Alter Aeon The Great Library

Welcome to the Alter Aeon Historical Archive!

Note - as with any topic, researchers should question the reliability
and veracity of these texts.  The library's aim is to preserve
documents, not verify accuracy.

AABN:  5303
Title: a small journal

It is a journal, evidently many years old.  The first part of it contains a
very extensive and varied amount of information about mining and generic
metalworking, along with some structural diagrams.  For the most part,
whoever wrote this book just wanted to keep the information all organized and
readily accessible if the need ever arose.  Towards the end of the written
material the style seems to change, and a few entries in particular catch
your interest:
(day 14) We have finally found the correct type of formation in our
exploration, a large igneous slab resting on other layers of just the right
type.  We even found an easy entrance, and a rather pretty nymph graced our
presence as we fiddled about beneath a beautiful waterfall.  After a little
work, we managed to open up a crack large enough to set up camp and begin
assaying the rock around us.
(day 16) Earlier today, after boring back several feet into the rock behind
the waterfall, we found a vein of ore unlike anything any of us have ever
seen.  In fact, it could hardly be called a vein, as it is virtually purge
metal!  Another strange thing was that I tried to pick out a piece of it, yet
every tool I tried was either blunted, or had no effect.  This bears further
investigation. . . .
After many hours, we discovered that the metal we found above is not a vein
as we had thought, at least not in the conventional sense.  It seems to be
more like a large chunk, perhaps formed by some volcanic process.
(day 17) I don't know what to do... we have dug around the chunk of ore, but
it is far to big to remove, and we estimate that it weighs several hundred
tons.  It is also resisting any and all attempts by us to break it into
pieces, or even scratch the occasionally smooth surface.
(day 24) We dont know what to do.  Weapons made of this material would be
incredible!!! but how do we use it, how do we mold it?  Nothing I have tried
in the past week has made so much as a scratch on it.  Even the heavily
enchanted blade of my father will do nothing to this stupid metal.
(day 30) More failure.  We have decided to return home with news of this, and
request help or something... I am at a loss.
(The following comes out of a different run of entries)
(day 8) The mages tried their magic on the rock, spent all their energies in
vain.  After nearly caving in the whole area and making every scrap of metal
within a hundred yards turn into a molten blob, the target of thier
destruction sat unchanged in the center of the cavern.  At least they got it
clean.  I hate mages.
(the logs continue, describing various failures, for many pages)
(day 85) Helfig was poking about today, and found a chunk of the same metal
that was separate.  Perhaps the only thing we will ever have to show for this
disaster of an exploration.

The entries then stop.