Metallurgy

The Evolution of Blacksmithing
Metal crafting had long been discovered. Ever since man first discovered fired and noticed that sometimes the rocks next to them would either melt or become soft they have learned that certain metals were not only meltable but meldable.

The progression began slowly at first, first copper and perhaps tin, but both had certain tendancies that made it unfavorable for all but the most menial of tasks - hunting and warfare primarily. Eventually man learned that they could craft it into armor and suddenly it was much harder to fight when everyone used weapons and armor.

In what, at the time, was a huge breakthrough, somebody mixed the two together and the result was much stronger. The result, bronze, represented a shift in power, and soon, those with, were dominating those without. But, as with all things, te technology spread and once again the field was leveled.

This continued for some time until alchemy rose to prominence. Fire could only burn so hot unaided, but with the help of certain mixtures and powders suddenly fire would blaze hotter than before. Once again it was fire that did it, and the alchemists noticed suddenly that rocks that worked fine for creating pits and holds for their experiments were now no longer capable of doing so and they too began to melt and soften.

Thus was iron discovered.

The Discovery of Iron
Iron offered obvious advantages over bronze, it was harder, stronger, held an edge better, but required greater care as it was highly prone to rust. It took many tries before they developed iron reliably however as often the alchemical process left several unwanted chemicals in the iron which resulted in an unstable matrix causing iron to become extremely brittle and prone to breaking.

However, by the beginning of The Mage Wars iron saw widespread use in all aspects of military and daily use. Arms and armor as well as everyday tools from household knives to plows were constructed of iron.

However, all this proved useless against the might of mages and their fierce magics. More powerful mages with strong control over the earth could meld the iron directly while it was still being worn and crush the wearer. Blades melted burning and maiming their wielders. Desperate attempts were made to find alternatives.

While the refining process of iron often meant that alchemical mixtures interacted with the refining process some blacksmiths found that the resultant mixtures were much stronger and much lighter than properly refined iron. However, very few people pursued such lines of research and evern fewer had much success.

One blacksmith, who shall forever be known as Faras Sky Hammer proved to be the exception to the rule.

Faras and his Contribution to Metallugy
Faras' history is largely unknown, but what we do know is that Faras was apprenticed to the court blacksmith of Sararas - his name is not important, what is important however is that Faras showed an unusual apptitude for metal work from a very young age.

Steel, which was little produced due to it's temperamental mixing requirements was discovered - or so the legend goes - by accident one day while trying to come up with a way of heating the iron more quickly. Apparently Faras had a social event he wished to attend, but his master had set a task for him that would force him not to attend. While mixing alchemical solutions together he happened upon a mixture that resulted not only in steel but a faster forge time.

Faras solved two problems at the same time. Not only was he able to reproduce his findings, but the method was able to be forced into rapid production, meaning that steel was suddenly a readily available commodity as opposed to a rarity - reserved only for those high in command or kings and queens.

But steel is not what he was memorialized for. That would come later.

Steel and further advancements
Faras completed his apprenticeship and presented his master work shortly after the Mage Wars began. Sararas had already equipped their military with steel, which gave them a slight edge in the ensuing wars. Steel had fewer of the issues with magic that iron had - mages were unable to directly manipulate the metal, it's matrix being too sturdy and foreign enough to iron that mages were unable to manipulate it. Thus Sararas' military was one of the few bright spots in the war. History tells us that the few skirmishes won during the early years of the war were due in no small part to Sararas' military aid.

But this wasn't enough for Faras. He felt that there was some way to produce a metal that would provide more protection against magic, or even nullify its effects. He threw himself into his work, and many great creations were brought forth: Mithril, Orichalcum.

But none of these would match his greatest discovery: Sky Steel

Sky Steel
Sky Steel possessed such wonderous abilities that it would shift the tide of war entirely. While many of the other great metals could protect against magic to one degree or another, or remained stronger and cut sharper, none possessed the singular ability to nullify magic.

Sky Steel allowed enemies to walk through barriers, and pierce the protective magics that protected the mages. Magic would simply disappear as soon as it touched Sky Steel, as if it had never been created.

However, Sky Steel was incredibly difficult to create, and mass production was extremely far off. So Faras was pressed into producing armor and weapons for a select group of warriors. Warriors tested in battles prior to mages and had killed them before. Warriors whose skill exceeded all others. Sararas' elite Sky Warriors.

With new weapons and arms, the war took a sudden shift from giant battles to subtle assassinations. The troops would steal into a camp under the cover of darkness and kill the mages while they slept or were unawares. Lulled into a false sense of security the mages were completely caught off guard. Mage after mage was slaughtered as the Sky Warriors systematically, and single-handedly pushed the mages back to their great citadel.

But penetrating the citadel was no mean feat. While Sky Steel could nullify magic, it could not eliminate things caused by magic. A stone cast by bands of magic could crush just as easily one launched from a catapult, and hacking through walls crafted from the earth itself was not something done.

So a seige began, and the nature of the war shifted again. Mages had long ago discovered how to teleport from one point to another. It was difficult magic and not usually done, but when one is trapped behind walls there are few other options. So mages began transporting themselves to various cities, popping in and popping out and wreaking great destruction. Technology was forced to adapt again.