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Beskar Ingots
Location: Nevarro
Date: 9 ABY
For generations, the warriors of Mandalore wore armor made from beskar, a metal alloy capable of deflecting blaster fire and even lightsaber blades. Although prominently utilized during the Mandalorian conflict with the Jedi Order, beskar’s prevalence predates that ancient war and long outlasted the tension between the people of Mandalore and the Force users.
During the Siege of Mandalore in the waning days of the Clone Wars, the former Jedi Ahsoka Tano joined with the heir to the Mandalorian throne, Bo-Katan Kryze, to free the world from its dictatorial usurper, Maul. However, a new enemy soon arrived to dominate the citizens of Mandalore—the Empire. For a time, the clans successfully resisted Imperial occupation, led by Kryze, who wielded the legendary Darksaber. After she was unseated and Mandalore was laid to waste, she was blamed for accepting the throne without earning the right in battle. The story of the Lady Kryze became a cautionary tale told to children.
In what came to be known among the survivors—mostly descendants of the cloistered Death Watch, who lived on the moon of Concordia—as the Night of a Thousand Tears, the Empire destroyed Mandalore. Beskar armor was no defense against the bombardment. Imperials named the attack the Great Purge, using the genocide of an entire people to deter unrest on other worlds.
Beskar ingots are rare, but could still be found in the days of the New Republic, evidence of the Empire’s past dominance. Mandalorian beskar was melted down into blocks stamped with the Imperial crest. Although the Empire enjoyed gloating about its domination of Mandalore and marking its most precious metal as its own, there is no evidence of Imperials utilizing beskar for armor. It is possible that the Empire had difficulty finding an armorer capable of shaping the metal into its strongest form.
After the Empire’s reign ended, some ingots made their way into Mandalorian hands and were made into gleaming new armor by the few remaining artisans. Dating back to a time of Mandalorian prosperity, these armorers were revered and kept their knowledge closely guarded. For them, creating beskar armor was essentially an act of worship.
