Adamantine

Adamantine was a jet-black alloy of adamant and other metals. Usually black in color, adamantine had a green sheen when viewed by candlelight or a purple-white sheen when viewed by magical light.

Applications
Adamantine, when smelted, was ultra-hard but this was a costly procedure. Adamantine weapons made with the most common formulation around were useful for damaging the weapons and armor of opponents clad in just about any other material, while a set of adamantine armor absorbed a significant amount of energy from most physical blows. More importantly, many creatures, such as for instance golems, were very difficult to damage effectively with a weapon not made of adamantine. Beyond that, adamantine was used whenever the weapon would be brought to strike against objects. It was also generally used for weapons and armor of superior enchantment.

Adamantite was often used by drow elves of the Underdark, and their adamantite weapons were usually swords that were magically enhanced. Their magical strength and sharpness faded if brought into contact with direct sunlight. Adamantite was also preferred as an alloy component for magical armor of superior enchantment.

Manacles made of adamantine were nigh-impossible to burst by anything less strong than a cloud giant.

Production
Its main component was either pure adamant, or a mixed ferrous ore known as adamantite, found only in veins of ore in volcanic zones, near earth nodes, and areas of faerzress in the Underdark. Occasionally, small meteorites consisting of some adamantite would fall to Abeir-Toril as well. It could also be found in earthmotes.

Per primary sources, adamantine was produced out of alloying its ores with mithral Adamantine was extremely difficult to produce, requiring high forging temperatures and a very delicate procedure. Per other sources, it was composed of five parts adamant, two parts silver, and one part electrum. Most smiths that specialized in producing adamantine were dwarves, particularly those from the ancient kingdom of Ammarindar. Those same sources also asserted it was possible to produce adamantine as an alloy of mithral and steel through the application of several magical procedures, although the process to do so was exceedingly complex. Dwarves considered that a joke at the expense of foolish bards. By, electrum alloys had fallen out of favor, and only high-purity alloys circulated, favored for their ability to break most other metals.

The githzerai used their knowledge of Limbo to bring a shard of it when they traveled to the Prime Material plane. A group of anarchs then molded that essence of Limbo into large adamantine citadels that served as remote bases from which to observe enemies or to launch attacks.

Users of arcane magic who had surpassed the limits of what was known to be possible could synthesize adamantine in incredible quantities by using a wish to transmute steel. This was a necessity when creating an adamantine golem, though this was beyond the normal constraints of the spell. Sages such as Elminster attested to other processes that created adamantine out of mithral and steel, but those processes were likely not metallurgical in nature, as the mention of them elicited little but laughter out of dwarves.

Adamantine could also be found in godhulks within the astral plane.

Adamantite ores came in brown-gold, blue-silver and green-silver hues; drow mostly mined black ores. All such ores were rare in the extreme, and found mostly quite deep in the earth.

Per some sources, adamantine melted at an estimated 3410ºC, requiring exceptionally hot magical fires, and boiled at 5900ºC. Per other sources, adamantite melted at 2280ºC. It was largely unaffected by seawater; in fact, dwarves brined it to shine it. It could be found in volcanoes.

Costs
During the Era of Upheaval, an adamantine drill could be had for 200 gp, a hacksaw for 600 gp, and a set of adamantine manacles sold for 2,000 gp. A good set of adamantine shackles cost 400 gp in Tu'Narath}}. After the Spellplague, a set of adamantine [[manacles was worth about 650 gp.

After the Second Sundering, a 10-pound adamantine bar could be had in Waterdeep for the low, low price of 1,000 gp.

Mines
Natural adamantine was mined in the following places in the Realms:
 * Greypeak Mountains
 * Tuern was the site of some adamantite mining, but it could not refine it.
 * Teshan Mountains, also known as Desertsmouth Mountains.
 * The area around Menzoberranzan, the Dark Dominion, was rich in adamantine-laden rocks.

