Brida Ore (bree-duh)

This recently-discovered mineral ore has started a bit of an arcane revolution on the continent of Luuxinor, especially among the dwarven holds. First discovered in the dwarven city of Gel'Brida, this mineral seems to have a natural pool of arcane energy and can be imbued with more by skilled mages. The discovery and identification of this particular mineral in the twelfth century transformed the dwarven culture from one centered around mining and smithing to one focusing on honing arcana and magic aptitude. Though this talent is somewhat nascent among the dwarves, they are already showing promise with dedication to the arcane arts, applying their renowned aptitude and determination to learning the ways of enchanting.
Over the few centuries that dwarves have had access to this mineral, they have already begun to use it to improve life and make their cities more efficient. Gel'Brida specifically - where the mineral was first discovered and experimented with - has a rail network throughout the city powered by this mineral. Several mining machines have been built or are in prototype that also use this as batteries, and even some forges and crafting tools have begun using this to make the crafts more efficient. Other dwarven cities have found this mineral in their mines as well, creating somewhat of a "gold" rush among the non-dwarves to delve new mines and find their own source of this magical substance.

Properties

Material Characteristics

This mineral has a few different appearances that have been discovered over time. The original Brida Ore was a mostly purple mineral with splotches of green, found in mines alongside rock and precious metals. In the centuries since that first encounter, it has also been found in purely green mineral form, striped purple and green, and even a few instances of a purple and green gem-like texture. Individual deposits of Brida Ore are typically no larger than 3ft cubed at most, with the largest vein discovered to date spanning over 50 cubic yards. Within that large volume of space, the total amount of Brida Ore found was less than 25 cubic yards. This amount was enough to fully transform the city of Gel'Brida, however, and many of the original pieces are still in use in various machinery today, several hundred years after extraction.

Physical & Chemical Properties

In addition to its coloration, this mineral is noticeably cool to the touch, and when it contacts bare flesh there is a tingling sensation like static electricity. It has shown to be very stable, not flammable or otherwise volatile in its natural state. The only explosions or fires recorded have been from the machines or connected devices that the Ore powers, not from the mineral itself. That being said, sustained fires around the Brida Ore can raise its temperature and cause it to catch fire eventually, and when this happens it is impossible to extinguish until the entire mineral chunk is gone.

Geology & Geography

So far, Brida Ore has only been found underground in mines under the various mountains of the world. Its original discovery was in the Belt Mountains but subsequent veins have been found in the northern reaches of the Eastern Mountains as well as the southern areas of the Southwestern Mountains. As yet, these discoveries were all in the territory of the various Dwarven holds, though enterprising individuals are currently digging mines and exploring other mountainous areas of Luuxinor to try to find other sources that the dwarves cannot control.

Origin & Source

Brida Ore is found among the same hard rock as precious metals and most gemstones. This is typically very deep underground or underneath mountains where the rock is compressed and hard to break through. There is no indication that Brida Ore grows alongside any specific other minerals, metals, or gemstones - it has been found mingled with silver, sapphires, iron, and many other more mundane mining products.

History & Usage

History

To most of the world Brida Ore is almost mythical, since the dwarves closely guard its production and usage. The most learned scholars in large cities have likely heard of the ore and its arcane properties, as well as the various uses the dwarves have begun employing for it, but the common man may have only heard legends and stories of this ore and its magical uses. Very few non-dwarven people have been allowed to study or conduct research with the Ore, and those were mostly in the early days when the dwarves did not possess enough mages with strong enough aptitude to grasp the new uses and applications this mineral represented.
In the centuries since its discovery and first experimentation, Brida Ore has changed life for those living in the Dwarven Union quite a lot. Depending on the specific city, Brida Ore has been used to create and run a rail system making transportation must faster; to power mining machines that can be operated by fewer people, making the mining process much more efficient; to power enchantments and magical smithing that the dwarves have historically been known for; or to provide lighting and refrigeration for the stores and wealthier homes. New uses are constantly under research and development, and who knows what the next adaptation of Brida Ore technology might be!

Discovery

Brida Ore was first discovered in 1124 by a dwarven miner in Gel'Brida. Mining for precious metals and gemstones, the dwarves came upon a mineral that was unlike any they knew about or had seen before. The purple mineral, with splotches of green coloration, was neither a gemstone nor a known precious metal, so they separated it out but thought nothing more of it. Only when the sorters were going through the discarded material did someone finally touch the mineral with bare hands and notice its cool and electric feel. They quickly boxed all of this mineral and took it to the foreman, who took it to the scholars in Gel'Brida. When they did not know what this mineral was or its potential uses, they called in the few friendly non-dwarven mages they knew to consult.
Within the year, experiments had been undertaken that identified the arcane properties of Brida Ore, and various artificers began designing machines, batteries, and all manner of new uses for the Ore. A small amount was allowed to leave Gel'Brida in the hands of the consulting mages, but the vast majority of the original haul was kept in the city, and access was meted out carefully to trusted inventors and craftspeople. Small pockets of the Ore appeared in the mines every few months, but the next major vein was discovered in Gel'Starke less than a decade after the initial discovery. This vein produced almost ten cubic feet of Brida Ore, several times larger than the initial deposit in Gel'Brida, and still one of the largest ever.
As the engineers in Gel'Brida were rapidly finding new uses for this miracle mineral, they were loathe to share with other dwarven cities at first. But as the mineral was discovered in Gel'Starke and later in other dwarven holds they warmed up to the idea. With the founding of the Dwarven Union in 1228, the cooperation between the dwarven holds was codified and formalized. This included the sharing of Brida Ore and its implementations, allowing even the further dwarven cities to experience a bit of the technological revolution brought on by this material. Today, Gel'Brida still leads the way in Brida Ore technologies by a long shot, but the other cities have started to catch up. Gel'Bergenlach, which has to this day not discovered any Brida Ore in its territorial mines, is quickly becoming the premier arcane and artificer college in Luuxinor, superseding even those older institutions founded by humans and elves.

Refinement

The mineral does not need much refinement itself, as it can be used in its natural state to power devices and perform other arcane uses. Engineers who design batteries and other machines for the Ore will whittle down the raw mineral into a common shape compatible with their designs. The shavings that are trimmed off in this process become inert, losing all arcane or other supranatural properties. In fact, mages have discovered that splitting the mineral in two without heavy magical protection renders the smaller piece completely mundane and inert, so any splitting or reshaping has to be supervised very carefully to ensure the valuable material stays intact for use.

Type

Ore/Mineral

Value

1g of Brida Ore = 100g of gold

Odor

very faint citrus smell

Taste

dirt, slight citrus

Color

various shades of green and purple

Density

very light (smiliar to aluminum)

Common State

Solid (mineral or gem)