Archgold
Archgold is a rare and and valuable metal similar in appearance to gold. It is a lustrous orange-yellow color, soft, and easily worked with. Though this on its own made it a fairly valuable item for jewelry, decorations, and minting, archgold is primarily valued for its magical properties.
Archgold is an incredibly potent conductor of arcane energy, allowing it to be much more easily enchanted than other metal. Once properly forged, archgold hardens into a slightly glittering black color, and its shape is 'locked'. Recycling of archgold is extremely difficult, as the pathways for arcane energy cannot be adjusted.
History & Usage
History
Archgold is found deep underground, primarily in the Underdark, and is relatively rare even there. Prior to the discovery of its magical properties, archgold was a popular metal for jewelry, and valued above similar pieces made of gold or platinum.
Because it is difficult to reforge archgold, it has become more scarce in modern times.
The usage of archgold for enchanting was perfected largely by mages in Indo for use in their war in the Spellscar.
Reusability & Recycling
Reforging archgold is difficult, and in some cases it can be impossible. When forged properly, the arcane pathways of archgold are burned into the material - the very thing that makes it so useful for enchantments. This creates an extremely effective pathway.
Unfortunately, melting or reforging archgold cannot replicate the reaction that causes this. The pathways become jumbled, crooked, or broken, and are no longer suitable for any kind of use.
Archgold can sometimes be repurposed for similar uses by cutting it and fusing it onto a similar piece. A destroyed Balefire Engine might be able to be repaired with an undamaged piece from another engine, but it would be difficult to use the shards for much else.
To this end, there is a small market for archgold components - simple enchanted pieces that solve common problems, meant to be slotted into larger designs.
Type
Metal
Odor
None
Taste
Tart, like a citrus fruit
Color
Orange-gold, or shiny black when forged
Related Locations
Related Technologies
