Materials

The artisans of Andara are privy to a great wealth of different materials with which to create their wares, and employ strange and exotic techniques to allow them to work with many of these materials.

## Ceramic

* **Cabbeloy:** This valuable ceramic can only be made from cabbel clay; a firm, yellowish clay which is only found on a handful of islands in Trader's Bay. To make cabbeloy, the cabbel clay must be mixed with the ash of burnt seashells, and seawater. Once this clay is worked and shaped, it is fired under higher temperatures than other types of pottery; taking on a glossy, golden sheen that is free from all but the most minute imperfections. The most common use of cabbeloy is for decorative purposes, and many of the proudest buildings in Miyr boast vast frescoes and murals of embossed cabbeloy slabs. The value of this commodity has driven a number of conflicts throughout history, which eventually culminated in the Potter's War; a territory dispute between two powerful factions in Warmwood vying for control of the resource. This conflict was a driving force for the introduction of the guild system and trade regulation laws in Warmwood.

## Glass

* **Abyssal Salt:** The fiery mountaintops to the north of the Isle of Tudor are scattered with coarse granules of glassy, crimson crystals. These are known as Abyssal Salts, though this is actually a misnomer as they are actually imbued with magic from the elemental plane of fire, and have no connection to the abyss whatsoever. When volcanic obsidian is exposed to the energies of the plane of fire, which happens frequently at the fringes of the portals within the Teeth of the Salamander, it takes on a crimson hue and perpetual warmth as it contains primal fire. As such, it is highly sought after by alchemists and wizards for its volatile incendiary properties.

## Metal

### Alloy

* **Ådamaag:** Also known as Adamantium outside the Hjelkar Tundra, this hard black metal is famed for its remarkable resistance to deformation, which makes it one of the most desirable material for the creation of blades and armour. Ådamaag swords can be used for centuries without ever dulling, and armour forged from the metal nullifies all but the sturdiest of blows. Only the superheated fires of Drorvuurlor, the legendary magma-powered forge of Mohrg Dow, are capable of producing and working Ådamaag, which is formed from equal parts iridium, vanadium, and adamant. Even with magmatic temperatures, this concoction can takes days to melt down enough to mix.
* **Bleiste:** The famous leaden steel of the Mundanites, bleiste is a strange alloy which boasts incredible resistance to magic thanks to its lead content, though the very same lead gives it a relatively low melting point to non-magical fire, making it a very easy metal to work with. The basic formula for traditional Bleiste is as follows: six parts iron, three parts molybdenum, two parts lead, and one part antimony. This combination of elements usually gives the metal a slight greenish tinge at its edges. Each element serves a unique purpose in strengthening the iron; the lead provides it with a strong resistance to magic, the antimony offsets the weakening effects that lead would normally have upon iron, and the molybdenum adds a general durability and hardness to the alloy. The a large proportion of bleiste is made more or less to these exact proportions, though there are two variations of the alloy which alter this formula, slightly changing the appearance and properties of the metal.
	+ **Kalbleiste:** With the addition of enough salt to the molten metal, the bleiste becomes slightly lighter in colour, and the greenish tinge is replaced by a pale blue. This process is exorbitantly expensive and makes the metal slightly weaker, so is generally used in more ceremonial arms and armour for royalty and exalted knights.
	+ **Holbleiste:** By increasing the lead content, and quenching the hot metal in oil, the bleiste becomes heavier, takes on a ruddy-brown hue at its edges, and boasts an even stronger resistance to magic. Formidable strength is required to wear a full suit of holbleiste plate armour without penalty, but the wearer will not find its protective capabilities lacking.
* **Drakeiron:** This hard black metal glitters with faint flecks of silver and gold. Entirely impervious to corrosion, and unable to be chipped or scratched by anything short of adamantium, drakeiron is the metal of choice for the swords and armour of esteemed knights and warriors of the Dragonlands. Its exact formula is a closely guarded secret, though it is believed to be a steel created from mixing iron with precious metals in smelters fired by dragon breath. The magic of dragon breath is likely what causes the precious metals to strengthen the iron, rather than weaken it.
* **Reeking Bronze:** When bronze artefacts lie in the hoard of a green dragon for long enough, the putrid magic of the dragon's aura begins to seep into the metal. This transforms it into a substance known as reeking bronze; largely identical in appearance to regular bronze save for being slightly duller. What really sets reeking bronze apart is its distinctly foul odour. Described as a cross between rotting flesh and tarnished copper, the strength of the odour varies depending on how long the item has been in the dragon's hoard. The longer it has been there, the stronger it smells.
* **Starsteel:** Somewhat stronger than traditional steel, this pinkish metal is sought after for properties other than it's strength. Starsteel is unrivalled in its ability to cling to magic; magic imbued into weapons and armour forged from starsteel is remarkably more potent, making it a favourite among spellswords. Starsteel is composed of eight parts wykl to two parts iron, though interestingly it loses the softness and low melting point of wykl despite the small amount of iron used in the alloying process, instead behaving like a harder, tougher version of traditional steel.

