Sefia
Sefia is a rare material able to bestow supernatural properties upon an object when composed into it.
In normal temperatures, sefia is a blue or blue-gray solid metal, hard to crush and process by conventional means. Only intense heat allows for manipulation of sefia, which slowly melts into a tar-like substance when heated for a prolonged time. At this stage, it can be mixed with other materials, such as clay, glass substrates or other ores. It loses part of its properties when combined, but often bestows additional, supernatural ones.
Sefia is found exclusively on the eastern side of both Zea and Dain. While Dain currently possesses only one consistent sefia mine, the Widel Mine, on Zea the material is abundant and excavated in a series of mines operated by the Nata-Kea tribe (Zean: People of the Serpent).
Sefia veins are usually found deeper than 500 meters underground. Raw and pure sefia is found extremely rarely and in small quantities. Because of hardness of raw sefia, such pockets of material are usually dug around rather than attacked directly. Most common deposits on Dain are intermixed with copper and iron and require extensive purification process before it can be separated from the other metal. On Zea, the proportion is often reverse, and large quantities of sefia can be obtained before sending the ‘impurity’ of iron ore for final purification. In fact, the Dain discovery of sefia in 4th century BU is contributed to smelters ignoring parts of the copper ore preparation and allowing remnants of the blue substance to stain the ingots. Surprisingly, items made form such tainted metal had improved durability and performance, which led to isolation of sefia. We don’t know what was the first Zean sefia-augmented material, since discovery of sefia dates back farther than 7th century BU.
In 63 BU, number of artifacts were recovered from Wyeh ruins of the Sky Tower. A text, dubbed 'The Testament to the Fall' is written with sefia-augmnted ink of unknown characteristics. The White Stone was lost to the public in the Sadantes Coup. Several other trinkets made with the help of sefia are under invesigation by the Erwy University scientists, still looking for appropriate activation conditions.
Sefia is responsible for the Change, medical and genetic condition permanently altering normal human physiology and physionomy.
Sefia, after its Dain discovery, became a unique commodity, able to sustain the Widel area for a long time. Until 20 years ago, when Zea was discovered, Widel’s monopoly was what elevated the region’s nobility to the top of Wyeh food chain, prompting the Sadantes Coup. Existence of the Norwod Company was also mainly supported by extending sefia trade to Erres and subsequent discovery of additional uses for the ore. Now that the Zean sefia is beginning to appear on the market, Widel’s monopoly is no more. It can be easily said, that sefia is one of the driving factors of human progress, though some warn, that excessive reliance on supernatural can soon transform into humanity’s downfall, citing the ‘Testament to the Fall’ and the Eastern Light stories.
Description
In normal temperatures, sefia is a blue or blue-gray solid metal, hard to crush and process by conventional means. Only intense heat allows for manipulation of sefia, which slowly melts into a tar-like substance when heated for a prolonged time. At this stage, it can be mixed with other materials, such as clay, glass substrates or other ores. It loses part of its properties when combined, but often bestows additional, supernatural ones.
Location
Sefia is found exclusively on the eastern side of both Zea and Dain. While Dain currently possesses only one consistent sefia mine, the Widel Mine, on Zea the material is abundant and excavated in a series of mines operated by the Nata-Kea tribe (Zean: People of the Serpent).
Purification
Sefia veins are usually found deeper than 500 meters underground. Raw and pure sefia is found extremely rarely and in small quantities. Because of hardness of raw sefia, such pockets of material are usually dug around rather than attacked directly. Most common deposits on Dain are intermixed with copper and iron and require extensive purification process before it can be separated from the other metal. On Zea, the proportion is often reverse, and large quantities of sefia can be obtained before sending the ‘impurity’ of iron ore for final purification. In fact, the Dain discovery of sefia in 4th century BU is contributed to smelters ignoring parts of the copper ore preparation and allowing remnants of the blue substance to stain the ingots. Surprisingly, items made form such tainted metal had improved durability and performance, which led to isolation of sefia. We don’t know what was the first Zean sefia-augmented material, since discovery of sefia dates back farther than 7th century BU.
Uses
Medicine
It is highly inadvisable to ingest sefia. While raw ore pellets will simply pass through in most cases, herbal and mineral mixtures often cause horrible death, as sefia reacting with stomach acid can cause unimaginable pain. Several concoctions are able to circumvent this effect, but the only one having any effect is the Voice’s Blessing. While administration of sefia is not advisable and rarely experimented with, infused glass, exposed to natural light can confer significant medical benefits, as demonstrated by the First Glass Hospital of Erwy. In addition, topical administration of sefia mixture knows as the Numb can act as local anesthesia.Metalwork
Sefia has very simple effect on tools and weapons imbued with it; it makes them hard to break or blunt. Some blends used for armor are lighter than they should be, while not losing their defensive capabilities. Any metal equipment used in industrial processes (as long as high temperatures are not achieved) can be constructed with sefia, if the workshop can pay for the custom made tools.Construction
Sefia can be used in efforts to construct buildings more durable and architecturally challenging than usual as a brick and mortar additive. The crown achievements of sefia builders are the indestructible pillars of the Har-Fii city (Zean: Seat of the Swallow) and cathedrals of the Voice, with their filigree finishes undisturbed by the passage of time. Woodwork benefits less from sefia augmentation, as only coatings and adhesives can be used to improve resistance to elements, but not stability of the construction itself.Food storage
While Dain still tries to copy the technology, Zea very early on devised a way to keep the food stores cold, or to preserve warm meals during long days. The hot and cold clay pots are present in almost all households. Sefia is rarely used to construct ovens and strong heating appliances due to the risk of it melting. Only the richest Zeans can afford cold rooms, constructed with similar technology but expensive to repair and maintain due to constant cracking of the walls.Other
University of Erwy recently presented sefiagraph, a writing tool using sefia-imbued ink. Its use is still in experimental stages, but the writings made with sefiagraph posess supernatural qualities.Artifacts
In 63 BU, number of artifacts were recovered from Wyeh ruins of the Sky Tower. A text, dubbed 'The Testament to the Fall' is written with sefia-augmnted ink of unknown characteristics. The White Stone was lost to the public in the Sadantes Coup. Several other trinkets made with the help of sefia are under invesigation by the Erwy University scientists, still looking for appropriate activation conditions.
The Change
Sefia is responsible for the Change, medical and genetic condition permanently altering normal human physiology and physionomy.
Economic impact
Sefia, after its Dain discovery, became a unique commodity, able to sustain the Widel area for a long time. Until 20 years ago, when Zea was discovered, Widel’s monopoly was what elevated the region’s nobility to the top of Wyeh food chain, prompting the Sadantes Coup. Existence of the Norwod Company was also mainly supported by extending sefia trade to Erres and subsequent discovery of additional uses for the ore. Now that the Zean sefia is beginning to appear on the market, Widel’s monopoly is no more. It can be easily said, that sefia is one of the driving factors of human progress, though some warn, that excessive reliance on supernatural can soon transform into humanity’s downfall, citing the ‘Testament to the Fall’ and the Eastern Light stories.
Type
Ore/Mineral
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