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 were useful for damaging the weapons and armor of opponents. A set of adamantine armor or a shield was nearly impenetrable to normal weapons.

Adamantine was often used by drow elves of the Underdark, and their adamantine weapons were usually swords that were magically enhanced. Their magical strength and sharpness faded if brought into contact with direct sunlight.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Notable Users

 * 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.

Notable Crafts

 * 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
 * Valorstar awards for civic service in Waterdeep.

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.

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

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.

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.

Appearances

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