Necrotic Silver
Necrotic Silver is a rare and eerie metal known for its unearthly sheen and unnatural chill. It is said to be forged with the breath of the dead, created through a secretive and taboo process that binds pure silver with necrotic essence—the residual life-force released at the moment of death. This metal is found almost exclusively in the cold, death-saturated provinces of Noctavia, particularly near the Iceshard Dominion and the Withered Wilds.
Necrotic Silver pulses faintly in the dark, its surface often veined with wisps of black or violet energy. It is sought after by necromancers, assassins, and undead warlords alike for its unique ability to disrupt life, empower undeath, and resist decay.
Properties
Physical & Chemical Properties
- Life-Draining Touch: Even unenchanted, the metal saps warmth and vitality from those it wounds. Prolonged contact can cause numbness or weakness in living beings.
- Spirit-Binding Conductivity: Easily channels necrotic energy, allowing enchantments to bind souls, spirits, or curses into the metal with unusual stability.
- Uncorroding: Unlike most silver, Necrotic Silver resists tarnish, rust, or decay—even in acid or extreme environments. It is said to be "eternally dead."
- Inimical to Life Magic: Holy or life-based spells weaken when cast near raw Necrotic Silver, and healing magic has reduced effect on those wounded by weapons made from it.
History & Usage
Everyday use
- Weapons: Blades and arrowheads forged from Necrotic Silver deal necrotic and silvered damage, ideal against celestials, spirits, and regenerating creatures. Some blades drink the soul of those they kill.
- Armor: Though heavy and brittle in large pieces, it is often used in runes, trim, or scale inlays for armor that protects against divine magic or bolsters undeath.
- Arcane Focus: Necromancers use wands, rings, and amulets made from Necrotic Silver to anchor death spells or safely bind undead minions.
- Currency of Death: In places like the Thornshroud Dominion or the Iceshard Dominion, bars of Necrotic Silver are used as sacred tithes or offerings to undead lords, liches, or death gods.
Industrial Use
Trade in Necrotic Silver is tightly controlled:
- Only emissaries of the Frozen Synod, the Hollow Council, or authorized Noctavian necromantic envoys are permitted to deal in it.
- Possession in certain realms (especially in the Wildlands) is punishable by death or banishment due to its corrupting influence.
- The Iceshard Dominion and Emberfall are known exporters, though their shipments are often accompanied by dark rumors or disappearances.
Refinement
The secret to its creation is known only to the Frozen Synod, certain lich-smiths, and the Forge-Priests of Blackthorn Keep. It involves:
- A vessel of pure silver, shaped under moonless skies.
- The last breath of a dying creature, willingly or forcibly taken, funneled into the molten metal.
- A binding rite, often performed with corpse-ash, shadowglass, or a whisper from a soul medium.
- Rapid quenching in Soul Ice water, or in cursed blood under silence.
The result is metal that is not merely enchanted—but alive in death.
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