What is dwemer armor made of? : The Elder Scrolls Series Discussion

» Mon Jan 17, 2011 9:39 pm

Since I'm making a dwemer themed mod, I need to know a lot about dwemer stuff. Today I've been thinking about, wether I should include a dwemer mine. But then I need to know: what is dwemer armor and weapon made of. Is it dwemer ore? or is it made from some other type of minaral or metal by some process. I haven't found any answer on the pages I've read.

» Mon Jan 17, 2011 10:35 pm

I think I heard once that it's made from the Dwemer robots...and that the Dwemer never actually were the ones to make "Dwemer" armor.

Don't quote me on that though...just what I heard.

» Mon Jan 17, 2011 3:01 pm

From "The Ruins of Kemel-Ze"

This was obviously where the looters brought their finds from deeper levels, stripping off the valuable outer casings of the Dwarven mechanisms and leaving their innards here - easier than lugging the intact mechanisms back up to the top of the cliff. I laughed to myself, thinking of the many warriors unwittingly walking around Tamriel with pieces of Dwarven mechanisms on their backs. For that, of course, is what most "Dwarven armor" really is - just the armored shells of ancient mechanical men. I sobered when I thought of how exceedingly valuable an intact mechanism would be. This place was obviously full of Dwarven devices, judging from the litter covering the floor of this vast chamber - or had been, I reminded myself. Looters had been working over this site for centuries. Just the casing alone would be worth a small fortune, sold as armor. Most Dwarven armor is made of mismatched pieces from various devices, hence its reputation for being bulky and unwieldy. But a matched set from an intact mechanism is worth more than its weight in gold, for the pieces all fit together smoothly and the wearer hardly notices the bulk

» Mon Jan 17, 2011 9:20 pm

I actually read that book last week. And I remember that passage now, that you qoute it, but it brings the next questions, what are the ancient metal men made of, and by who.

» Mon Jan 17, 2011 10:17 pm

It could be parts from the Numidium maybe?

» Mon Jan 17, 2011 11:36 pm

Shouldn't this be in the lore forum?

I think nobody really knows what kind of metal the Dwemer used. Well Yagrum Bagarn probably would, but there is no option to ask him about it. I would speculate that it is magically enhanced steel or brass. Kind of the way daedric weapons and armor are magically enhanced ebony ones. The metals in Tamriel seem to consist of the ones found on Earth + Ebony, Mithril, and Adamntium. Adamantium and Ebony are both stronger than Dwemer so I think they're out of the question. Mithril might be an option, but it was absent from Morrowind (the game) and Morrowind (the province) is where the Dwemer used to live. This then leaves us with mundane earthly metals as the last remaining option.

» Mon Jan 17, 2011 10:39 pm

In most fantasy settings that involve Dwarves or things of Dwarven make, Mithril seems to be the material of choice. However, mithril is normally of silver or gray color while Dwemer items are yellow/gold in color suggesting something like copper or brass. Gold itself would be too heavy and/or soft to be used effectively as armor or weapon. Now given the other marvelous things the Dwemer created perhaps they found a way to combine several materials together for the Centurion body shells.

» Tue Jan 18, 2011 1:10 am

True Dragatus this would fit quite well in the Lore forum, I'll make a request to send it there.

Who knows the Dwemers maybe found a certain metal deep down under Red Mountain or somewhere else where they were located that fit their purpose.

» Mon Jan 17, 2011 11:58 am

i haven't read it anywhere but i gewt the sense of bronze, gold and iron, brass and different alloys they were genius' when it came to stuff like that. i wish they were still in the game

» Mon Jan 17, 2011 10:00 pm

I'm pretty sure it's an alloy, possibly some sort of brass. Whatever it is, it's weaker than Orcish steel.

» Mon Jan 17, 2011 7:25 pm

It is not normal material, it has been magically altered (by manipulating the earth bones).

» Mon Jan 17, 2011 9:54 am

It is not normal material, it has been magically altered (by manipulating the earth bones).

Maybe it appears magical to those who don't understand metallurgy and science like the Dwemer did.

» Tue Jan 18, 2011 12:11 am

So basically nothing is known about what it is made of, but some have guesses. This means that if I invented some new kind of ore to make dwemer armor and weapons of, then it wouldn't conflict with anything. That's good!

» Mon Jan 17, 2011 5:59 pm

I'm really not far in the MQ but it says that I have to find a Dwemer Puzzle box and it's said that it was made out of copper.

So.... copper?

» Mon Jan 17, 2011 10:03 pm

I'm pretty sure that I read once that it was a brass/bronze alloy, which would explain the colour. Since brass and bronze both include copper, it's also made out of copper and either iron or zinc. Though, this doesn't answer what other metals are used in it...

» Tue Jan 18, 2011 1:25 am

From "The Ruins of Kemel-Ze"

You highlighted the wrong section of the text.

But a matched set from an intact mechanism is worth more than its weight in gold, for the pieces all fit together smoothly and the wearer hardly notices the bulk

It's power armor.

» Tue Jan 18, 2011 1:30 am

You highlighted the wrong section of the text.

But a matched set from an intact mechanism is worth more than its weight in gold, for the pieces all fit together smoothly and the wearer hardly notices the bulk

It's power armor.

And all we really get is unpowered power armor. Should it have been powered, it would probably be tougher, more durable, no corrosion, and you would be a lot stronger, faster, and more agile than wearing other tin can suits. As to why they may not be powered, ask the ...Dwemer...

» Mon Jan 17, 2011 11:22 am

And all we really get is unpowered power armor. Should it have been powered, it would probably be tougher, more durable, no corrosion, and you would be a lot stronger, faster, and more agile than wearing other tin can suits. As to why they may not be powered, ask the ...Dwemer...

Because the stuff powering them was left in the ruins they were looted from, maybe? All they have is the casings, not the internal mechanisms.

» Mon Jan 17, 2011 1:44 pm

I believe power armor, not the way it is in Oblivion, but the way it looks in Morrowind. I'm guessing in Morrowind it's the actual Dwemer armor, and in oblivion it's the armor made from Dwemer scraps. Although I always did think the armor looked much better in Oblivion, I didn't enjoy looking like a sad robot in Morrowind.

» Mon Jan 17, 2011 9:40 pm

I believe power armor, not the way it is in Oblivion, but the way it looks in Morrowind. I'm guessing in Morrowind it's the actual Dwemer armor, and in oblivion it's the armor made from Dwemer scraps. Although I always did think the armor looked much better in Oblivion, I didn't enjoy looking like a sad robot in Morrowind.

It's generally assumed that the armour in Oblivion is differnt because it comes from the Rouken clan in Hammerfall, rather than the main Morrowind Clan (which is also backed up with the fact that it's illegal to trade in Dwemer Artifacts from Morrowind, so there legally shouldn't be any Morrowind Dwemer Armour in Cyrodiil).

» Mon Jan 17, 2011 3:55 pm

I'm really not far in the MQ but it says that I have to find a Dwemer Puzzle box and it's said that it was made out of copper.

So.... copper?

Holy hell. I played that quest thirty times since buying Morrowind and not ONCE caught that little bit of information. I'm serious. You, sir, are a genius.

I'm not being sarcastic. I seriously never saw that.