Bloodiron

Much like its mundane brother, bloodiron ore's primary coloration is a dark grey with a slight luster. Unlike normal iron, bloodiron ores have not been observed to have any other coloration (some normal iron ores are reddish, yellowish, or brown). When observed more closely, however, dull, cloudy tendrils of red can be seen tinging the metal throughout, as a drop of blood dispersed into water. The feel and heft of a chunk of bloodiron ore is much the same as iron, but make no mistake, it is far more valuable. Astute mages will notice, upon handling the ore, an ever-so-slight arcane emanation. Indeed, the arcane storage capacity of bloodiron is far higher than the lesser ore, a fact leveraged by the craftsmen shaping it to increase profits substantially.

Bloodiron is found in one place only: Aethilis, in the Iboaean chain, in the Thousand Isles. The only mines are controlled by the petty Aethilid kingdom which jealously guards access to the stuff. The exact number of mines and the extent of the mining operations in Aethilis are therefore unknown to the outside world. How much bloodiron there is, how much, exactly, is being (and has been) dug up is uncertain since the Aethilids are especially tight-lipped about it. It is theorized that there are at least six "major" mines and somewhere between fourteen and twenty "minor" mines. As for where these mines may be, there is no telling. It is impossible to distinguish a bloodiron mine from its mundane brother, and there are no geographical tells, however subtle, that give one away.

The discovery of bloodiron in the 580s AC (see below) coincided with the rise of the first Aethilid kingdom. The magnitude of bloodiron's influence on the consolidation of power in the region is unknown, but the mountainous area from which the first kingdom sprung is suspected to house at least two of the largest bloodiron mines on the island. Bloodiron's subsequent export in 613, along with the knowledge of how to craft bloodsteel, aided the Leutrans' weapons development and gained them the technological edge in the wars over Culcerna and its neighbor islands. It would take a decade before bloodiron would reach the shores of the Outsider's Haven and from there Jin-El Aethis and the world. Fascination with bloodiron materialized swiftly and in total within the first few years of its arrival on the world stage. By 627, demand for the stuff was so high amongst the nobility of Jin-El Aethis that a military occupation and eventual annexation of Aethilis was briefly considered by Alain the Goldsmith and his court, though it was discarded in favor of more peaceable methods. The sudden influx of wealth into Aethilis revolutionized life upon the island, ushering in the "second kingdom" of the Aethilids. Trade on the island, previously a lucrative, but small market, became the main generator of wealth for all Aethilids. Much of this new money was put towards agricultural research which increased crop yields and freed up labor for the mines. The cycle of increasing trade flow continued for another twenty-five years until, in 652 AC, the Pelisarians, eager to expand their burgeoning kingdom, invaded and easily swept over the island. As the fishfolk waged war across the Thousand Isles, trade halted and then began again only slowly. For the most part, the fishfolk were uninterested in interfering with mining operations on the island, but they did add a new tax onto the shipment of bloodiron which funded the construction of shrine towns on the coast. Bloodiron, for the duration of the Juje Interregnum, continued to be a lucrative source of revenue for merchants in the region, and only increased profits once the empire collapsed. Today, the third (or fourth, according to some scholars) Aethilid kingdom owes its modest prosperity mainly to this exotic good. The Aethilids, being one of the stronger powers in the region, have been more immune to the endemic piracy of the Thousand Isles than many of their contemporaries (no doubt helped along by the healthy trade relationship with the elven kingdom), but they, like all the petty kingdoms of the Isles now face an uncertain future. With elven involvement in the region ever-increasing, and military action against piracy seeming ever more likely, the Aethilids must work tirelessly to ensure that the elven naval strategists (and therefore the politicians) see no advantage to occupying the island or otherwise changing the status quo. Whether they shall navigate these treacherous waters remains to be seen.

613 AC is often given as the year of bloodiron's (and bloodsteel's) discovery, but 613 is the year of the first export of bloodiron from Aethilis to Leutra. Modern historians estimate that the Aethilids had use of the stuff at least as early as 593¹ and likely for at least a decade prior. As with so many things surrounding this precious metal, the circumstances of its discovery are unknown. Theories range from the mundane -- the accidental discovery while looking for iron -- to the fantastical -- divines pointing a great paladin to the stuff that he could forge a mighty weapon. In either case, the discovery of bloodiron and its magical properties has certainly been a boon for Aethilis.