Qum, or Blue Steel
"Why, an entire sword. I recall old Týoll having a captain whipped for such waste." spoke the alden-zin Lamkonn, and the oldest of all men. "Qara-- the Land-Empire and the Emperor would not arm his palace guards with more than spears tipped with it, and this fool would coat an entire blade with it." he mused, with a cigar in one hand and rum in the other. The few to remain after a ball watched him, room housed naught but the most trusted of visitors the Elder had. He was knowledgeable to the point of the others - there was L'ostav Aescar-Tar, Tar-Harkgan and his servant, as well as some of the Issqaran retinue; professor Tathosko, historian of Issqar, and Holw Rat'hemisk-Tar, who had been sent to see to the Lamkonn's guests, a colonel of 20 years service.
Thus, the alden-zin or 'very old man', 'sage of hundred years' was to share *something* and the men present knew this. They had asked of his princedom, small things-- matters allies ought to know. If they were allies? Lamkonn was as a slippery eel in matter such as this; he seemed to respect neither strength nor energy. These were Issqaran goods to be delivered. Nay. He had turned aside the questions of just how he fed his vassals - fishing, likely-- whaling for flesh and fat? Well certainly there were dozens of polished mirrors in the room with candles, and remarkably beautiful rugs of local make, and a few paintings which all suggested to long reach whence it came to Lamkonn and his trade-- In the yard of this house, a study one of six, flew the Issqaran Harkganite flag; blue and black, with a spear rising from the raging seas. A new nation-- with the lords of which wanting to know more of matters Prince.
And then the L'ostav, a something of a hammer whence it came to court, had asked of the Lamkonn of the spear upon the wall-- that tip. It is *hidden* in a lead-case. It is *Qum* as I know-- said he -- I know this was the same spear which marched in the hands of yon Imperial captains to Mihur two hundred years ago. How came Lamkonn to it? Why would no Qumortane for it, in this place. Certainly--!
And the aelden-zin had interrupted him with a parable of the Qumortanes coming to take a full blade away from a foolish captain. He smiled and chuckled-- as if a memory. But no... He could not have been there. Or maybe. Perhaps I am turtle, as my fourth wife suspected, turtle by half, *horny* in a half-shell. And he chuckled more and said the words of Týoll, Tar-Harkgan's sire.
"--bear trust neither to our hospitality in the future. Or so. Reading... Alden creature and eyes alden. Memory alden. Hmm." perhaps he was drunk of wine somewhat, jovial before such a grave matter.
"But the spear--" spake Aescar L'ostav-- "Why are you, prince, suffered to it? I would know. Certainly it hangs upon yon wall for reasons other than practical."
"Aescar-- Pressure him not. Perhaps a seal to the Qumortane would answer our... Questions. Better. Yes?"
Lamkonn the Old laughed at this jesting insinuation of pressure.
"Hah. Ha-ha, young men and you curiosity. Perhaps mine was a lord in service of the Emperor, and I so inherited his trust."
"It works not thus." L'ostav shook his head. "Will you display before us the spear?"
"You are *dying* of curiosity."
"Yes!" said the young general. And the Lamkonn smiled slightly, and nodded at the attendant to fetch the spear. It came off the wall with a light clunk, and was placed before them on the study coffee table with another wooden sound-- and the Lamkonn eyed it, eyes sewn on a figure, buttons set upon an ancient doll. Schlinn-- and the blade was out, as the attendant loosened the screws on the led-casing, and the scabbard came off by pulling.
"My word what a beauty--"
"Good Fathers, alder than the mountains!" spake the Harkgan and the Professor, with the L'ostav merely staring, piece of history before him casually unwrapped by one who might well remember someone wielding in battle a spear such as this.
"This is the spear of a nameless captain of the Haraerlans, who fell in battle against-- us. You." the Lamkonn ancient spoke. "He formed his wall, and lived to fall... The Empire wanted either the bones of his, and his men - or his spear. That those Yoppaks to have been captured will not face slavery. One they can always fetch later. Others will scatter on foreign soil. Such was the logic of the good Emperor--"
"--Chearea Sasar II." spake the professor. "This is living history before you. You must have been very young, Lord Lamkonn, to have seen this."
