Post by Toz76 on Sept 1, 2023 5:08:15 GMT -5
The ALLOYS are a part of 3WSR lore that goes back ages. Created by the original Man In Black, Arthur Blackson, these ten alloys were the result of rigorous experimentation and became widely spread among the magic world. But actually finding information about the alloys is a bit of a pain. So here, I'm gonna go in depth on everything we know about the 3WSR alloys, plus some new stuff I made up.
In the old canon, the recipe for forging each alloy was a closely guarded secret, held only by the colorfolk. However, I always felt that this was a bit of an arbitrary restriction. In the TozWSR/BBB canon(s), the ores were created by Arthur Blackson, but have been proliferated over the years. As proof of this, I will include a partial list of ingredients for each ore.
Each ore, with the surprising execption of Viktrium, is made of at least one obscure material not known to normals, such as Cold Iron (used to fight hellspawn and the undead), Orichalcum (used as a conduit of ancient magics), Necrotizing Bronze (a byproduct of many magical rituals involving sulfur and monster bones), and Fell Resin (a material secreted by the creatures of the Fell Hives, extracted and refined at great risk). In addition, to properly forge these alloys, the Rites of Blackson must be observed throughout the entire process. In particular, the forge must be built on a hotspot of elemental fire, the forging process must begin under a full moon, the smith must bear the Mark of Randow, and the forge must be lit with flowers from the Freinie plant.
RADMIIUM (three parts orichalcum, two parts iron, one part silver, plus the Rites of Blackson)
From the Ordonian "Radmã" (RAD-may), meaning "confine", Radmiium nullifies teleportation. More precisely, magic that displaces, teleports, or opens portals is nullified when near a sufficient quantity of Radmiium. A cell lined with small amounts of Radmiium can completely block teleportation in and out. Since teleportation magic has largely been lost to time by the 21st century, and portal magic is highly regulated by the Magic Underground, Radmiium is primarily used by Majika Supremus in the construction of their prisons and holding cells.
VIKTRIUM (three parts iron, two parts copper, one part silver, plus the Rites of Blackson)
From the Ordonian "Biktrã" (VIC-tray), meaning "tremor", Viktrium vibrates on the atomic level, rendering it able to cut through near everything. The only thing that readily stop it is more Viktrium, or another alloy we'll get to shortly. Viktrium is often used to forge weapons that can cut through armor, such as swords and axes. Experimentation with Viktrium-tipped bullets was conducted during the 1970s, but the vibration would often damage the bullet mid-flight, rendering it useless. FUN FACT: some linguists believe that the word "Biktrã" eventually evolved into the English word "victory", due to its association with the armor-slicing metal.
VALLERIUM (three parts necrotizing bronze, three parts steel, two parts steel, two parts gold, plus the Rites of Blackson)
From the Ordonian "Baler" (VA-ler), meaning "weak", Vallerium nullifies magical energies. When someone makes contact with Vallerium with their bare skin, their ability to manipulate magic is nullified. In general, this is something to be avoided, but it has niche uses in purging mind control and other undesirable spells. Its main use case, though, is in incarceration. Many mage factions who fancy themselves peacekeepers forge handcuffs and bracelets from this material to non-fatally defeat dangerous evil mages. Rumor has it that the Guild of Damoni are working on a microscopic, injectable form of Vallerium that could permanently remove magical ability of those who it is injected into. The Guild has dismissed these rumors as fearmongering, but between you and me, that's canon.
TRAFNIUM (three parts copper, two parts cold iron, one part Fell Resin, plus the Rites of Blackson)
From the Ordonian "Trafnã" (TRAF-nay), a rare berry with healing properties (in modern English, this berry is called "Tracnak", due to Ogrish influence on the language). Trafnium is a metal capable of regenerating itself over time. Although it's not especially durable and widely considered to be "kinda ugly", its resistance to corrosion coupled with its regenerative traits have led to it being used in a number of ways, from experimental armor that fixes itself to plumbing that can theoretically last forever.
AVRENIUM (three parts Fell Resin, three parts copper, one part gold, plus the Rites of Blackson)
From the Ordonian "Abren" (AHV-ren), meaning "strength". Extremely heavy, but also extremely strong, nothing can cut through it, not even Viktrium. Unfortunately, it's so heavy that it's mostly impractical as armor, and a pain to work with since it cannot be reshaped once cooled. As such, Avrenium is mostly used for foundations of buildings, although the Guild of Damoni has built an experimental tank armored in Avrenium. FUN FACT: Arthur Blackson famously forged a half-dozen sets of Avrenium armor for some of the colorfolk, but it proved to be a massive undertaking that caused shortages of Fell Resin on Ordos for decades. Four sets of this armor is now on display in the Magic Underground Museum of History, as an example of the marvels of Blackson's craftsmanship.
