Kadenium

"In the canton of Cambreath just north by northwest of the town of Alcedene is a shrine to Bahamut. The svitran of this shrine is an affable silver-scaled dragonborn named Vizzerdrum, who accepts no donations but rather funds his shrine by selling a metallic salt known as kadenium. To all but those few that know its secrets, it is basically useless. Mixed with olive oil, it is an amusement used by circuses and magicians. Mixed with alcohol, it's a potent poison that can turn a person's insides into a flammable paste. Most importantly, in the hands of Alcedene's own master smith, Bulig Flamedraft of the Blue Blazes Forge, it becomes cloudmetal, which makes the most coveted weapons and armor in Cambreath. Alcedene's town guard as well as the fabled Winged Hussars of Cambreath are famous for being wrapped in so many layers of the stuff."
~For Your Information, by Zamer Gillfree, Master Auditor and Surveyor

Properties

Material Characteristics

Kadenium is a gleaming silvery metal salt that forms in cylindrical hexagons of extremely regular size, roughly the width of a human hair. When formed into cloudmetal, it forms a mirrored surface that resists all tarnishing. Clear reflections of clouds on plate metal are what gave the material its name.

Physical & Chemical Properties

Both kadenium and cloudmetal are always slightly cold to the touch, and resist heating. Due to the extremely regular shape of the salts, it is resistant to sifting and tends to clump. Cloudmetal is springy, and can build up surprising force if bent within its tolerance. Kadenium and cloudmetal are magnetic when electrified.

Compounds

Kadenium and iron alloys to form cloudmetal. Kadenium also makes a ferrofluid solution called "cloudworm" when mixed with water. Cloudworm is mostly used for amusement. Kadenium is toxic when mixed with alcohol, and at least one incident of it being used in an (extremely expensive) assassination is known.

Geology & Geography

The ultimate source of kadenium is a mystery known only to the svitran of Bahamut Vizzerdrum of Alcedene. Due to his supply, it is assumed that the source is in Cambreath, near the town of Alcedene.

Life & Expiration

Kadenium is a stable metallic salt.

History & Usage

History

The Flamedraft family's last three generations have worked with the venerable priest Vizzerdrum to produce cloudmetal.

Type

Ore/Mineral

Odor

Kadenium smells like a humid summer day, though the smell is subtle until it's heated up.

Taste

Kadenium's flavor has been described as "pond water"

Color

Kadenium is sliver and highly reflective.

Melting / Freezing Point

Melting point of kadenium is right around 2500 degrees, which is beyond most smelters. Further, it turns into a vapor rapidly at this temperature, leading to the overriding mystery of how it is mixed with steel.