Aleksium
First discovered near the Warnach Mountains of the Strica Seaboard (the discovery site being marked by a petrified tree called the Silverwood), aleksium is the antithesis to magic. It actively absorbs mojy from the things –- living or otherwise –– around it. For foja and people with a strong affinity for magic, this can be devastating. Depending on the purity of the aleksium, it can even affect those who don’t have has much of a connection, although not nearly as drastically or quickly. Because there’s so much aleksium in the Warnach Mountains and the Barrenwood, life there is unable to form or survive.
The effects of aleksium on those who don’t have much of a connection to magic are relatively small, except for prolonged exposure and/or in massive doses. Because of this, aleksium armor has become a rare but valuable commodity. Before the civil war, aleksium armor and weapons were heavily regulated by the Council of Magistry. Once the civil war broke out, the Black Legion, true to their name, began forging aleksium tools en masse. When Ragna took the throne, she removed many of the restrictions on aleksium. Now, Kiman exports of aleksium armor and weapons to the eastern continent bring in hundreds of thousands of funds every year.
Aleksium was so heavily regulated in the first place due to its effect on Kimans attuned to magic. The stronger and more cultivated the mage’s mojy abilities, the worse the effect. Depending on the strength of the mage, heavy aleksium exposure can kill within hours. During Ragna’s reign, aleksium tools have become effective torture devices. Aleksium armor is impenetrable by magical forces, and protects the wearer even from blood magic siphoning. Weapons made of the material can permanently scar, disfigure, or instantly kill a mage. A relatively new invention, arrows and daggers tipped with aleksium flakes can even poison the blood of a magical target, leading to a slow and agonizing death.
