1. Valyrian Steel Is Inspired By A Real Metal
Valyrian steel is an amazingly strong metal; incredibly sharp yet incredibly light. It's one of the only known materials that can slay White Walkers (along with Dragonglass) so you can bet it'll continue to be fairly important. Like Wildfire, it seems that Valyrian steel has its roots firmly in real-life weaponry, specifically swords forged with Damascus steel. Damascus steel was developed in India and the Middle East using wootz steel, and was characterized by its wavy pattern, reminiscent of flowing water. Fascinatingly, the technique of creating Damascus steel has actually been lost, just like the secret of forging Valyrian steel was lost in the Doom of Valyria. Production declined until around 1750 when it ceased being made all together. Currently, there are various assumptions about the creation process, but the exact conditions and technique are no longer known.
Brian Wilson
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Commonly found reading, sitting firmly in a seat at the cinema (bottle of water and a Freddo bar, please) or listening to the Mountain Goats.
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Brian