GRESMIUM (three parts iron, two parts necrotizing bronze, one part Fell Resin, plus the Rites of Blackson)
Etymology debated, may originate from the Fey Tongue. Gresmium bends light around it, effectively rendering it invisible to the untrained eye. While theoretically quite useful, in practice it is possible to train the eye to see through it, meaning the enemy can sometimes see whatever you're hiding while your allies can't. This led to one of the very few battlefield losses for the Prismatic Knights, 1154's Battle of Ebmouth, wherein at least three Prismatic Knights died preventable deaths from battlefield injuries because their allies could not find them due to their Gresmium armor. FUN FACT: Despite the risk, at least two Prismatic Knights incorporate Gresmium into all their official armor. For more information, please look for the book The Man In Infrared Paradox and Other Mysteries, out at Tanjen Publishing this winter.
BURKADIUM (equal parts Fell Resin, iron, and gold, plus the Rites of Blackson)
From the obscure Ordonian term "Zurkad" (zur-KAD), meaning either "frantic" or "desperate" (this word phased out of use in the 1300s and is only known from three partial texts from the colorfolk archives). The way Burkadium works has never been fully understood, but it appears to be able to hold an extraordinary amount of magic power, exponentially increasing the power of the wielder, sometimes to thousands of carranods of magic force. However, this power is difficult to control and can often destroy the user if used improperly or for too long. For safe usage, Burkadium must be treated like radioactive material, with direct exposure limited to a few days a year and active use on a scale of minutes. In a pinch, Burkadium can give one man the power to destroy a small army, if that man is okay with burning to a cinder immediately afterward.
WATLIUM (three parts silver, three parts gold, one part Fell Resin, one part cold iron, plus the Rites of Blackson)
From the Ordonian Ƿat (Wat, rhymes with pat), meaning "money" (originally a term for an Ordonian coin, equal in value to five skꙮc). Watlium is a paradoxically lightweight, durable metal with a distinctive reddish tint, almost impossible to forge and too expensive to duplicate, so it became popular as a standard currency in the magical world. While the Magic Underground has largely drifted to paper money, the Deszeld Empire is known to back its currency with the Watlium standard, and most of the non-imperial regions of Magykka also use Watlium (with the Magykkan Caliphate being the only significant execption).
CORFDIUM (equal parts orichalcum, iron, and necrotizing bronze, plus the Rites of Blackson)
Eytmology debated, this odd word is suspected to be a scribe error that was replicated and never caught. Corfdrium is a uniquely effective conductor of magical energy. In particular, a magical current ran through a Corfdrium coil will produce a fairly strong yellow light, making it a safer alternative to torches. The Great Hall of the Prismatic Knights was lit with Corfdrium, and it is still used to this day in Deszeld City and other magical hotbeds.
GLEVDRIUM (three parts cold iron, two parts iron, one part silver)
From the Ordonian words Gleb (GLEV) and "DRV" (DRUH), meaning roughly "soul" and "ward" respectively. Glevdrium is sometimes described as a weaker version of Vallerium, but Glevdrium serves a very specific purpose. Glevdrium was created specifically to act as a nullifier to magic that violates the "four taboos" (famine magic, mind control magic, necromancy, and human sacrifice). Due to the Prismatic Knight's frequent brushes with necromancer factions, Glevdrium became best known for its anti-necromancy properties. Bodies buried with Glevdrium or in coffins lined with Glevdrium cannot be reanimated by necromancers. Additionally, when fighting necromancers, mages often wear a small amount of Glevdrium, so if they fall in battle they can not be reanimated and turned on their allies. FUN FACT: In the old canon, where evil was a tangible, measurable force called the "Black Stuff", Glevdrium was useful in banishing the black stuff. In TozWSR and BBB, where the Black Stuff doesn't exist, Glevdrium is nonetheless believed to have anti-evil properties, and mages view the stuff with a degree of positive superstition. For example, a farmer may insist upon using a Glevdrium hoe in the belief that it will ward his crops from famine magic, despite the fact that the trace amounts of Glevdrium that might end up in the soil are not enough to actually stop famine magic on their own.
