Electrum

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Electrum
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Materials
Official Name Electrum
Common Nicknames Magi-metal, Allorn Gold
Origin Daen
Uses Utility, Decoration
Rarity Uncommon
Accessibility Middle and Upper Classes

Electrum is a naturally-occuring alloy of Silver and Gold which has been known to the major players of Aloria for centuries. Once wielded by the Altalar in their unique technology, known as Magitech, its use gradually fell back into solely serving as a decorative metal until it roared back into relevance with the Altalar’s rediscovery of Magitech. With a varying color based on the Gold or Silver content a piece of the material has, Electrum’s role in Aloria is likely to grow in importance as the Allorn Empire has been declared and Magitech’s role is to expand across this returned super-state.

History

Electrum was one of many unique minerals harvested from the earth by the earliest civilizations known to Aloria following the Fourth Void Invasion. The Allorn and Dewamenet Empires, however, used them in different ways as was befitting their individual focus. Avoiding the use of Magic, the ancient Asha used Electrum largely as a decorative tool, using it to tip and gild their greatest structures, and for more mundane objects used by the upper classes and their servants. The Altalar instead took to wielding Electrum as part of their mysterious form of technology known as Magitech. Electrum was also first manufactured by the Allorn, the processes supposedly revealed by the first Avatar of Sca’Elle, and it soon came in handy. When the conflict between the two ancient peoples took place, Asha machines battled against sparse but still present Altalar machines, each using different sources of power. Ultimately, the Altalar were victorious and harvested Asha lands for sources of Gold, Silver, and Electrum wherever they could find it on top of many other actions However, either due to a growing dislike for technology or some limits of the craft, Magitech and its application across the Allorn Empire gradually decreased. By the end of the Consolidation, all that remained of this knowledge were scattered experts, either unwilling or not allowed to teach others their art, and machines which now, would grow ancient and tarnish, yet still serve their old purposes.

For generations, this remained the case. Throughout the fall of the Empire and then the rise of the Ailor following the Cataclysm, the artform of Magitech was lost. Across this period, Electrum became exclusively used as a decorative metal, not quite Silver and not quite Gold, allowing it to often pass the culture test of Altalar Type and Altalar-adjacent societies like the Ithanians who put great meaning on these metals. The Ailor of Aloria too found Electrum to be a regal, interesting metal, but one sparsely mined across Aloria. It was only beginning in the fourth century AC that Magitech returned and Electrum’s role was once again redefined. Lesarra scholars working for Altalar who now feared the rising Regalian Empire made great progress, and by the time of the Altalar-Regalian War, Magitech had fully returned across much of Altalar-ruled Aloria. With the rebirth of the Allorn Empire, this has especially galvanized the use of Electrum, and it is now used to form wondrous creations for the Altalar and others who embrace Magitech while for many others, it remains a decorative metal.

Characteristics

Appearance

Natural Electrum ore appears as a dull yellow to a gleaming yellow when removed from the earth, and when bonded to other materials, it possesses a “wiry” appearance across its rough surface. Electrum can also be manufactured by mixing Gold and Silver in a complex but well-understood process. Upon being refined, Electrum’s color differs depending on the amount of Silver within it. However, with modern refinement techniques, its coloration is often a universal warm yellow tone, close to a golden hue.

General Uses

The best-known use for Electrum is in the creation of Magitech machines. Unlike works of Clockwork or Steamtech, Magitech devices are made with smaller, loose parts forged of Electrum which is then held together by sparking blue, white, or red magical light. The other major use for Electrum is in decoration, often self-decoration in the form of jewelry, but also room decor in the form of cups, bowls, pitchers, and similar vessels. The material is also sometimes used by the modern Asha to cap their buildings.

Abilities

Electrum can conduct the Magic involved in the creation of Magitech, and while some stories might claim it has the ability to conduct all types of Spells and more, this is untrue. Electrum has also been known to conduct electricity.

Trivia

  • The usage of Electrum as money is not unknown to Aloria but has rarely lasted long. Some believe the Sariyd Empire used the metal for this purpose, but their destruction has doubtlessly buried any evidence of this.
  • Some ancient Altalar burial sites are known for their Electrum grave goods, and overall, ancient Allorn ruins have shown themselves to be an excellent place for the discovery of ancient, lost Altalar Magitech devices.

Accreditation
Writers HydraLana
Processors Acosmism, MantaRey
Last Editor HydraLana on 11/6/2021.

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