Affaloidium

The most important properties of afaloidium are near zero thermal expansion and incredibly high melting temperature once forged. Mortal instruments are unable to record a dimensional change when a 1-meter rod is measured in both the plane of ice and the plane of fire. Once the alloy has been made and frozen, it will not melt in the ambient temperature of the plane of fire. The photonic breath of a solar dragon can melt the metal briefly.

Its hardness is comparable to mithral and can be sharpened or engraved. It has incredible tensile and yield strength, although is much weaker in compression. This makes it well suited for a container, while average as a weapon or armor.

Once formed, afaloidium does not weld to other materials.

The beholder scientist, Demenstrelos, created the alloy while working for Dargaaz the Enlightened. He did not have a specific goal, but was simply working with different metals and investigating the resulting alloys for interesting properties.

Demenstrelos was hired by Dargaaz as a general researcher in MCS 9318. He was granted complete freedom to investigate as he chose, with Dargaaz trusting to fate that something useful would come out of it.

In MCS 9327, Demenstrelos turned his attention to metallurgy. He started by exploring the metals from the prime materials, such as iron, copper, and chromium, developing different steels and other alloys. He expanded to metals from the astral, ethereal, and inner planes, such as adamantium and mithral, and finally to some exotic materials from the outer planes such as aetherium and helvetalium.

In MCS 9329, he was experimenting with mixing various proportions of aetherium, helvetium, alumina, and titanium. When his research assistant annoyed him and he threw the elf into the crucible, he found a much lowered thermal expansion of the resulting metal. He eventually discovered it was the cobalt in the elf's jewelry that was responsible and eventually made several different versions of the material.

Currently, the only use of the metal is in the combustion chambers of the Great Weapon. Dargaaz is exploring further uses.