Stormsteel
Kriffy was awestruck. The small gnome hid behind her mom's skirts and dabbed at her eyes with the hem. She had never heard a symphony but this was more than sound. She had never felt the air shimmer but this was more than touch. The bard, lazily leaning his chair backwards on two legs, plucked his lute in time with his jewelry, glowing like a god but grinning with mischief. The hair on her neck was on end, crackling to the driving beat of his boots, spinning with the flick of his bracelets, and cooing with the soft arcs of his rings.
When his song was sung, the tavern erupted in applause. She clapped until her hands stung and she couldn't hear her mom shouting admiration next to her. After the crowd subsided, the patrons begged for an encore. Kriffy was crying; she didn't have any money to give the elf and she knew her neighbors were just as poor. The song was such a gift. He deserved so much more than applause. Cautiously, she stepped away from her mom's shadow.
She was suddenly very conscious of her shoes. The leather rags were held together by hemp but she could only look at them as she came closer to the bard. The air hummed more fervently, her hair was as nervous as she was now. She looked up and saw the elf smiling at her, now just inches away. Slowly, Kriffy extended her hand and offered her doll.
"Mommy made it," she croaked. She didn't know why she said it, it seemed so unimportant, the gift so mean for a person of such grace. The elf slowly put the chair on all four legs again. "I had it since I was a baby. Soft-Ears chases bad dreams away." The words came involuntarily but the silence in the room was unbearable. He reached out and held the doll. The pause was interminable, not even the air moved as he stared at the small cotton bunny.
"Little one, of all the things I have, I shall cherish this the most." She beamed and the crowd cheered. He picked her up and sat her on his lap, letting her play with his lute. The haphazard chords she plucked started a simple chorus with his earrings. Her mom was sniffling now as the room stamped their feet and slapped their mugs on the long tables in time with "Kriffy's Lullaby."
Properties
Material Characteristics
Gunmetal gray with a faint blue glow to it.
History & Usage
Everyday use
Stormsteel is not found naturally on Corvayn. The pyrates of The Free Islands are the only source for this mysterious metal and use it as their main source of income with the outside world. Since the Free People have no other means to sustain themselves they must trade with the landlocked for food and other necessities. Fortunately for them, weapons manufacturers, master smithies and wealthy dowagers will pay nearly any price for this potent material. The latent lightning and thunder energy held within the steel give it its characteristic blue glow and subtle vibrations when used for jewelry, and its devastating force when triggered with magic.
When formed into jewelry or other ornamentation, the stormsteel simply radiates its blue glow ever more fervently and vibrates. Master craftsmen can make their items in such a way that these items will hum in certain pitches so that the wealthy can wear music. Fey and well off bards have even been known to wear multiple pieces to better entertain themselves with wearable symphonies and enthrall others. Stormsteel fashioned in this way fills the air with a curious charge, exciting even the most dense of boors.
When crafted into armor, stormsteel reacts to any magic that touches it. The thunder energy held within the steel is triggered when targeted with magic weapons or spells sending a thunder wave towards the attacker. It is no stronger than steel but affords this blast of power that will make any attacker think twice before striking.
When forged into weapons, the bearer can channel magic into the weapon to trigger stormsteel's bottled lightning. Depending on the weapon this lightning damage may be a bolt that extends from the weapon, arcs between mutliple enemies, or paralyzes those the blade meets. Arrow heads and large balls of stormsteel are often used as a form of grenade, sending multiple arcs to those around the blast zone.
Cultural Significance and Usage
Stormsteel has been used in tattoo ink, especially by the pyrates of the Free Islands. In this form, users can charge weapons with lightning, send out small bolts of lightning, and propel themselves through water with thunder waves. The strength of these effects naturally depends on how heavily tattooed the user is. Free Island captains are typically the most heavily tattooed and often abundantly pierced with pieces of stormsteel as well. Small stormsteel tattoos require multiple 12+ con saves to acquire.
Industrial Use
Mages have been known to use stormsteel along with Voidform to create rails that allow quick transit that relies on neither beast nor wheels. It's been known to line pillars in front of castles to keep mobs from ransacking the noble's keep.
Refinement
Stormsteel is neither mined nor refined but found. Pyrates of the Free Island use this to support their raids by trading it with people who visit their "capital." No one knows how they come by this precious metal.
Manufacturing & Products
Armor, weapons, grenades, bombs, arrow heads.
Environmental Impact
When smelting and reforging this steel, care must be taken so that no magic is introduced to the metal. There are many humorous tales of young dwarves using their family's prized heirloom hammer to forge their first masterpiece only to have their beards burned off after the first stroke.
Type
Ore/Mineral
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