Umbooru
| Umbooru | |
|---|---|
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| Materials | |
| Official Name | Umbooru |
| Common Nicknames | Rattle Iron |
| Origin | Aloria |
| Uses | Various |
| Rarity | Common |
| Accessibility | Middle and Upper Classes |
Umbooru is a unique, pure white metal first forged by Songaskians, who unlocked the secrets of the metal within the first few decades of their dominance over former Sariyd lands. Unable to be used conventionally, Umbooru’s structure is most suited for small, pointed formations, meaning it is commonly found as the tips of Songaskian arrows and spears. Additionally, it finds use in pointed, narrow formations in jewelry. However, it has the unique property to create a rattlesnake-like sound when moving through the air and is an unnerving tool for the Songaskian Masaya to possess on the battlefield.
History
Umbooru was a metal known to the Qadir for centuries before the Great Storm. However, they never had the capacity to work it, or perhaps were simply uninterested in doing so. Their focus on Clockwork long drew them to easily molded and shiny metals such as Copper, whereas Umbooru was harder to work, and didn’t offer much to their society. The Sariyd Empire thus ignored the material, mining around it in fact when they encountered it in the natural landscape of Farah’deen. When the Sariyd ended and the Songaskian Masaya came into its place, they moved rapidly to seize what the Sariyd had, and even what they had ignored, including deposits of Umbooru. Their people valued it immediately due to its brilliant coloration, and later, also because of the connection between white and their goddess, the sun. Still, forging it into a usable material took several decades, but in 160 AC, the material was first put to use. Its unique purpose quickly became apparent to the Songaskians, which suited them perfectly, and in the following century and a half, they have continued to use it in the specific ways that suit their society. Today, Songaskians retain the knowledge of how to shape the metal, teaching it to those they trust, and such blacksmiths are in high demand abroad for these skills.
Characteristics
Appearance
Umbooru appears commonly in arid climates on several continents, mainly Farah’deen but also southern Essalonia and the Paysec Desert of Ithania among other locations. When found, it has a white and grey-streaked coloration and exists in highly brittle formations. Once refined, it has a pure, ivory white coloration.
General Uses
Umbooru is strange as a metal for its specific purposes. It is unable to reach large sizes without breaking, despite its increased strength when compared to Steel. Instead, it's best uses as prescribed by the Songaskians are in pointed objects. For them, this largely means arrowheads and spear tips, but also in simple, narrow, and pointed jewelry worn by their population. Some also use the material to create daggers, but these are generally viewed as ineffective when compared to normal, Ferr-Iron or Steel daggers.
Abilities
Umbooru has an ability similar to the metal Omnaleya, as both produce sounds when moved through the air. Unlike that metal’s deep buzzing pitch though, Umbooru produces a rattling noise like that of a rattlesnake tail. It is not exact, but regardless, it helps to add a fear or unnerving factor to the individual who possesses the substance. Additionally, hails of Songaskian-born arrows are said to be terrifying things, and are suspected of having induced Knight’s Syndrome in Regalian soldiers who fought in the First and Second Songaskian Wars.
Trivia
- Umbooru spear tips are particularly frightening due to how they can unnerve unprepared combatants, but also how, in a desert climate, they can panic people at the thought of real rattlesnakes sneaking upon them.
- Songaskian women who wear Umbooru jewelry are commonly called Deathsnakes in urban Regalian areas due to the tendency for the odd rattling noise to come from their jewelry as they walk around. It also doesn’t help that they sometimes possess scales.
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