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Here is the definition of aesirium from the NEW Out of the Shadows “Glossary & Pronunciation Guide”:

aesirium: (ǝ•sîr′•ē•ǝm) n. Light, strong metal mined and forged by the Gignos gnomes in the Cragdern Mountains.

Obviously, there is more to aesirium than that simple definition. When I was writing The Elysian Chronicles: Out of the Shadows, I had a few plot issues I needed to solve:

I needed a good reason Cragdern (the gnomes’ country) would remain neutral in Elysia‘s war against the mornachts–aside from trade. Trade with the mornacht culture simply could not be as profitable as trade with Elysia–especially with Elysia’s massive amounts of military spending. When I divided the gnomes into clans, I discovered a good reason: money and power. If the Emperor’s clan (the Nibelung) stood to lose power to Klous’s Gignos clan due to the Gignos ability to mine and forge something cherubians desperately needed, trade embargoes against Elysia would cement the Emperor’s power.

In “Chapter 15: The Mole Underground,” Klous explains this to Davian, Marcus, Tyce, and Theo:

“Now, we Gignos originally only found silver, diamonds, sapphires, and aquamarines in our mountains, but one day, we discovered aesirium. Aesirium melts at a heat higher than other ores, and it’s difficult to refine. Only our most skilled gnomes can work it. And this is the key part of Cragdern’s history: when Ezzer heard of the material, he wanted it for his army, and we were happy to make it for him. Our trade with Elysia soon made us wealthier than the other clans. It incited the jealousy of the Nibelung, who controlled Cragdern. The Nibelung wanted to stop us from trading with the cherubians. Ezzer gave them the perfect excuse when he banished the gnomes from Earth.”

I needed to give Davian and his little band of merry men (yes, Robin Hood was a bit of an influence) a military advantage over the big bad dictator (trying not to add spoilers here). They had several disadvantages, and lighter armor would make it easier for them to fly. When Davian helps Klous escape from the Dungeon of Enbed, Klous and his clan furnish Davian with special aesirium armor.

From “Chapter 15: The Mole Underground”:

Davian sat on his bed, holding a brand new helmet made of silvery metal and waited for Marcus to finish his bath. The helmet was shaped like a hawk’s head with feather engravings and a beak that pointed above the forehead. A breastplate of the same metal and engravings and boot covers made to resemble talons, lay on the bed. Davian rubbed his hand hypnotically across the helmet’s top as though polishing it with an invisible rag. He broke out of his trance when Marcus emerged. “Cozy in there, isn’t it?”

Marcus scowled and held up a gnomish bath brush. “I could almost brush my teeth with this.” He donned his own greenish-brown kilt and tunic. “How did they know we don’t wear LAF uniforms?”

“Klous had to endure listening to me in those mineshafts for five years, too. You’ll notice they didn’t give me a silver kilt.”

Marcus grabbed the breastplate that lay on his bed. “This armor looks familiar.”

Davian’s strange stare returned. “The last cherubian to wear armor like this was Ezzer.”

Marcus snapped his fingers. “That’s where I recognize it! The Statue of Ezzer in the palace courtyard. All of the ancient heroes wore those helmets. Where did they find this?”

“The Gignos once furnished Ezzer and his armies with armor. They pulled out their old moldings and forged some for us. Same metal, too.”

“What is it?”

“Aesirium. Like my ring. It’s lighter than iron and bronze and much harder. Makes it easier to fly.”

Marcus gazed at his breastplate. “Edenian armor… We’ll need to paint it bronze if we want to hide in the bushes.”

Davian shook his head. “It looks white when you look straight at it up close. From far away, it blends into its surroundings. Go to the other side of the room.”

Marcus limped to the other side of the room and his mouth fell open. “That’s amazing. You look like part of the room!” He limped back to Davian and donned the breastplate, moving his chest around inside it. “Just enough wiggle room. You’re right. It feels much lighter than I expected. Low-hovering will be easy.”

“And it doesn’t scratch—meaning we’ll always look like WET-lackeys.”

I wanted to pay homage to JRR Tolkien. Can I hear a “mithril” from anyone?

Why did I call it Aesirium? I did some research on names of metals and discovered many of the newer metals are named after Greek gods and mythological characters (i.e. titanium). I decided that since I’ve been pulling from Norwegian mythology, I might as well name this new metal after the Norwegian gods: the Aesir, as they were called.

Fantasy, steampunk, and paranormal novelist M. B. Weston is the author of The Elysian Chronicles, a fantasy series about guardian angel warfare and treason. Weston is also the hose of The Final Cut In Movies radio show that airs on TMV Cafe Monday nights at 8:00 EST. For more information on M. B. Weston, visit www.mbweston.com. To receive notification of M. B. Weston’s book releases click here to subscribe to Dark Oak Press & Media’s e-newsletter.