### Natural

* **Adamant:** Only deep within ground, where the borders of the material plane reach into the plane of earth, can one find the dull, black metal ore known as adamant. Naturally occuring in long, needle-like spires in deep caves, this prized metal is relatively useless on its own, but is an essential component in the creation of one of Andara's most sought-after metals: Ådamaag.
* **Mithral:** A pearlescent white metal that is impossibly light yet sturdier than steel, Mithral is only found in dragon bone, making it a theoretically abundant mineral. However, extracting workable mithral is an arduous process that involves grinding the bones to a coarse powder, dissolving away impurities and other minerals with a strong acid, and then melting down the remaining dust under high temperatures. Foundries and smithies capable of extracting and working mithral are seldom found outside of the Hjelkar Tundra. Because of this, a significant portion of mithral comes from white dragons.
* **Wykl:** Roughly translating to "strange water" in an ancient Giant language, wykl is a truly alien substance which originates from beyond the material plane, and is only deposited in Andara by meteorites. Pinkish in hue, with an opalescent quality in bright light, wykl melts at temperatures just above that of a hot summer's day. However, with the addition of small amounts of iron, it becomes an unrecognisably different metal known as starsteel.

## Mineral

* **Kjöstein:** Meaning 'flesh rock' in Dwarvish, this is the name given to the porous grey rock that flesh becomes when it is petrified by magic. The most common source of this mineral is the prey of basilisks, and the Rose Garden within Chatterwood Forest is littered with macabre statues of kjöstein. Powdered kjöstein is a component in some potions and elixirs, though the collection of the mineral is considered taboo by most cultures due to its origin.

## Textile

#### Synthetic

* **Ocrevelk:** Produced by master weavers in the Underdark, ocrevelk is created by weaving spider silk and cave fisher filaments together and soaking it in a mixture of blood and saliva. The finished product is light, waterproof, and boasts incredible tensile strength as well as resistance to cutting. Rubbing blood and saliva onto damage ocrevelk encourages the fibres to knit back together, which the drow liken to a healing wound. Its properties make it a fantastic material for creating bowstrings, as well as ropes and clothing. While naturally dull red in colour, ocrevelk is somewhat receptive to dyes, though this is not usually done in the underdark where the material is primarily produced and used

## Wood

* **Dunnic Timber:** The collective name for any solid wood products derived from the timber of trees from the forests of Calar Dunn, Dunnic timber is soaked with primal magic which bolsters the durability of the wood in almost every conceivable way, without altering the weight or density at all. Dunnic timber is heavily fire resistant, but not impervious to fire entirely. When it does catch fire, a single log can burn for days on end, though it would require nothing short of dragon fire to set the forests of Calar Dunn ablaze. Though the term comprises any form of timber grown in Calar Dunn, there are two primary species which provide the best material for hard-wearing carpentry.
	+ **Dunnic Oak:** Dunnic oak is irrefutably the strongest wood in the known world, and is akin to granite in almost every way besides its weight. Nigh impossible to saw, Dunnic oak must instead be carved and chiselled like stone, and is commonly used to make weapon blades and tool heads.
	+ **Dunnic Rowan:** Dunnic rowan still boasts impressive strength and toughness, but is markedly lighter than Dunnic oak. As such, canoes, rowing boats, and carts are often strengthened with Dunnic rowan. Another notable property of the wood is its resistance to rotting when wet, something which has drawn the attention of shipwrights around the continent, though no ships are known to have been made from Dunnic rowan yet.