Uyiki Blend
Properties
Origin & Source
There are four major components to Uyiki Blend. Two are the standard for all steel making processes: iron and charcoal. The core of the world deep beneath the surface of Wouraiya is iron and nickel. As a result, iron is distributed across all the continents, and mined (or gathered) wherever there is an absence of farming or intense greenery. Keyrit lacks the greenery of several other continents and so harvests iron at a larger rate than average. Still, they fall behind Yatkaugo, Irewa, and Tuhra for iron ore production, so it is occasionally cheaper to import raw materials. If all those sources were cut off from trade, as they were in various wars throughout the centuries, the Keyrit iron industry could always remain reliably strong.
Because charcoal is the result of trees and similar plant life, however, Keyrit lacks a lot of the charcoal that fuels the process and forms the Uyiki Blend. As a result, they had to import a large portion of their carbon material through trade with Retrougo. Later, their colonies brought sufficient material from Unterritory to sustain their industry indefinitely. The discovery of the uses of peat brought about by Welkwu supplemented charcoal, making the process more efficient and freeing up the supply chain bottleneck.
Uyiki metal also extracts zinc from certain gemstones. These stones are black yet translucent crystals, with a sheen that makes them flash like silver. These crystals are roasted in the same furnace that melts or softens the iron during the fabrication process. The byproducts can then be melted to isolate the zinc metal that is vital for the process.
The final component is nickel, which comes from a reddish, copper-looking metal. It also melts at around the same temperature as iron, and can be melted in the same furnace as the zinc and iron. However, only small amounts are required to be infused into steel. Standard measurements as per Keyrit private trade regulations require one part of nickel for every ten parts of iron.
Because charcoal is the result of trees and similar plant life, however, Keyrit lacks a lot of the charcoal that fuels the process and forms the Uyiki Blend. As a result, they had to import a large portion of their carbon material through trade with Retrougo. Later, their colonies brought sufficient material from Unterritory to sustain their industry indefinitely. The discovery of the uses of peat brought about by Welkwu supplemented charcoal, making the process more efficient and freeing up the supply chain bottleneck.
Uyiki metal also extracts zinc from certain gemstones. These stones are black yet translucent crystals, with a sheen that makes them flash like silver. These crystals are roasted in the same furnace that melts or softens the iron during the fabrication process. The byproducts can then be melted to isolate the zinc metal that is vital for the process.
The final component is nickel, which comes from a reddish, copper-looking metal. It also melts at around the same temperature as iron, and can be melted in the same furnace as the zinc and iron. However, only small amounts are required to be infused into steel. Standard measurements as per Keyrit private trade regulations require one part of nickel for every ten parts of iron.
Life & Expiration
Uyiki Blend is known to be extremely low maintenance. It doesn't rust or corrode, even under harsh conditions. It retains its hardness throughout its entire lifetime. Swords made from this metal can create nicks in moderate-quality swords, and cut clean through low-quality swords. It can be left in the rain without any damage to its frame; in fact, Uyiki Blend items have been fished up from the bottom of the Strait of Uketya in near perfect condition.
As a result, swords and daggers made from Uyiki Blend are considered the best if not the only weapons worthy of being passed down as heirlooms. The blade can outlast the dynasty, in stark contrast to blades made of bronze or blister steel, or weapons that predominantly use wood such as axes or spears. They rank among the most valuable possessions a noble could purchase, more stable than land or currency.
As a result, swords and daggers made from Uyiki Blend are considered the best if not the only weapons worthy of being passed down as heirlooms. The blade can outlast the dynasty, in stark contrast to blades made of bronze or blister steel, or weapons that predominantly use wood such as axes or spears. They rank among the most valuable possessions a noble could purchase, more stable than land or currency.
History & Usage
Discovery
It is believed that the Irewans had knowledge of crucible steel before their collapse, though the supporting evidence is scant and debatable. No iron products from archaeological sites have been verified as crucible steel. During the fall of the island nation and the following diaspora, that technology (if it ever existed) was lost. Because blister steel was a quicker and more rudimentary process, that technology passed on through Irewa's heritage.
Certain descendants of Irewa migrated to the island continent of Keyrit, founding city-states and developing their own trade networks. With sparingly little excess greenery, they traded in metals and minerals instead. Because better goods attracted better clients, different smiths tried began experimenting new techniques to produce better quality material. Crucible steel was reimagined and reinvented from this competition between smiths.
