Metal Mettle

Metal — already an exceedingly rare and valuable resource to the people of Moren Ezen — has become increasingly scarce as the demand for militant provisions surges in the wake of the attack on Apora. The need for shackles, weapons, and armor drives prices higher, causing tensions to rise among those who can no longer afford the precious material. A worrisome lack of reliable tools and horse tack hinders many's ability to work. Farmers in particular — unable to secure the metal needed for their plows and farming equipment — watch as their fields go unworked and their crops fail. Merchants, seeking readily to capitalize on the scarcity, redouble their efforts to procure as much of the precious metal as they can, and send teams of scouts to scour the landscape in search of any yet unpilfered Old World ruins or natural deposits. All the while blacksmith forges glow bright and hot day in and day out, bastilles clang with iron shackles, and guardsmen's scabbards bristle with freshly folded steel.

In response to this soaring demand and ever-plummeting plentitude, an underground trade network emerges, dealing in the covert exchange of metal and metal goods. Smugglers and black market dealers thrive, whispering of clandestine operations and striking deals in shadowy corners to transport stolen or salvaged metal across borders for outrageous prices. This illicit trade further complicates the situation, as authorities struggle to maintain control and prevent the black market from undermining the official supply lines. The consequences, therefore, should one be caught, are... severe, but the allure of such ludicrous profit potential ensures that this black market continues to thrive.