Now you know everything there is to know about the alloys. Probably. I'm sure there are questions, and Frank will probably correct me in the discord if I got something wrong. But I think this should be enough to fill everyone in on what each alloy does without being too overwhelming.
Tune in next time for OBOE LORE, OCHRE LORE, OWNER LORE, and OVER LORE
In the old canon, the recipe for forging each alloy was a closely guarded secret, held only by the colorfolk. However, I always felt that this was a bit of an arbitrary restriction. In the TozWSR/BBB canon(s), the ores were created by Arthur Blackson, but have been proliferated over the years. As proof of this, I will include a partial list of ingredients for each ore.
Each ore, with the surprising execption of Viktrium, is made of at least one obscure material not known to normals, such as Cold Iron (used to fight hellspawn and the undead), Orichalcum (used as a conduit of ancient magics), Necrotizing Bronze (a byproduct of many magical rituals involving sulfur and monster bones), and Fell Resin (a material secreted by the creatures of the Fell Hives, extracted and refined at great risk). In addition, to properly forge these alloys, the Rites of Blackson must be observed throughout the entire process. In particular, the forge must be built on a hotspot of elemental fire, the forging process must begin under a full moon, the smith must bear the Mark of Randow, and the forge must be lit with flowers from the Freinie plant.
RADMIIUM (three parts orichalcum, two parts iron, one part silver, plus the Rites of Blackson)
From the Ordonian "Radmã" (RAD-may), meaning "confine", Radmiium nullifies teleportation. More precisely, magic that displaces, teleports, or opens portals is nullified when near a sufficient quantity of Radmiium. A cell lined with small amounts of Radmiium can completely block teleportation in and out. Since teleportation magic has largely been lost to time by the 21st century, and portal magic is highly regulated by the Magic Underground, Radmiium is primarily used by Majika Supremus in the construction of their prisons and holding cells.
VIKTRIUM (three parts iron, two parts copper, one part silver, plus the Rites of Blackson)
From the Ordonian "Biktrã" (VIC-tray), meaning "tremor", Viktrium vibrates on the atomic level, rendering it able to cut through near everything. The only thing that readily stop it is more Viktrium, or another alloy we'll get to shortly. Viktrium is often used to forge weapons that can cut through armor, such as swords and axes. Experimentation with Viktrium-tipped bullets was conducted during the 1970s, but the vibration would often damage the bullet mid-flight, rendering it useless. FUN FACT: some linguists believe that the word "Biktrã" eventually evolved into the English word "victory", due to its association with the armor-slicing metal.
VALLERIUM (three parts necrotizing bronze, three parts steel, two parts steel, two parts gold, plus the Rites of Blackson)
From the Ordonian "Baler" (VA-ler), meaning "weak", Vallerium nullifies magical energies. When someone makes contact with Vallerium with their bare skin, their ability to manipulate magic is nullified. In general, this is something to be avoided, but it has niche uses in purging mind control and other undesirable spells. Its main use case, though, is in incarceration. Many mage factions who fancy themselves peacekeepers forge handcuffs and bracelets from this material to non-fatally defeat dangerous evil mages. Rumor has it that the Guild of Damoni are working on a microscopic, injectable form of Vallerium that could permanently remove magical ability of those who it is injected into. The Guild has dismissed these rumors as fearmongering, but between you and me, that's canon.
TRAFNIUM (three parts copper, two parts cold iron, one part Fell Resin, plus the Rites of Blackson)
From the Ordonian "Trafnã" (TRAF-nay), a rare berry with healing properties (in modern English, this berry is called "Tracnak", due to Ogrish influence on the language). Trafnium is a metal capable of regenerating itself over time. Although it's not especially durable and widely considered to be "kinda ugly", its resistance to corrosion coupled with its regenerative traits have led to it being used in a number of ways, from experimental armor that fixes itself to plumbing that can theoretically last forever.
AVRENIUM (three parts Fell Resin, three parts copper, one part gold, plus the Rites of Blackson)
From the Ordonian "Abren" (AHV-ren), meaning "strength". Extremely heavy, but also extremely strong, nothing can cut through it, not even Viktrium. Unfortunately, it's so heavy that it's mostly impractical as armor, and a pain to work with since it cannot be reshaped once cooled. As such, Avrenium is mostly used for foundations of buildings, although the Guild of Damoni has built an experimental tank armored in Avrenium. FUN FACT: Arthur Blackson famously forged a half-dozen sets of Avrenium armor for some of the colorfolk, but it proved to be a massive undertaking that caused shortages of Fell Resin on Ordos for decades. Four sets of this armor is now on display in the Magic Underground Museum of History, as an example of the marvels of Blackson's craftsmanship.
