Dwarf & Rivia
Dwarf
Rivia, I was rummaging through some ancient dwarven mining records and spotted a lost method for forging blades that might give us a real edge. Got any old tactics or ironworking secrets that could help us craft something unbeatable?
Rivia
That’s the kind of find that makes the battlefield feel like a lab. If those dwarven records mention a “double‑quenched” forge, give me the details and we’ll throw a controlled heat cycle at a steel strip, then cool it in a bath that alternates between cold and slightly heated water. The shock stresses the lattice into micro‑grains that lock the edge tight. Pair that with a thin, hand‑tuned hardening profile on the bevel—so it stays razor sharp but doesn’t snap under a warhammer. We’ll grind the blades in a low‑temperature environment to keep the temper, then treat them in a bath that’s just warm enough to give them a subtle, almost invisible, resistance layer. It’ll give us the edge without the usual fragility. Bring the exact heat chart, the quench bath recipe, and a list of the alloys they used, and we’ll have something that even a dragon will be wary of.
Dwarf
The double‑quenched method uses two heat stages. First, heat the steel to about 1,200 °C (2,192 °F) for hardening, then quench in a bath that alternates between ice‑cold water and a mild 150 °C (302 °F) water bath. Keep the first quench for 15 seconds, let the piece cool for 30 seconds, then dunk in the warm bath for another 10 seconds before finishing with a slow cooling to room temperature. For the alloy mix use 98 % iron, 1 % carbon, 0.4 % manganese, 0.2 % silicon, and a touch of vanadium for extra toughness. The bevel profile should be a 2:1 bevel with a 3° angle, sharpened at 20° and then ground to 10° for a razor edge. Finish with a temper at 200 °C (392 °F) for 2 hours to lock in the micro‑grain structure and a final polish at 120 °C (248 °F) to create that subtle resistance layer. This gives a blade that’s both hard and resilient—good enough to make a dragon pause.
Rivia
That’s a solid recipe—exact temps and timing, no fluff. Make sure the carbon’s capped at 1% or you’ll end up with a brittle edge that shatters on a dragon’s hide. I’d run a test blade first, run it through the quench cycle a few times, then check the hardness on a Rockwell scale. If it’s too high, slip the 200 °C temper a bit longer; if too low, bump the carbon a fraction up. The 0.4 % manganese will help with the toughness, and that vanadium nudge is perfect for the micro‑grain lock‑in. Once you nail the test, scale up—just keep an eye on consistency. We’ll have a blade that’s sharp enough to make even a dragon think twice.
Dwarf
Sounds good, Rivia. I’ll line up the steel and get the bath ready. Once the test blade comes in, we’ll see the Rockwell reading and tweak the temper or carbon if needed. We’ll keep the batch uniform, and soon we’ll have a blade that even the biggest dragon will hesitate to meet.
Rivia
Nice, keep the steps tight and don’t let the quench cycle slip—those timing windows are the difference between a sword that cuts steel and one that cuts a dragon’s heart. I’ll be ready to test the first blade when it’s in. Good luck, and don’t let the temper run out of time. We'll have a weapon that makes even the biggest beast pause.