Orichalcum

Orichalcum, also known as Red Gold, is one of the arcane metals mined in Creoda. It is unique in its ability to collect and store magical power. It is most often used in the practice of Naga Alchemy to collect power from natural phenomena and transfer it (with the aid of Leechleaf Juice) into a prepared formula, empowering it and allowing it to convert that energy into a variety of magical effects. The orichalcum must be attuned to the natural phenomenon that it will gather energy from, such as fire, blood, or sunlight. Orichalcum that has been so attuned is called "Forged Orichalcum", usually with a prefix associated to the attunement, such as Fire-Forged Orichalcum. The orichalcum will then gather magical energy when immersed in the attuned phenomena. One limitation is that it can only empower formula that are compatible with the specific energy, so an alchemist must use Fire-Forged Orichalcum for fire magic, or Blood-Forged Orichalcum for healing magic.

Orichalcum, along with the other arcane metals (Mythrral, Adamant, and Aetherrum) is a product of the Fodinae Profundae, or Deep Mines. These mines were first exploited by the Clarati sorcerer Illustrata. He identified the location of the Fodinae Profundae, and directed the initial excavations and extraction of the various arcane metals found there. These mines are extremely dangerous - they are one of the Wild Places of the world, and are particularly known to create physical manifestations of fears and nightmares in their depths. Some who are familiar with the workings of the Egregoric Force suspect that Illustrata didn't just discover the mines, but actively engineered their existence, harnessing the beliefs of his subjects to create the deposits of arcane metals he wished to exploit.

Those who work in the Fodinae Profundae learn to school their thoughts and emotions, and to never follow the mine's manifestations into the dark. Stray thoughts can become real within the the deep mines, and the unwary are often tempted to follow them into the dark. Some people find the ghosts of lost loves in the dark, while others chase ethereal music or phantom lights. Just as often, monsters emerge from the shadows to pursue and harry miners, driving them ever deeper beneath the earth. A disciplined mind can usually ignore these illusions, in which case they will usually pass away after a moment or two. The real danger is when one of the miners acknowledges one of the figments as real. Their belief in the manifestation gives it substance, and what was a harmless illusion can transform into a deadly reality. The first months in the mines are the most dangerous - the other miners will refuse to work near new hands until they have proven their ability to dismiss the illusions, and many miners are not up to the task, disappearing after the ghosts of their own thoughts, or eviscerated by their own nightmares. Only the vast value of the Arcane Metals make it worthwhile to continue mining the Fodinae Profundae.

Type

Metal

Related Technologies

• Alchemy