GRESMIUM (three parts iron, two parts necrotizing bronze, one part Fell Resin, plus the Rites of Blackson)
Etymology debated, may originate from the Fey Tongue. Gresmium bends light around it, effectively rendering it invisible to the untrained eye. While theoretically quite useful, in practice it is possible to train the eye to see through it, meaning the enemy can sometimes see whatever you're hiding while your allies can't. This led to one of the very few battlefield losses for the Prismatic Knights, 1154's Battle of Ebmouth, wherein at least three Prismatic Knights died preventable deaths from battlefield injuries because their allies could not find them due to their Gresmium armor. FUN FACT: Despite the risk, at least two Prismatic Knights incorporate Gresmium into all their official armor. For more information, please look for the book The Man In Infrared Paradox and Other Mysteries, out at Tanjen Publishing this winter.
BURKADIUM (equal parts Fell Resin, iron, and gold, plus the Rites of Blackson)
From the obscure Ordonian term "Zurkad" (zur-KAD), meaning either "frantic" or "desperate" (this word phased out of use in the 1300s and is only known from three partial texts from the colorfolk archives). The way Burkadium works has never been fully understood, but it appears to be able to hold an extraordinary amount of magic power, exponentially increasing the power of the wielder, sometimes to thousands of carranods of magic force. However, this power is difficult to control and can often destroy the user if used improperly or for too long. For safe usage, Burkadium must be treated like radioactive material, with direct exposure limited to a few days a year and active use on a scale of minutes. In a pinch, Burkadium can give one man the power to destroy a small army, if that man is okay with burning to a cinder immediately afterward.
WATLIUM (three parts silver, three parts gold, one part Fell Resin, one part cold iron, plus the Rites of Blackson)
From the Ordonian Ƿat (Wat, rhymes with pat), meaning "money" (originally a term for an Ordonian coin, equal in value to five skꙮc). Watlium is a paradoxically lightweight, durable metal with a distinctive reddish tint, almost impossible to forge and too expensive to duplicate, so it became popular as a standard currency in the magical world. While the Magic Underground has largely drifted to paper money, the Deszeld Empire is known to back its currency with the Watlium standard, and most of the non-imperial regions of Magykka also use Watlium (with the Magykkan Caliphate being the only significant execption).
CORFDIUM (equal parts orichalcum, iron, and necrotizing bronze, plus the Rites of Blackson)
Eytmology debated, this odd word is suspected to be a scribe error that was replicated and never caught. Corfdrium is a uniquely effective conductor of magical energy. In particular, a magical current ran through a Corfdrium coil will produce a fairly strong yellow light, making it a safer alternative to torches. The Great Hall of the Prismatic Knights was lit with Corfdrium, and it is still used to this day in Deszeld City and other magical hotbeds.
GLEVDRIUM (three parts cold iron, two parts iron, one part silver)
From the Ordonian words Gleb (GLEV) and "DRV" (DRUH), meaning roughly "soul" and "ward" respectively. Glevdrium is sometimes described as a weaker version of Vallerium, but Glevdrium serves a very specific purpose. Glevdrium was created specifically to act as a nullifier to magic that violates the "four taboos" (famine magic, mind control magic, necromancy, and human sacrifice). Due to the Prismatic Knight's frequent brushes with necromancer factions, Glevdrium became best known for its anti-necromancy properties. Bodies buried with Glevdrium or in coffins lined with Glevdrium cannot be reanimated by necromancers. Additionally, when fighting necromancers, mages often wear a small amount of Glevdrium, so if they fall in battle they can not be reanimated and turned on their allies. FUN FACT: In the old canon, where evil was a tangible, measurable force called the "Black Stuff", Glevdrium was useful in banishing the black stuff. In TozWSR and BBB, where the Black Stuff doesn't exist, Glevdrium is nonetheless believed to have anti-evil properties, and mages view the stuff with a degree of positive superstition. For example, a farmer may insist upon using a Glevdrium hoe in the belief that it will ward his crops from famine magic, despite the fact that the trace amounts of Glevdrium that might end up in the soil are not enough to actually stop famine magic on their own.
Now you know everything there is to know about the alloys. Probably. I'm sure there are questions, and Frank will probably correct me in the discord if I got something wrong. But I think this should be enough to fill everyone in on what each alloy does without being too overwhelming.