Eryai, oddly enough, was not originally a city-state that traded in metals. Before unification, its largest export was granite, gravel, and similar rocks. However, when it established Vort Uyiki and unified the continent in the Welokyi Wars, it laid claim to the trade secrets of the other city-states, surpassing its rivals technologically and economically by leaps and bounds.
Vort Uyiki was far too young of a city to have experienced the trade wars, and they had no steel-making traditions to call their own. As a colony of Eryai, however, they benefitted from all of Eryai's spoils of war. They would lay claim to the next development in ironworking since the reinvention of crucible steel. Many smiths in the region laid claim to, and many smiths since have laid claim to the ancestry of, the original invention of Uyiki Blend. Of the dozen or so claims, the most credible is that of Telto Takwoyo.
Certain descendants of Irewa migrated to the island continent of Keyrit, founding city-states and developing their own trade networks. With sparingly little excess greenery, they traded in metals and minerals instead. Because better goods attracted better clients, different smiths tried began experimenting new techniques to produce better quality material. Crucible steel was reimagined and reinvented from this competition between smiths.
Eryai, oddly enough, was not originally a city-state that traded in metals. Before unification, its largest export was granite, gravel, and similar rocks. However, when it established Vort Uyiki and unified the continent in the Welokyi Wars, it laid claim to the trade secrets of the other city-states, surpassing its rivals technologically and economically by leaps and bounds.
Vort Uyiki was far too young of a city to have experienced the trade wars, and they had no steel-making traditions to call their own. As a colony of Eryai, however, they benefitted from all of Eryai's spoils of war. They would lay claim to the next development in ironworking since the reinvention of crucible steel. Many smiths in the region laid claim to, and many smiths since have laid claim to the ancestry of, the original invention of Uyiki Blend. Of the dozen or so claims, the most credible is that of Telto Takwoyo.
Cultural Significance and Usage
Uyiki Blend works so well compared to similar metals that rumors and legends arose that they use magic in Keyrit to make the steel as good as it is. Keyrit's smiths don't practice magic, but few Keyrityi citizens at home or abroad dispel the myth. To do so would likely mean the exposure of trade secrets. What's more, because the other nations don't practice magic either, it contributes to the reputation of Uyiki Blend products, acting as free advertising and higher sales.
Even outside of its "magical" nature, Uyiki Blend still carries a gravitas that other alloys can't provide. Uyiki Blend steel is reliable and ageless, just like so many qualities people seek in a royal lineage, a noble house, a corporation, or a marriage. Common folk can't usually afford Uyiki Blend in quantities enough to make a sword, but small trinkets like rings are simple to make certainly lie within the median budget. Uyiki Blend occasionally replaces gold for elements of jewelry, especially those representing romantic interest.
Even outside of its "magical" nature, Uyiki Blend still carries a gravitas that other alloys can't provide. Uyiki Blend steel is reliable and ageless, just like so many qualities people seek in a royal lineage, a noble house, a corporation, or a marriage. Common folk can't usually afford Uyiki Blend in quantities enough to make a sword, but small trinkets like rings are simple to make certainly lie within the median budget. Uyiki Blend occasionally replaces gold for elements of jewelry, especially those representing romantic interest.
Refinement
A simple campfire can melt or bend the base metals. Iron needs a prepared furnace, and steel with the caliber of Uyiki Blend requires a blaze in a completely separate tier. The furnace generally needs to be run at a certain temperature at all times of each day, which requires plenty of fuel. When crucible steel was reinvented, this was a sizable but not unwieldy task. After all, crucible steel would be made by one craftsperson one ingot at a time, and a very small ingot at that. The resultant product couldn't make anything larger than the blade of a steak knife, and clients would desire something considerably more.
Each city-state in the pre-unification days had its own way of funding and supplying the construction of a large furnace. Often a group of city smiths would pool their resources together to either pay for or help construct such a project themselves. However, these coalitions, which would later become trade guilds, became extremely insular, keeping most wannabe ironmongers out of the system and reserving furnace usage for themselves alone. At least one city-state has two furnaces on record, simply because those who built the first one refused to share.
Furnaces were also established through entrepreneurship. Wealthy individuals, or perhaps those willing to risk their personal fortunes, sponsored the construction of furnaces and charged a fee for its use. Any artisan willing to cough up coinage was allowed usage, so large quantities and varying qualities of materials came from those products. It must be noted that steelworkers were not the only ones who used these furnaces; they were also useful for making glass, ceramics, and sometimes even food. The regular cleaning of the best of these furnaces allowed them to be multipurpose.
