regulation
Only licensed dwarven manufactories may mine and use asherstone. Licenses are distributed by each member state of the Freehold.
Type
Ore/Mineral
Value
Due to its rarity and usefulness it is invaluable to dwarfs and would be to other races if they only knew how to use it.
Rarity
As far as the dwarfs are aware, it is very rare and only found deep underground in some locations.
Color
Black
Boiling / Condensation Point
Unknown as those temperatures cannot be reached given the technology available
Melting / Freezing Point
200oC
Density
Incredibly dense until cracked - up to 20g/cm3
Common State
Solid
Related Locations
Comments