Biological Role

 * It could still be digested by xavers.
 * Gibbering mouthers could not digest adamantine.
 * Ferrous dragons could detect its scent at a distance that went from to, depending on age.
 * Per some sources, adamantine was in fact digestible to rust monsters, and in fact it activated their mating phase.

Notable Users
The Standfast spell required adamantine or other metals as its material component.
 * Church of Waukeen outfitted its ceremonial guards with adamantine chainmail. These sentinels were assigned to guarding private chambers of the Church's high-ranking members.
 * In the Tomb of the Nine Gods, Acererak the demilich used three adamantine suspensions to hold up the Soulmonger above a pit of lava.
 * Hammer golems were made with adamantine plate armor.
 * Flesh golems called for fine adamantite wires.
 * Some bits of an iron cobra had to be made of adamantine.
 * The rarest clockwork horrors were made of adamantine.
 * Each tomb tapper was created with an adamantine hammer.
 * Zariel might have sought adamantine to create a weapon, the Blade of Avernus.
 * Drow favored areas rich in adamantine and faerzress.
 * The ironguard spell called for a nugget of adamantine.
 * Nybor's stern reproof required an adamantine rod as a focus.
 * Fire giants preferred ransom paid in adamantine.
 * The efreet sultan Marrake al-Sidan al-Hariq ben Lazan had a set of pantaloons made of tiny adamantine links.
 * The adamantite mace spell created a mace of adamantite.
 * Priests of Geb could cast hammer arms to convert their arms to adamantite.
 * The fantastic machine spell required a flake of adamantine to cast.
 * The fist of Gond spell called for a cube of adamantine.
 * Magic staves could be made with adamantine.
 * Gold dwarves manufactured adamantine weapons in large amounts in the Great Rift, where they could be had slightly cheaper.
 * Xavers fed on metals such as adamantine.
 * Special holy symbols of Moradin could be made of adamantine.
 * adamantine spiders were made of adamantine.
 * Some drow house insignia were made of adamantine, if they transmitted messages.
 * Drow were known to base special alloys on adamantine: these were powered by special radiations, which they allowed to soak for a year or so, but lost their powers in sunlight.
 * Balic of the Rock of Bral had occassionally worked it.
 * The bladethirst spell called for a pinch of adamantine.
 * The invulnerability spell called for adamantine.

