Thundersteel

• 05 April 2025

Thundersteel was powerful magical alloy forged by Imperator Hyperius Tiamus Dominus.

Manufacturing #

Composition #

Thundersteel was an alloy forged from silver and dynamium, combined with powdered Vis Crystals, and lastly imbued with Hyperius' own thunderous magic. These materials were expensive, and its smelting was a secretive process invented and only known by the Imperator himself.

Thundersteel appeared as a dull grey metal with jagged, angular patterns reminiscent of crucible steel. These geometric patterns gave thundersteel an almost "machined" or "synthetic" look. The Legion of Thunder commonly coated thundersteel in gold.

Inert Thundersteel #

To create the right mixture for thundersteel, molten dynamium and silver had to be mixed together to create an alloy known as inert thundersteel. As the name suggests, inert thundersteel looked and acted like thundersteel sans magical properties.

Inert thundersteel was typically produced in large quantities and stored until Hyperius had the time to enchant it with his magic.

Enchantment #

When it was time, inert thundersteel was heated up and flattened into large slabs. The surface of the slab was coated in vis crystal before being folded and flattened out again, repeating the crystal addition. It was important that the vis crystal was ground into what is essentially dust. Vis crystals of too coarse granularity wouldn't successfully bind to the metal.

Finally, the vis-infused inert thundersteel was imbued with magical electricity from Hyperius' own hands. The process was recognized as successful when the hot metal, which normally glows orange, instead glowed blue. Metal that glowed orange was still mundane and hadn't successfully become magical--such metal would be melted down into future batches.

Transportation #

Since thundersteel could create hazards by simply moving, it was often stored inside faraday cages which prevented electrical discharges from arcing into bystanders. Thundersteel could also be stored in its inert form.

Properties #

Metaphysical Characteristics #

Thundersteel had the ability to capture kinetic energy and store it as arcane energy. Stored arcane energy could be used to generate storm-related phenomena like gusts of wind and electrical discharges. Wielding a thundersteel weapon or donning thundersteel armour was equivalent to holding a fragment of the Imperator's mighty power, and knowledge on how to bend it to one's will could allow the user to become extremely deadly. All forms of kinetic energy impacted the arcane output of this metal, whether it was being moved itself, or it was being struck by something.

• Weapons of thundersteel that were swung around generated electricity that could be discharged upon contact with an opponent.
• Thundersteel armour generated energy whenever it was struck by something, releasing it into the surrounding environment.

Thanks to its Dynamium base metal, thundersteel was an incredible conductor. Its magical properties allowed it to reduce energy loss by supplementing conducted energy with the arcane.

Physical Characteristics #

Thundersteel wasn't the toughest of metals, but it was still quite durable. While nowhere near as resilient as fire iron or starsteel, but it more than compensated with its magical abilities.

Thundersteel rusted extremely quickly, which was part of the reason why a coat of gold was applied.

History #

Development #

The first ingot of thundersteel was created in 258 DHT by Imperator Hyperius and further refined throughout the years into its more stable form, which was distributed across the Legion of Thunder in 270 DHT. Hyperius was the only one capable of forging this metal, as a key ingredient was his own magical power that he channeled into it.

Hyperius was already an exceptional mage and blacksmith when he first delved into the creation of thundersteel. His goal was to create some kind of material that could harness his power and perpetuate it without running out. With his knowledge, skill, and raw talent for magic, Hyperius only needed mere weeks to happen upon a combination of materials to give rise to primal thundersteel.

The Songkram's Commission #

Knowing they were outnumbered against the Ganpoumi Fi in the possibility of a conflict, the Songkram rebels decided to try and acquire powerful weapons that might give them an edge over their enemies. In 263 DHT, messengers were sent to the lands to the noth--the Cloudlands. The messengers struck up a proposal to Imperator Hyperius Tiamus Dominus, suggesting that if they were supplied with weapons from the mighty leader of the Cloudlands, the Songkram would be indebted to them and honourbound to aid them in future wars. Hyperius thought for a bit, and soon after the messengers left, began to forge a set of Isutan-style weapons made of primal thundersteel. With their forces equipped with such weapons, the Songkram would surely gain victory. Hyperius only forged the blades of the weapons--the Songkram were expected to fashion their own hilts and shafts to the metal.

Hyperius sent some of his men to the Sangmyung Valley in a caravan carrying the goods through the countryside. Transport of the weapons via ship into Gong would be far too dangerous as Ganpoumi Fi inspectors there would likely find them.

As Hyperius' men smuggled their precious cargo through the Isutan countryside, bandits struck in an ambush. The thieves were easily able to overpower the legionnaires, who had become bored and drunk. Chaos ensued, and the wagon carrying the tools of war was overturned, falling into a gorge. The messengers were killed, and all trace of the thundersteel weapons disappeared.

The Songkram rebels never saw the weapons or knew of their existence, so they sent word to Hyperius to ask about their deal. Hyperius informed the Songkram that the weapons had indeed been sent, and was offended that the Songkram were accusing him of not having made them. The Songkram believed Hyperius was lying, while the Imperator came to believe that the Songkram had slain his messengers and taken his weapons without gratitude.

This rift between the Cloudlands and the Songkram would play a role in preventing the two powerful states from allying together until much, much later.

This lost stash of Isutan thundersteel weapons would be discovered by Jado during his career as a vigilante.

Distribution #

While its main purpose was for weaponry and armour, Hyperius cautiously explored the Destrian market, selling it in small quantities at steep prices (which the Founders were too thrilled to be bothered by).

Thundersteel was not a commercial item, as it was developed to be implemented in tools of war. However, thundersteel was not illegal to be owned by non-military personnel in the Legion of Thunder's Cloudlands, but it was difficult to get a hold of if you weren't a soldier.

Laws & Regulation #

Leakage of thundersteel into the black market was unavoidable. Cloudweller rebels often sold stolen thundersteel to outsider black markets in order to fund their insurgent operations. Fortunately for Hyperius, the exclusivity of production combined with the Imperator's total control over the metal meant that its usage against the Legion of Thunder's interests could be quelled swiftly.

Hyperius and the Legion of Thunder had no official jurisdiction outside of the Cloudlands and hence couldn't easily enact justice against those with illegally trafficked thundersteel gear. Typically, the Legion of Thunder would send operatives across Legere to investigate the source of the metal's leakage rather than bring judgement on the individuals in possession.