Lavun is a metal my dwarves discovered as they delved into deep parts of the mountains that they live in. Through scientific research, the dwarves discovered that it absorbs 99.9% of all energy that hits it, radiates 99.9% of all energy it has, and becomes incandescent at a relatively low temperature (at 185~ or at about 80*, both about 121° C)

The study of Lavun and Lamar (discussed later) led to advancements in metallurgy, social sciences, science, warfare, and led to the development of another temperature scale-- the cranog. The cranog was named after the dwarven scientist who made the most extensive experiments on lavun and was often shortened to * (i.e. 24* instead of 24 cranogs).

The dwarves were eager to use lavun somehow in battle and realized the detrimental effect a glowing weapon would have on enemy morale, but tests soon showed that the metal did not maintain its heat or incandescent glow a long enough time for it to be worthwhile. A few months later a dwarf who was a prominent scientist and blacksmith, named Cranog, tempered Lavun with Kelmar (a fairly common metal with few practical uses) and made a new metal alloy, Lamar. Lamar was discovered to still become incandescent at a low temperature (at 215~ or at 100* both about 143° C) while also retaining that glow for a longer time (about an hour instead of about 10 minutes). The dwarves immediately started making weapons made out of the newly discovered Lamar.

Soon afterwards the dwarves ran into a problem with arrows made of Lamar. After a dwarf heated an arrowhead, the glowing hot metal caught the wood attached to the arrowhead on fire. Cranog began more experiements and soon discovered that, even though Kelmar tempered with Lavun transmitted heat well, Kelmar itself did not transmit the heat well enough to catch things on fire. Cranog quickly fixed the problem by seperating the arrowhead and the arrow's shaft with a thin layer of Kelmar.

Lamar was primarily used to make high-temperature thermometers, axes, and arrows. Axes and arrows made of Lamar could be heated in a fire then used, setting fire to things they touched and causing severe wounds and burns. To protect themselves from the heat, the dwarves used thick gloves and padding made from the same material the gloves are made from.

When the humans learned about the multiple values of Lavun, trade and wealth increased for the dwarves. The elves also desired Lavun but because of the dwarves' dislike of elves the dwarves charged extravagant prices to elves, preventing the elves from obtaining large amounts of Lavun. Instead the elves had to buy from the dwarves through a second party -- usually humans. The humans were smart business men and charged the elves considerably more than the dwarves charged the humans but still low enough so that the elves would begrudgingly pay. The overcharging of lavun has caused tension recently between the elves and the humans and has increased the mutual dislike between the elves and the dwarves.

Comments? Concerns? Snide Remarks? Rebuttals? Diatribes?
I would appreciate feedback, especially in how the dwarves protect themselves from the heat of their weapons.

LOW temperature?!?!

Relatively low temperature. On earth, a blackbody becomes incandescent at 5000 K.

(I came up with this post by tweaking some stuff in my Physics text book)

Me likeys (And, you will see, I finally got to this )

eruheran

Me likeys you likey (And I see you finally got to this )

That's some serious physics there! Well done! I like how you explain a fairly common fantasy element (glowing weapons) in a psuedo scientific way. That's totally cool.

Glad you like it!

P.S. "fairy" common fantasy element?

I think she meant "fairly"... *edits*

Anyone have an idea on what to do to protect the dwarves from the heat of the weapons?

Something that doesn't burn or absorb heat... something like aluminum?

Aluminum sounds stiff. I would want something pliable that could move with the dwarf's movements.

That's a tall order, there... Make something up!

I was thinking like the protection suits the firefighters at airports wear, and the shelters para-firefighters carry with them. It's a light layer of material that reflects heat away from them.

I probably should.
Oh well. This will have to wait till my highly-underdeveloped-world becomes more developed.



I'll figure out something eventually.

Uh-oh, problem detected.

You said it becomes incandescent at 143℃, but water boils at 100℃ and cannot become any hotter or else it evaporates completely, so how do they heat the metal in boiling water before they used it? Also, if it sets anything on fire on contact, how do the arrowheads stay on their shafts?

Unless the shaft is the same material, Griffin. But yeah, the water thing is a problem. Have them do it in fire directly; it's more efficient. As is they must light a fire to heat up a pot to heat up the water to heat up the arrowhead.

But then the bow would burst into flames! Although the fire sounds like a good idea.

Thanks for pointing this stuff out. I'll use fire instead of water.
I didn't mean to make it sound like it set anything that it touches on fire- just wood and cloth. The metal doesn't set skin on fire but it does cause severe burns. I do need to protect the wood of the arrow shaft.

*thinks hard*

I could put a metal that doesn't react to the metal in-between the lamar and the wood.
*needs to make up another metal*

Isn't it just great to have fantasy world you control and can just make up anything you want!

Yes, it brings out the mad scientist in us!

Here you can see how much of a scientist I am I read this twice, Mark, and still didn't catch the facts that Hilly and Griffin pointed out I'm interested in hearing about this other metal, though

eru

I'm thought of a way to fix this without making up a new metal (goes to show the laziness in me ). *updates post*

Wait, don't you still need to change the boiling water to fire?

*rereads*

I thought I had already done that.
*fixes*

Yeah, I do that sometimes. I go to correct something and I forget to correct one of the things I specifically went to correct! lol

Well 'sal good now.