"I have many memories.." Lamkonn said slowly. "Few vivid, one has to forget at times why something happened, and merely remember it did, in fact, come to pass. That history is no delusion, even if it can hardly be anymore retrieved. But the nameless captain remains. In this blade. And this is my lesson to you, if a lesson you would: honor may deny you victory, but respect will gain you allies. The spear was chosen over the bones, and the bones and remains were returned and the captives: both parties parted with something precious."
And they pondered the words, which were wise they thought, yet why were they obvious. Why they needed to be said. Well Lamkonn-- thought Harkgan-- was a man who knew all things around him; things which were to happen. So he was telling this to prepare a statement, something to lay ground for a point precise, which he expected all the men there to absorb. "Lord Harkgan, you have made dire enemies in humiliating the Priest in the senate." spake the Lamkonn when Harkgan watched him again and again to gauge. How again did he know, then or now--
And they spake at length what would have to be done in order for the Coalition to remain. Plague, steel, gunpowder, grain and flesh all, some marketh the other and others only marked one. "...And I say, Lord Harkgan, to end: Qum is why the empire is powerful. They produce the steel? Perhaps not any more. They fear yon plague, Kiri. They are desolate for the steel-- two pieces already move in this game of chess. Empires have fallen, and will fall to either, and both..."
"Qum is no eternal answer to all matters. One time, perhaps soon, there will be from the academia news: Qum is no longer needed, as is, we have other answers for instruments and arms and--"
"Young L'ostav. This may well tear asunder the sky as well. For *their* system, princedom and scientia both, base themselves upon yon rarity of the Blue Steel, and the fear of, and the reach of the Imperial Seat." and the L'ostav was silent. "Progress one may dispute-- would it be progress to crash down the dome and break all pillars, I wonder. Change one cannot dispute. What if both lead to the same pose?"
"I, for one, desire not for any empire to fall in flames. Or plague." spake the L'ostav. "Yet I wonder: if it cannot be, truly, evaded-- is it preferable for us to merely cast the burden of yon choices and conflicts to the generation to follow?"
"Careful, young one. You may carry this with pragmatism and endurance for years, yet in the end one might find there is nothing more to sacrifice. At times it is indeed the surest of them all which heals, and knits-- but if you *would* be the one to not solve, thread by thread, but tear open the Sarlükkan knot with your sword--" spake the Lamkonn and his eyes took a terrifying gleam. This was not the old man. This was a warrior lord from a century ago. "You will have chosen, and fall. Empires. Will."
And the men present were silent, as the Lamkonn softened his features again, and sipped water, and not wine. L'ostav stirred.
"I have seen war." he said. "I have *won* wars. No field is ever as dreary as one of battle won-- but one lost." and his features took a look of far-away-- "I see no mean other than to arm Eastern nations to maintain them." his voice was soft.
"Or, perhaps we would all convert and welcome our pittance in Imperial mark, and swear fealty to the Emperor. Faith, plague, Qum. We have all of it. Some more than others. But truly. This *is* a way." and the men knew he did not jest. "Steel or none, faith-- mayhaps yon deserts lands in far-off Sarlükkara know. Maybe? Live, fall-- change, progress. Qum or none: in truth it was the Sun all along." spake the eldest of all men with no smile or sadness, and would not say more.
Thus, the alden-zin or 'very old man', 'sage of hundred years' was to share *something* and the men present knew this. They had asked of his princedom, small things-- matters allies ought to know. If they were allies? Lamkonn was as a slippery eel in matter such as this; he seemed to respect neither strength nor energy. These were Issqaran goods to be delivered. Nay. He had turned aside the questions of just how he fed his vassals - fishing, likely-- whaling for flesh and fat? Well certainly there were dozens of polished mirrors in the room with candles, and remarkably beautiful rugs of local make, and a few paintings which all suggested to long reach whence it came to Lamkonn and his trade-- In the yard of this house, a study one of six, flew the Issqaran Harkganite flag; blue and black, with a spear rising from the raging seas. A new nation-- with the lords of which wanting to know more of matters Prince.
