Cold Iron
Cold Iron is believed to repel, contain or harm ghosts, fairies, witches and other supernatural creatures. When it comes to fairies, or Changelings, this belief is right. There may also be Vampires prone to that, but it is not common.
In the Dark Ages, this belief expanded to Horseshoes and several other iron items, and by forming the legends, these beliefs became true for some supernatural beings.
Properties
Material Characteristics
Cold Iron is usually found in large chunks of black, stonelike metal. They are at some sources assigned to the existance of meteorites, but this can't be proven. Weapons made out of that material are pretty rare, usually people kept a chunk of the metal with them, when they had to harm the supernatural.
Cold Iron is very hard, but also very brittle and not flexible at all. This causes a stake made of Cold Iron to break off within the victim. If a vampire or a changeling with the Dark Side of the Moon merit is staked with these, it'll usually lead to their destruction, if the metal is not extracted fully.
If the metal is polished, it has an obsidian-like glow, with some red or blue reflections in it.
Physical & Chemical Properties
Items made of Cold Iron are unnaturally cold to the touch, even if they were kept close to the body. If exposed to fire, the metal goes through several colour-changes, until it smelts. Some of these colours will show up, if a weapon is forged out of cold iron. These weapons will be less effective, because they have to be mixed with several other metals.
Geology & Geography
The metal can be found all over the world, mostly near sites of meteor impacts. Usually the metal is found close to the surface. The rarity of these sites and though the rarity of the material make it expensive.
History & Usage
History
The first recorded usage of Cold Iron as a weapon against the supernatural are myths and legends from the British Isles. These are from the 3rd century BC. The tradition of protecting children against theft from the fae continued until the Dark Ages. In modern times humans do not believe in Cold Iron anymore. The traditions vanished, and so did the usage of the metal.
It was only in the last 20 years that some hunters found out, that Cold Iron can be of use against supernatural creatures, especially Changelings. They are searching for sites with this metal and store it in the largest amounts they can get their hands on.
Everyday use
Especially in the Dark Ages people used this material to protect themselves from the supernatural. Child death and other catastrophes were often blamed on witches, fairies or other supernatural beings. Using Cold Iron to protect themselves, was meant to keep these beings away.
Manufacturing & Products
Usually cold iron is stored unworked. There a records of weapons made out of cold iron (Excalibur), but these are rare and the technologies needed to create them are lost in the past. There are a few stakes made out of cold iron, usually sharp splinters of the material of a certain length. These are brittle and can not be used twice.
Distribution
Trade & Market
Since hunters rediscovered the use of cold iron, there is a world wide black market to trade this metal. Prices there range from 120€/g - 500€/g, depending on how pure the cold iron is.
Dark Side of the Moon
Vampires who made up a deal with Hell, have the option to buy the Merit Dark Side of the Moon. Using that Merit, they are no longer hurtable by wooden stakes, but by Cold Iron. You can only take this merit through a deal, and will cost 10% of the soul.
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I've always liked the mythology behind cold iron. I really like the idea that it is brittle and will break off inside the victim.