When Eryai constructed its first furnace after the Welokyi Wars, they used the latter method. The industrialist Kutro Ngetak, the son of a bricklayer, spent not only his fortune but his own sweat and tears constructing what would become Wouraiya's largest furnace. It featured eight stations that used the same heat source. Sadly, over-exhaustion would take its toll on Kutro, and he would die of an unknown disease and a weak immune system. The furnace, by then unfinished, and the property upon which it stood would be passed on to his adult son Ngungi.
Dozens of smiths had counted on the project's completion when they set up shop in the new Keyrit capital. A few smiths offered to purchase the site for themselves and finish the job, but they offered far less than what Kutro invested, and Ngungi insisted that he wanted to honor his father's legacy. The individuals would be outbid by the recently established government of Keyrit, which needed a furnace to equip its new military. While the government would naturally have first dibs to the facilities, all smiths operating in Keyrit by law had access to the furnace when and where it wasn't being used. Because Keyrit paced its military buildup so well, there were almost always five or six available stations at any part of the day during peacetime.
Each city-state in the pre-unification days had its own way of funding and supplying the construction of a large furnace. Often a group of city smiths would pool their resources together to either pay for or help construct such a project themselves. However, these coalitions, which would later become trade guilds, became extremely insular, keeping most wannabe ironmongers out of the system and reserving furnace usage for themselves alone. At least one city-state has two furnaces on record, simply because those who built the first one refused to share.
Furnaces were also established through entrepreneurship. Wealthy individuals, or perhaps those willing to risk their personal fortunes, sponsored the construction of furnaces and charged a fee for its use. Any artisan willing to cough up coinage was allowed usage, so large quantities and varying qualities of materials came from those products. It must be noted that steelworkers were not the only ones who used these furnaces; they were also useful for making glass, ceramics, and sometimes even food. The regular cleaning of the best of these furnaces allowed them to be multipurpose.
When Eryai constructed its first furnace after the Welokyi Wars, they used the latter method. The industrialist Kutro Ngetak, the son of a bricklayer, spent not only his fortune but his own sweat and tears constructing what would become Wouraiya's largest furnace. It featured eight stations that used the same heat source. Sadly, over-exhaustion would take its toll on Kutro, and he would die of an unknown disease and a weak immune system. The furnace, by then unfinished, and the property upon which it stood would be passed on to his adult son Ngungi.
Dozens of smiths had counted on the project's completion when they set up shop in the new Keyrit capital. A few smiths offered to purchase the site for themselves and finish the job, but they offered far less than what Kutro invested, and Ngungi insisted that he wanted to honor his father's legacy. The individuals would be outbid by the recently established government of Keyrit, which needed a furnace to equip its new military. While the government would naturally have first dibs to the facilities, all smiths operating in Keyrit by law had access to the furnace when and where it wasn't being used. Because Keyrit paced its military buildup so well, there were almost always five or six available stations at any part of the day during peacetime.
Manufacturing & Products
Uyiki Blend has an unrivalled tensile strength, but its cost makes its universal implementation nearly impossible. The earliest modern factories in cities such as Welkwu often made their most central, least-accessible gears out of Uyiki Blend, making the periphery, replaceable components out of lesser steels or even wood. That way, broken parts could be replaced easily while the central mechanism remains sound.
Uyiki Blend as a material in mass-produced products, however, is unusual. Welkwu's specialty is her ability to make large quantities of items at a cheap cost so that they can be sold and dispersed throughout the populace. So long as it only derived from Keyrit, Uyiki Blend could never be a staple in Welkwu's industry. Instead, they used cheaper metals, such as blister steel or even bronze.
Uyiki Blend as a material in mass-produced products, however, is unusual. Welkwu's specialty is her ability to make large quantities of items at a cheap cost so that they can be sold and dispersed throughout the populace. So long as it only derived from Keyrit, Uyiki Blend could never be a staple in Welkwu's industry. Instead, they used cheaper metals, such as blister steel or even bronze.
Reusability & Recycling
Uyiki Blend can in theory be heated, melted down, and reused, so long as the heating practice doesn't involve significant amounts of carbon. Otherwise, the carbon ratio that makes Uyiki Blend so strong and durable will be thrown off balance. In practice, the levels of heat required are very difficult to achieve without carbon, and some always manages to sneak in somehow. Recycled Uyiki Blend usually has a charred look to it, and its qualities better resemble that of cast iron or blister steel. It has worked a few times in the past, but few people want to waste a material that valuable.