And then the L'ostav, a something of a hammer whence it came to court, had asked of the Lamkonn of the spear upon the wall-- that tip. It is *hidden* in a lead-case. It is *Qum* as I know-- said he -- I know this was the same spear which marched in the hands of yon Imperial captains to Mihur two hundred years ago. How came Lamkonn to it? Why would no Qumortane for it, in this place. Certainly--!
And the aelden-zin had interrupted him with a parable of the Qumortanes coming to take a full blade away from a foolish captain. He smiled and chuckled-- as if a memory. But no... He could not have been there. Or maybe. Perhaps I am turtle, as my fourth wife suspected, turtle by half, *horny* in a half-shell. And he chuckled more and said the words of Týoll, Tar-Harkgan's sire.
"--bear trust neither to our hospitality in the future. Or so. Reading... Alden creature and eyes alden. Memory alden. Hmm." perhaps he was drunk of wine somewhat, jovial before such a grave matter.
"But the spear--" spake Aescar L'ostav-- "Why are you, prince, suffered to it? I would know. Certainly it hangs upon yon wall for reasons other than practical."
"Aescar-- Pressure him not. Perhaps a seal to the Qumortane would answer our... Questions. Better. Yes?"
Lamkonn the Old laughed at this jesting insinuation of pressure.
"Hah. Ha-ha, young men and you curiosity. Perhaps mine was a lord in service of the Emperor, and I so inherited his trust."
"It works not thus." L'ostav shook his head. "Will you display before us the spear?"
"You are *dying* of curiosity."
"Yes!" said the young general. And the Lamkonn smiled slightly, and nodded at the attendant to fetch the spear. It came off the wall with a light clunk, and was placed before them on the study coffee table with another wooden sound-- and the Lamkonn eyed it, eyes sewn on a figure, buttons set upon an ancient doll. Schlinn-- and the blade was out, as the attendant loosened the screws on the led-casing, and the scabbard came off by pulling.
"My word what a beauty--"
"Good Fathers, alder than the mountains!" spake the Harkgan and the Professor, with the L'ostav merely staring, piece of history before him casually unwrapped by one who might well remember someone wielding in battle a spear such as this.
"This is the spear of a nameless captain of the Haraerlans, who fell in battle against-- us. You." the Lamkonn ancient spoke. "He formed his wall, and lived to fall... The Empire wanted either the bones of his, and his men - or his spear. That those Yoppaks to have been captured will not face slavery. One they can always fetch later. Others will scatter on foreign soil. Such was the logic of the good Emperor--"
"--Chearea Sasar II." spake the professor. "This is living history before you. You must have been very young, Lord Lamkonn, to have seen this."
"I have many memories.." Lamkonn said slowly. "Few vivid, one has to forget at times why something happened, and merely remember it did, in fact, come to pass. That history is no delusion, even if it can hardly be anymore retrieved. But the nameless captain remains. In this blade. And this is my lesson to you, if a lesson you would: honor may deny you victory, but respect will gain you allies. The spear was chosen over the bones, and the bones and remains were returned and the captives: both parties parted with something precious."
And they pondered the words, which were wise they thought, yet why were they obvious. Why they needed to be said. Well Lamkonn-- thought Harkgan-- was a man who knew all things around him; things which were to happen. So he was telling this to prepare a statement, something to lay ground for a point precise, which he expected all the men there to absorb. "Lord Harkgan, you have made dire enemies in humiliating the Priest in the senate." spake the Lamkonn when Harkgan watched him again and again to gauge. How again did he know, then or now--
And they spake at length what would have to be done in order for the Coalition to remain. Plague, steel, gunpowder, grain and flesh all, some marketh the other and others only marked one. "...And I say, Lord Harkgan, to end: Qum is why the empire is powerful. They produce the steel? Perhaps not any more. They fear yon plague, Kiri. They are desolate for the steel-- two pieces already move in this game of chess. Empires have fallen, and will fall to either, and both..."
