Lightning Rail

Keeping an empire the size of Gardsel together would be impossible without some easy and swift mode of transportation. A number of lightning-powered land vehicles were tested, but always faced the issue of storing lightning; most ground to a halt around half a day's travel from Kirjain Gardsel with no way to recharge. Instead, the solution was found by an inventor from Leit, using a metal well-known in his homeland for its ability to transmit sound over moderate distances with almost no loss. Only a few tests were required to determine that the same property also applied to the lightning generated by the Key of Lightning, and even less time to convince the emperor to invest in the production of what came to be known as lightning rails, long beams of this Leit-steel through which lightning could be sent throughout the empire.
The result, of course, was a rapid increase in the technological level across all parts of the empire. Cities even on the periphery of the empire's reach could now make use of the lightning power that had previously been exclusive to the capital. It also allowed powered vehicles to recharge along the course of their journey, vastly decreasing travel time as was the original intent. Even within the capital, the installation of lightning rail to several important locations increased the amount of lightning they were able to use, significantly improving their effectiveness. The additional requirements of lightning from all over the empire did, however, put a strain on the limited amount generated, leading to a complete redesign of the Key of Lightning's generating chamber just a few months afterwards, and again around six years later.

Utility

Lightning rail is used to connect locations together, allowing lightning to travel from one to another. The rails are usually buried underground to prevent damage or theft. Flow regulators are placed at either end of the rail and at any sharp bends, as the structure of Leit-steel makes it conductive only if in a mostly straight line.

Manufacturing

The construction of lightning rails requires a large amount of Leit-steel, though fortunately the alloy can be formed with any pure iron. It also requires a long open space where the rails can be constructed, as joining multiple smaller rails end-to-end is more difficult than one might expect. A warehouse and manufactory specifically for rails was set up in the outer ring of Kirjain Gardsel, where the streets were most conducive to letting the rails be taken directly out of a city gate.

Access & Availability

The manufacture of Leit-steel was known to the people of the Leit area since before written history, and indeed many Leith were employed by the empire to oversee the creation and installation of the lightning rails. The value of Leit-steel after this discovery rose so high that few other than the empire itself could afford to purchase it in large quantities; the others who could usually had no need to.