I always wondered; what exactly is the metal that the Dwemer used to make their armor, and everything else.
So, is it like, some kind of steel, or something else?

Whatever it was, it no longer resembles any ordinary metal, seeing as it ignores the effects of time and corrosion. It defies the laws of nature, basically.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unobtanium


I have some theories, but they rely too heavily on the physics of our own world to be applicable in a rational sense.


If this were so (mundane material of tamriel is made of atoms) then with the right enchantments placed on it, any substance could be given these properties--- but that is a digression.

didnt they change it in the earthbones to defy nature? i thought i read that somewhere.

I recall reading that the Dwemer were fond of using "Mutually exclusive principles together, in order to deny both." Likely, Dwemer metal is imbued with a mythic-level enchantment which uses the laws of nature against themselves.

It is a steel alloy with elements of Molybdenum, Niobium, and Tungsten to give it corrosion resistence, extra strength, and heat resistance.

Really now? I'd have sworn it was a copper, tungsten, and platinum/palladium alloy, given it's absurd weight.

I'm going to say it is an adamantium/Bolonium alloy with some element X bonded to it at a molecular level, you know to add that extra shine.

Its really hard to make. It involves taking brick and smashing the laws of physics' face in with it, then pissing on its unconscious body. The Dwemer really had a ball making the stuff.

Imagine a metal that never corrodes, is extremely sturdy yet extremely light, has a a non-existant melting point, is extremely conductive and also extremely resistant and is also very magnetic but also highly non-magnetic.

Sounds impossible? It is. Welcome tot he world of the Dwemer.

I agree that it's probably an alloy. The Dwemer were probably masters of metallurgy. In Morrowind, the Dwemer armor and constructs did seem somewhat worn and weathered. And Ayleid armor has fared similarly.

Dwarven is great, considering it weighs 3/4 of what Mithril does and is more enchantable. Then again, you can't hit a gargoyle with it.

What the the great sage Wierd recalls is a statement by the Telvanni wizard of Gnisis, Baladas Demnevanni, who addressed "Dwemer artifacts" as follows: "In their denial of both phenomena and noumena, the Dwemer found comfort in the creation of Animunculi, which in their operation, combined two incompatible principles, thus denying both. ..."

Additionally, it may not simply be that Dwemeri metals were resistant to time and decay, but instead a result of an Earthbone bending process that could be applied to many more items than metal. In fact, and as grounds for the claim, I will quote again from Baladas Demnevanni: "As the books and other artifacts in Dwemer ruins rarely show signs of wear or age, I believe that the Dwemer knew of a preservative effect, perhaps a device still active which denies or controls the Earth Bones governing time and decay."

___TWM

Dwemer metal may be non corrosive and time resistant, but its still very, very heavy, so its not like the god of all metals.

Gods can't be overweight?

Actually I was refering to Dwemer weapons, and that there are better materiels for making weapons out there.

Yeah, you know, I still think this was all some lore-breaking on Bethesda's part. In TESIV, the rule is: the better the weapon/armor quality, the heavier it is. And I still think Mithril is a cave-in to generic fantasy; naming the respective armors "Elven" and "Dwarven" were also caving in to make the game more understandable to the general public - in other words, to gamers that don't give a crap behind the beautiful TES lore and would get all confused if you said the word "Dwemer" and tried to explain that "Dark Elves aren't Drow" or that "Orcs are actually the Orsimer and relatived to elves, which are actually 'mer'."

Okay, sorry for the ranting there...

That be a valid point then.

Yeah, I hate that, some weapons are actually superior in every way to others, like say steel over iron, but things like dwemer, glass, and silver should have dbenefits and drawbacks.

Like say silver should've been less durable than both iron and steel, dwemer should never be able to break, but be alot heaier, glass shuld be sharper but more fragile ETC.

Have you seen Sanguine? Clavicus Vile?

But the MOST grossly overweight and profane image that can befall the eyes and minds of either mer or mankind is the abomination known as 'Ol Crabby Himself, Hermaeus Mora. :meh: How gross.


___TWM

(yeah, Brian, that's for you. )

Come to think of it, 'ol Hermy looks like a shoggoth.

Shoggoth shoggoth shoggoth, I summoned him one day, used an elder sigil, so shoggie and I played...

Hermaus Mora is like an experiment by the US gov to crossbreed lobsters and slugs...

A delicious combination of seafood and slime!

It was like that in TES III, if I recall correctly. Glass weapons did more average base damage, but glass weapon health was much lower than other weapon materials; similarly, the armor provided very good protection, but the armor health was lower than, say, a heavy armor equivalent. Also, the Dwemer weapons and armor had a lot of health, and silver weapons were less durable. I think the Duke's Silver Cuirass had more durability than the usual legion cuirass, though.

But, back to Dwemer metal materials...

I'm not sure; the only identifiable mineable ores that I'm aware of are glass, ebony, iron, gold, adamentium, and silver; I suppose Stalhrim, too. I think "tin" was an alchemical ingredient in a previous Elder Scrolls game (from the Tamrielic Ingredients mod). There must be copper, though, for the copper jewelry, and probably there are deposits of jadestone for the jade jewelry. I'm not sure what alloy the orcish armor is comprised of.

Whatever Dwemer metal is, I think it is probably an alloy. Something that resists corrosion, is durable (I believe a TES III book mentioned that Dwemer armor is very good at absorbing blows and distributing the damage?) , and very heavy.

Low grade iron folded a million times to make it strong enough to repel a Katana.

More seriously though, the Dwemer Armor as it was shown in Morrowind atleast might have been power armor. There is a description out there somewhere that mentions that a complete set of matching pieces of armor moves so easily that it's hardly noticeable.

I wouldn't know about the Dwemer Armor found in Cyrodiil though. That just seems to be a yellowish metal.

the armor in TES iii was more like holllowd out robot parts. perhpas the armor in the current game is actual dwarven aromer. as in worn at one poin t by andwemer. rather lame excuse though, but its the best i had off th top of the dome.

Kemel-Ze mentioned that the armor was both hollowed out robot parts and normal armor.
It also says that the original armor is meant to fit over each seamlessly, is some weird puzzle way that takes off all the weight and makes it a bazillion times more efficient.
That explains why Dwemer armor isn't as good as I want it to be.

It doesn't say robot, it is surmised. There are other alternatives such as the shells being power armor which is plausible as it's described that a matching set of armor moves with far less effort.