"Qum is no eternal answer to all matters. One time, perhaps soon, there will be from the academia news: Qum is no longer needed, as is, we have other answers for instruments and arms and--"
"Young L'ostav. This may well tear asunder the sky as well. For *their* system, princedom and scientia both, base themselves upon yon rarity of the Blue Steel, and the fear of, and the reach of the Imperial Seat." and the L'ostav was silent. "Progress one may dispute-- would it be progress to crash down the dome and break all pillars, I wonder. Change one cannot dispute. What if both lead to the same pose?"
"I, for one, desire not for any empire to fall in flames. Or plague." spake the L'ostav. "Yet I wonder: if it cannot be, truly, evaded-- is it preferable for us to merely cast the burden of yon choices and conflicts to the generation to follow?"
"Careful, young one. You may carry this with pragmatism and endurance for years, yet in the end one might find there is nothing more to sacrifice. At times it is indeed the surest of them all which heals, and knits-- but if you *would* be the one to not solve, thread by thread, but tear open the Sarlükkan knot with your sword--" spake the Lamkonn and his eyes took a terrifying gleam. This was not the old man. This was a warrior lord from a century ago. "You will have chosen, and fall. Empires. Will."
And the men present were silent, as the Lamkonn softened his features again, and sipped water, and not wine. L'ostav stirred.
"I have seen war." he said. "I have *won* wars. No field is ever as dreary as one of battle won-- but one lost." and his features took a look of far-away-- "I see no mean other than to arm Eastern nations to maintain them." his voice was soft.
"Or, perhaps we would all convert and welcome our pittance in Imperial mark, and swear fealty to the Emperor. Faith, plague, Qum. We have all of it. Some more than others. But truly. This *is* a way." and the men knew he did not jest. "Steel or none, faith-- mayhaps yon deserts lands in far-off Sarlükkara know. Maybe? Live, fall-- change, progress. Qum or none: in truth it was the Sun all along." spake the eldest of all men with no smile or sadness, and would not say more.
Properties
Material Characteristics
A pale silvery metal, which glows with an azure hue very slightly in the dark. It is extremely smooth to the touch is smitten the traditional way, and quite cold. Very light, a typical item of Qum is an archaic breast-plate, or the great clock in the Land-Empire capital, which uses a system of Qum wheels and springs to remain in time better than any other known time-piece.
Physical & Chemical Properties
Extremely hard and resilient. Remains in shape better than any other material invented.
Compounds
Qum is of unknown origins, as well as a lost art whence it comes to manufacture. The poorly understood Precursor Empire from before either Qaran, Kiri or Mihurite empires apparently had mastered the manufacture of which, but the violent fall of said entity saw the art lost.
Geology & Geography
Unknown / lost. The Recluse Order of the Qumortanes holds much knowledge of the metal, and guards it zealously; they rarely fail. The distribution of the order in the Western deserts would suggest a connection between that sea of sand and hostility to all life, and the metal itself-- some suspect there are forges somewhere in that land, which yet function and produce items repurposed, or even new ones.
Origin & Source
Unkown / lost. Theories abound, including meteorite origin.
Life & Expiration
Extremely stable, and later history showed Qum to be dangerously radioactive, even to the resilient Qaran humans. Half-life longer than that of uranium.
History & Usage
History
Qum was apparently used in weapons of the ancient Precursor Empire, as well as smithing tools and scientific instruments, some of which remain to the 7-600s. It was deemed sacred due to its absolutely critical utility as a tool, as well as a weapon of immense power.
Discovery
Unknown / secret. Qumortane libraries of the Recluse Order show the earliest items of the metal to be from before the Land-Empire, well before the Mihurite split.
