Steel

Steel is primarily available to humans, as the discoverers. While they have completely mastered the working of steel, the requisite metallurgy for creating it is far from thoroughly explored. As such, quality billets fetch high prices, and there is a booming smelting industry, most notably in Malford, with each smelter having its own unique, carefully guarded alloys and production methods, each trying to master the art of being able to consistently produce quality metal. As it stands now, the vast majority of what these smelters produce is worthless, being too weak, prone to cracking, or otherwise no better than the iron in common use elsewhere in the region. Good steel is strong, but each foundry has its own specialty for other properties. Some produce highly flexible metal, when successful, all the better to make crossbows. Others produce steel hard, bordering on brittle, ideal for an armor, but useless for a rapier. Still others emphasize how LIGHT their steel is, relative to its strength. Determining WHO should provide your steel is almost as important as having the technology to begin with, and is not made easier by the cutthroat politics of the foundry operators. "Tragic accidents" are almost as common among those who own the foundries as the unfortunate souls pouring the hot metal.