Distribution
Trade & Market
Uyiki Blend is only made on one continent, largely in a single city. If all the artisans of Eryai were dedicated to this one industry, they still could not meet the demands of the rest of the world. However, Eryai was not only a city of steel production but also an administrative center (prior to the movement of the Keyrit capital to Vort Uyiki). Further, Eryai's history and policies demanded that Eryai be self-sustaining in nearly all ways. This ensured that Uyiki Blend, as valuable as it was, would always remain rare.
This doesn't mean that Eryai doesn't understand the value of its specialty. The city protects its trade secrets, maintains (but doesn't enforce) quality standards, and coordinates a supply chain for the smiths that wish to participate. The streamlined processes have made Uyiki Blend the same price in Keyrit as blister steel might be in other continents. Because wood is so rare in Keyrit, Uyiki Blend is often traded for its weight in high-quality lumber. Outside Keyrit, however, Uyiki Blend is invaluable, worth its weight in gold if not more. Hundreds of traders make their livelihoods dealing in Uyiki Blend metals. A handful of well-calculated trips can set a merchant up for a comfortable retirement.
Thanks to its value, other nations tried to mimic Uyiki Blend. However, the technology required to heat a furnace to a temperature high enough to melt iron and roast black gems remained a trade secret within the Keyrit Daskalarchy. In addition, while iron and charcoal were more plentiful, Uyiki Blend is the way that it is because it's harvested from local minerals. Reproduction of Uyiki Blend requires the import of materials from Vort Uyiki. The only viable options are either to import Uyiki Blend and label it as homegrown or to fake the metal.
Fabrication of Uyiki Blend has over the centuries become a science in and of itself. Instead of the copper-like metal that produces nickel, they use copper itself. They harvest other, cheaper translucent black gemstones, or even viscous sap formed into rock-like structures. Not only did the fake elements look like the real McCoy, they also melted and/or cooked at significantly lower temperatures. The one problem was that the resultant metal was dull red in color, as opposed to the light gray that it was supposed to be. To compensate, the best forgers would keep a piece of blister steel in the back of their furnace, pulling it out at the very end of the process.
This doesn't mean that Eryai doesn't understand the value of its specialty. The city protects its trade secrets, maintains (but doesn't enforce) quality standards, and coordinates a supply chain for the smiths that wish to participate. The streamlined processes have made Uyiki Blend the same price in Keyrit as blister steel might be in other continents. Because wood is so rare in Keyrit, Uyiki Blend is often traded for its weight in high-quality lumber. Outside Keyrit, however, Uyiki Blend is invaluable, worth its weight in gold if not more. Hundreds of traders make their livelihoods dealing in Uyiki Blend metals. A handful of well-calculated trips can set a merchant up for a comfortable retirement.
Thanks to its value, other nations tried to mimic Uyiki Blend. However, the technology required to heat a furnace to a temperature high enough to melt iron and roast black gems remained a trade secret within the Keyrit Daskalarchy. In addition, while iron and charcoal were more plentiful, Uyiki Blend is the way that it is because it's harvested from local minerals. Reproduction of Uyiki Blend requires the import of materials from Vort Uyiki. The only viable options are either to import Uyiki Blend and label it as homegrown or to fake the metal.
Fabrication of Uyiki Blend has over the centuries become a science in and of itself. Instead of the copper-like metal that produces nickel, they use copper itself. They harvest other, cheaper translucent black gemstones, or even viscous sap formed into rock-like structures. Not only did the fake elements look like the real McCoy, they also melted and/or cooked at significantly lower temperatures. The one problem was that the resultant metal was dull red in color, as opposed to the light gray that it was supposed to be. To compensate, the best forgers would keep a piece of blister steel in the back of their furnace, pulling it out at the very end of the process.
Law & Regulation
Uyiki Blend was difficult to obtain outside of Keyrit. While tactics, logistics, morale, and army composition contributed to victory far more than steel quality ever could, Uyiki Blend metal was still an invaluable asset to governments and militaries. As a result, there were several levies in Wouraiya's history, not of troops or taxes, but of Uyiki Blend metal. Swords, spearpoints, and daggers were summoned from the wealthier families or from the peasantry with singular treasures to call their own.
Type
Metal
Color
light, dulled gray
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