Everyday use
Most often, whence it comes to public image, Qum is seen a weapon, as a spear or a sword. Lines of Qum were applied to spear tips, or edges of sword, with the heart being composite of copper, and lower density steel. These weapons could well corrode and cut through any armor with repeated hits, remain in shape and sharp, as well as seldom need maintaining. As melee weapons, Qaran armed forces specialized in close combat early, and never truly applied masses of archer or skirmisher.
Cultural Significance and Usage
Qum is seen the symbol of the Land-Empire, and the tool which is no longer a servant, but the lord as well-- Soldiers are to keep in mind the the nature of arms which demand life from the wielder, and not only blood spilled for the Imperial ambition and preservation.
Industrial Use
Scientific tools for measurement, smithing tools, heat-resistant beakers, springs, anything which requires a metal part to store kinetic energy á la centrifuge, which worked with a Qum-spring, items to place standards of measurement in weight and length-- uses were virtually limitless.
Refinement
All Qum originates from archeological sites, or bought from those loyal to the empire, or requisitoned from foreign lords by the Qumortane. Heretics were deprived of any Qum by the sword.
Manufacturing & Products
All kinds of specialized equipment for science, war and industry. The symbol of the Land-Empire is the Qum-tipped spear, and the Tam-qurs, or captains, of yon Haraerlans armed forces carry one as a standard of sorts, one which is to never fall to enemy hands-- and they seldom do. Armor is very uncommon, yet sometimes woven under plate as a light chain, which resists cutting and piercing very well.
Byproducts & Sideproducts
Powdered Qum is used as a currency between princes, as well as the exorbitantly wealthy. Fragments and pieces appear on jewelry and commemorative coins. Certain amount of Qum is obviously lost to reforging, yet details are few.
Hazards
Being radio active, long term use causes poisoning. Several types of tumor and mutation, some of which are hereditary, were theorized by far later scientists and historians.
Environmental Impact
Very few hazards for the enviroment, even if archaeological sites often employ strip mining mentality. Qum was a cause for several wars, some of which lead to large scale desctruction of ancient sites and shrines, which were under suspect of housing items made from the steel. Veins of rare metals used in the creation of Qum-arms and armor were at times strip-mined. These were often done with mentality 'We must remove all material usable from this foreign land, as it may be retaken by the enemy soon. Thus, ruining the enviroment for a generation is a small price to pay for the preservation of an Empire thousand years old.'
Reusability & Recycling
Qum is difficult to repurpose, as the specialized needs of forge are extensive. Virtually all facilities to repurpose are within the borders of the Land-Empire.
Distribution
Trade & Market
The most expensive metal on Qara. Expensive to the point of never being for sale, even if all but the Imperial institutions were seen to employ Qum at the threat of heresy and investigation by the Qumortanes...
Storage
Generally, a lead-lined casing is seen the best storage due to the radioactive nature of yon metal. Powdered Qum, jewelry and coins remain the safest in vaults, or otherwise hidden in plain sight.
Law & Regulation
All Qum belongs to the Emperor of Qara and may be used only by his institutions of state. This is a thousand year old tradition in the first constitution of the Empire.
Type
Nanomaterial
Value
Priceless.
Rarity
Extremely rare and precious.
Odor
Odorless.
Taste
Tasteless.
Color
Silvery, with the faintest azure glow in the dark.
Boiling / Condensation Point
Qaran smiths possessed extremely hot forges, which were carefully guarded secrets of the Qumortanes and the very trusted guilds. The word 'void-forged' appeared often in intelligence reports.
Melting / Freezing Point
Unknown / guarded secret. Extremely high melting point; freezing point i.e. to become brittle is thought to be near the absolute zero. Exacts are not known outside of the smithing casté in the Land-Empire.
Density
Very dense. Later study has shown Qum to be partially composed of nano-tubes.
Common State
Solid; smithing requires extremely specialized works.
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