Dlarun

Dlarun, sometimes called whitesteel, is a greenish-white stone found in riverbank deposits where glacial water runs. Its most common use is in sculpting: when heated, it gains the consistency of clay, and can be shaped with metal tools; upon cooling, it takes an appearance similar to ivory.

However, the dwarves discovered a unique process by which one might forge weapons of exceptional quality using Dlarun. First, they heat the ore and work the refined metal into the desired shape. Then, they freeze the worked metal in a contained block of ice. As the ice cools, it expands, causing pressure on the metal. The process only works if the ice can be cooled to exceptionally low temperatures; the dwarves use a combination of the natural cold of extreme climates with proprietary machinery.

The resultant item takes the appearance of cobalt glass, though in anything but the coldest, dryest air it is soon swathed in a thin layer of frost. At rest, the substance remains unearthly cold. Weapons of Dlarun are usually fitted with special scabbards which scrape off frost as the weapon is inserted; a Dlarun weapon is so cold that it can freeze enemies' flesh on contact, but the effect is ruined if too much frost accumulates on the blade.

Dlarun is not usually forged directly into armor, but rather worked into an alloy of iron. This creates a dull, gray metal which can absorb a great deal of cold, with minimal frost effect.

• Rank: 2
• Effect on weapons: Once unsheathed, the weapon gains 20% bonus frost damage with all strikes for the next 5 rounds, after which it is too covered in frost to work correctly. After battle, the frost must be scraped off. The weapon does not accumulate frost in a scabbard.
• Effect on armor: Armor grants 50% frost resistance.
• Effect on shields: Shield grants 50% frost resistance. If you have Dlarun armor and a Dlarun shield, you gain 75% frost resistance from the combination.
• Market Value:
  • Light weapon: 3 gp
  • Medium weapon: 5 gp
  • Heavy weapon: 7 gp
  • Mail armor: 7 gp
  • Plate armor: 10 gp
  • Buckler: 2 gp
  • Light shield: 3 gp
  • Heavy shield: 4 gp
  • Tower shield: 6 gp