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Perfected Metals

Overview

Mages in antiquity Perfected these seven metals by drawing them back and forth through the Twilight (or some other realm), which would imbue the metals with power. In modern times, mages use a simple spell (shown below) to much the same effect; however, those who wish to avoid the spell being disrupted return to the old practice.

Hone the Perfected Form (Matter 3)
Practice: Patterning
Primary Factor: Duration
Cost: One mana
Suggested Rote Skills: Crafts, Occult, Science
The mage takes an ordinary piece of metal and transmutes it into its perfected form. The spell affects a single continuous piece of metal that fits within the spell’s Scale factor.
+2 Reach: The spell may Perfect another substance, such as glass or gemstones. If the spell also includes Forces 3, it may Perfect fire. Other, stranger substances may be Perfected with additional Arcana at the Storyteller’s discretion. 

Each of the following metals is associated with at least one of the five Paths, though these associations do not seem to have any affinity to those Paths' Ruling Arcana.

  • Orichalcum: Perfected gold is similar in luster to its unperfected form and can be similarly spun into fine threads or pounded into thin leaves. It is chemically inert and impervious to corrosion. This metal is associated with the Aether. Orichalcum offers a +2 tool Yantra for spells cast upon itself, and its Durability cannot be reduced by nonmagical means.
  • Lunargent: Heavily associated with Arcadia, Perfected silver bears a mirrored surface and a bluish hue. Similarly to orichalcum, lunargent can be spun into threads. Additionally, it is sturdier than normal silver and can be forged into weapons that do not easily lose their edge. Lunargent offers a +2 tool Yantra for spells associated with seeing other places, other times, and across the Gauntlet. Additionally, it reflects things in Twilight.
  • Hermium: This metal is formed when mercury is Perfected. Bearing a silvery sheen and greater fluidity than its mundane counterpart, hermium, which acts as a superfluid, can flow frictionlessly through the smallest of openings to recombine when separated. It can form amalgams when put in contact with other Perfected metals but does not react with non-Perfected ones; these amalgams retain the properties of both Perfected metals, unlike in alloys. Hermium offers a +2 tool Yantra for shapeshifting and transformation spells. It is associated with both Arcadia and Pandemonium.
  • Brontium: Perfected copper shines a bright, fiery red. Associated with the Primal Wild, Brontium is a perfect conductor of heat and electricity and is chemically inert. Brontium offers a +2 tool Yantra to spells that deflect, protect, or redirect magic. Additionally, items crafted of Brontium grant the user a +2 bonus to defend against debilitating effects.
  • Kassiterum: This metal, formed by Perfecting tin, has a glossy, wet look and is nearly white in color. It can be melted and formed easily and never has any inclusions or weak points. Once set, the metal is incredibly hard and resistant to breakage. The only stronger metal is siderite. Kassiterum is associated with both Stygia and the Primal Wild. It has a special association with summoning, not just from Stygia and the Primal Wild, but any Supernal World and even the ephemeral worlds. Kassiterum offers a +2 tool Yantra on summoning spells and drains one Essence per turn from any ephemeral being it touches.
  • Apeiron: Perfected lead does not oxidize the way normal lead does, always keeping its shiny blue-white color. It is not chemically inert, though it absorbs ions perfectly. At any thickness, apeiron works as perfect shielding to radiation and heat. As lead is associated with Stygia, so is apeiron. Apeiron offers a +2 tool Yantra to spells concerning plasticity, tool use, and crafting. It can be shaped by hand and provides 8-again on mundane rolls when made into a tool.
  • Siderite: Siderite is Perfected iron or steel. Unlustrous, siderite appears the same as normal worked iron. It is the hardest and strongest of all the Perfected metals and always holds an edge that never dulls. It can cut through diamonds, the finest mundane steel, and even Kassiterum. Siderite is so strong it cannot be melted, even with magical heat. It must be hammered into a desired shape through heating and cooling. As iron is associated with the Realm of Pandemonium, so is siderite. Siderite offers a +2 tool Yantra to spells concerning strengthening or protecting materials. It can cut through anything, ignoring the Durability of an object.

Perfected Alloys

The Perfected metals do not react or alloy with other metals or elements without magical assistance, except in the case of Hermium, which can alloy with any of the other Perfected metals to create amalgams. After experimenting with Hermium, ancient mages developed spells to artificially alloy the Perfected metals as well, although these alloys are distinct from Hermium-based amalgams. Magical alloys of Perfected metals have distinct properties and lose the base properties of the metals that go into creating them.

  • Thaumium: An alloy of orichalcum, lunargent, and hermium, this metal stores Mana to use in protecting its bearer from harmful spells.
  • Sophis: This alloy, formed of apeiron, brontium, and hermium, stores Mana to be used in reinforcing the object's Durability.
  • Dumanium: Alloyed from hermium, kassiterum, and siderite, dumanium can expend its stored mana to boost its Durability, Mana capacity, or equipment bonus. As armor, it can increase the rating with said mana; as a weapon, the damage type can be upgrade to aggravated for one attack.

Other Perfected Materials

Over centuries of research, Mages have found a handful of other materials capable of being Perfected.

  • Acid: Perfected acid is completely corrosive. Mundane containers cannot contain it in aqueous form, as its protons dissociate even the most stable substances. A single drop of Perfected acid can create explosive effects with normally reactive substances.
  • Fire: Perfected fire is pure white in color and super-heated, though the size of the fire does not increase with Perfecting. This intense fire burns oxygen rapidly and burns for under a minute when in an enclosed space, removing all oxygen from the area, then going out. If touched, the fire deals aggravated damage that ignores armor, and counts as a fire of twice its actual size.
  • Gems: Certain Perfected gemstones look no different than the mundane variety. Most contain a perfect color and clarity not found in nature. The stones are harder than their mundane counterparts.
  • Glass: Perfected glass, or “Adamant,” is perfectly translucent and does not refract light passing through it at all, making it nearly impossible to see. It is extremely hard and resistant to impact. Weapons made of mundane materials do not even scratch the surface. Diamonds can cut it, and so can many of the Perfected metals.
  • Leather: Perfected leather is soft and pliable, but extremely sturdy. Items made of the material absorb shock perfectly granting immunity to crushing or bashing blows. The material can be punctured with enough force from a bullet, though.
  • Mirror: A Perfected mirror reflects images perfectly without distorting the image or the color.
  • Stone: Perfected stone is more durable and denser than mundane stone. Structures built of Perfected stone have a +1 Durability.
  • Water: Perfected water, or “Alkahest” serves as a true universal solvent, able to dissolve any other substance, except other Perfected materials.
  • Wood: Perfected wood is both supple enough to carve easily and hard enough to prevent breakage or scratching from most mundane weapons. It does not burn easily, requiring extremely high temperatures to combust