Notable Crafts

 * Ygorl wielded an adamantine scythe.
 * Ehlonna's bracers were made of adamantine.
 * Cryonax was said to be chained in adamantine.
 * Nehusta's body was said to contain meteoric adamantine.
 * Some traps consisted of a single taut adamantine wire, capable of slicing into the limbs of those who stumbled upon it.
 * Sharindlar's whip.
 * Thard Harr's gauntlets.
 * Whip of Amatar
 * Belkram's Fall had some adamantine spikes holding up a mithral frame.
 * The Crown Adamant.
 * Pillars in Malbolge.
 * Dispater's armor.
 * Arrows meant to bite into hard materials were made of adamantine.
 * Siamorphe's scepter, Noble Might.
 * The Argyr
 * Vlaakith CLVII's phylactery.
 * The Staff of Fraz-Urb'luu. His castle had adamantine walls, too.
 * Nightwatcher
 * The Eye of Yuthla
 * The Netherese axe Separator
 * Any whip of fangs
 * The blades of Ochiir Naal
 * The Monocle of Bagthalos
 * The Hooded Crown
 * The Arm of Valor
 * Khazid'hea
 * Justlance
 * Any Staff of Portals
 * Valorstar awards for civic service in Waterdeep.
 * Forge of Moradin medals amongst the Delzoun dwarves.
 * The portal key to the Tomb Tapper Tomb was an adamantine rod.
 * The solar insidiator locks were made of adamantine.
 * Muiral's Decapitator
 * The Hammer of Amuimon was made of adamantine.
 * The Adamantine Golemcloak was presumably made of adamantine, according to its name.
 * The fist was made of adamantine.
 * Any Mace of the Darkchildren was made of adamantine.
 * Warding holy symbols were made of adamantine.
 * The rooks in the Chessmen of Ultham-Urre created an adamantine fortress when deployed.
 * A Hammer of Thunderbolts was made of mithral and adamantine.
 * A number of doors in the Vault of Dragons were made of adamantine.
 * The adamantine binding was presumably made of adamantine.
 * An adamantine plaque in Mholor Durinhal.
 * The spellbook belonging to Tanthalyn, a spacefaring drow wizard.
 * That same wizard had a unique adamantite ring.
 * Spacefaring drow darkboxes.
 * Spacefaring drow also sometimes made scroll cases, unholy symbols, and religious icons out of adamantite.
 * Stavrala Naezerlith's chakram was made of adamantine.
 * At least one survivor's belt made of adamantine was of drow make.
 * The staff of raging battle
 * Ygorl's scythe.
 * Drow replacement limbs.
 * Altars to Ghaunadaur were made of adamantium, forged adamant.
 * The dagger of venom issued to powerful clerics of Vhaeraun required adamantine or mithral to construct.
 * The Living Axe.
 * The Oremaster's pickaxe of piercing.
 * The anvils in Gauntlgrym were made of adamantine.
 * Ice Claw's grip was woven with black adamantine.
 * The sword Illuminator was made of adamantine.
 * The gates of Erebus were made of adamantine.
 * The bladethirst spell required a pinch of adamantine.
 * Dyrr's Impervious Vestment may have been threaded with darksteel or adamantine.
 * The Crown of Sorcerous Terror was made of adamantine.

Customs
The people of Amn used "adamantine" as an adjective to imply a person of self-made excellence was still not the best, referencing the fact that adamantine was still an alloy. Adamantine was seen as a fit sacrifice for Laduguer

Dwarves called adamantine ohloro, and its adamantite ore as oro. The dwarven kingdom of Xothaerin was also known as the adamant kingdom.

Some years were named after this metal in the Roll of Years, such as the. and the.

Dumathoin was said to supply nondwarven gods with adamantite. Laduguer was said to show his favor through the discovery of adamant.

History
Erek-Hus was said to have split Io in half with an axe of adamantine.

As far back as, the gates of Alatorin were adamantine.

An ancient race had placed adamantine cores in the stalactites of Underspires long before its foundation.

Ammarindar was a dwarven kingdom known for its adamantine armor.

There were rumors in that a mining company in Keczulla had found a vein of adamantite, and was smuggling it out to Athkatla.

The city of Raven's Bluff suffered a severe adamantine shortage at some point. The city of Mirabar had, as of the mid-14 century DR, hired a number of alchemists to try and improve on adamantine.

By, in Chessenta, an eruption in the Smoking Mountains had revealed gates of adamantine tall. In the same year, Ironmaster had grown rich in adamantine from trade with Tuern.

At some point, Mordenkainen related that a group of Thayans joined githyanki in removing an adamantine box from the caves around Tu'Narath.

Trivia
Adamantine was the most durable adamantite alloy. House Faen Tlabbar's walls were reinforced with adamantite. Xorlarrin's Spelltower was also reinforced in the same way, as was the Agrach Dyrr residence and that of Feybranche. House Mizzrym used adamantite doors for the entrance to their caves. House Milithor made extensive use of adamantine.

Vorkehan in Acheron, the home of the Mercykillers, had adamantite spikes.

Adamantine would fetch a rather random price in London. Another dwarven name for adamantine was grumdek. Dwarves knew how to mine for adamantite.

Rumors
A moonstone dragon's heart was said to turn into a lump of adamantite when it died well.

Appearances

 * Novels
 * The Ruby Guardian
 * Video Games
 * Tales from Candlekeep: Tomb of Annihilation