Orcansteel

"So what exactly is your armour made from? Orichalcum?"

"Hah! I doubt Malacath himself could forge an armour so fine from that material. This stuff's probably some invention of the Lord Battlemage". Orcansteel was a metal alloy produced by the Autumnshade Coven, which was used to make the ominous looking heavy armour worn by some of the coven's most elite members.

History
Originally invented by the Dwemer themselves, Orcansteel was a fusion of Orichalcum and their existing dwarven alloys. The metal produced was strong and yet flexible, combining the beneficial traits of its parent metals. However much of the materials used in its creation were wasted, causing many to view the experiments as a failure. This, along with the more promising research into more peculiar materials such as Aetherium, resulted in the alloy's research being terminated. Despite this, the art of producing and manipulating Orcansteel was not lost, with the information being stored in at least one Dwarven Lexicon.

Rediscovery
When the Lexicon was found by Mogrith the Crooked and his coven in 4E 181, Orcansteel was one of the first works of the Dwemer that were to be deciphered from the artifact; one of the few technologies that became available to the Autumnshade Coven before the Activation. Seeing potential in this new discovery, the Battlemage entrusted the coven's finest smiths to produce more of the material. Using the scrap metal found around Avanchnzel and the Orichalcum from Largashbur's abandoned mine, they were able to procure a moderate quantity of the metal, but far from enough to armour the entire coven.

The first set of traditional Orcansteel armour was given to Korbus, the first Gatherer, and afterwards it become symbolic of the division, with each member adorning the armour. As their numbers swelled, production of the material increased, prompting further expansion and trade for the coven. The art of producing the metal was kept a secret to the rest of the province, with many mistaking the armours main component for Ebony or plain Orichalcum.

Applications
Orcansteel was durable, heavy and yet flexible, making it ideal for armour. Possessing a high melting point and requiring several components, The material was costly to produce for even the Dwemer, meaning that it could never be produced in large amounts. The Autumnshade Coven were able to bypass these issues due to their powerful smelters, and nearby sources of Orichalcum and dwarven metal.

It was notably never used as a material for weapons. This may be due to several factors, the most likely of which was that Mogrith condemed physical combat, and did not want to waste what Orcansteel he had on melee instruments. It may also just be too blunt a metal for making weapons.

Armour variants
Traditional Resembles traditional dwarven armour, but with a dark grey texture. Designed to be protective, concealing and most of all intimidating. If a helmet is worn the armour can completely conceal its suitor from the sun. This also makes the armour airtight, though this is not an issue, as its wearer is always undead. This variant is worn by the Autumnshade Coven's Gatherers, and is the most common set.

Plated armour Smooth in appearance and lighter for the wearer than the traditional variant. Designed to be ideal for melee combatants. Features dwarven metal on the chestpiece and helmet, which contrasts with the Orcansteel that composes the rest of the armour. Worn by War Chieftains and some special operatives. First used by Hreffna the Night-Claimed after her induction into the coven.

Trivia

 * Due to it seemingly being easy to aquire information about the material from the Lexicon, it is fair to assume that the Dwemer held little concern about keeping their experiments on Orcansteel private. At the same time, the fact it was preserved inside a Lexicon suggests that they wished to preserve the knowledge for future generations.
 * Although 'Orcansteel' is the title given by the Autumnshade Coven, no dwarven alternative has been revealed, so the metal is always referred to as such.