Guild notice—Use of hydrargyrum
Written by Madame Solène de Nivers and Mistress Alina Lange in the name of the rune guild for the attention of all rune masters in Nélannie.
In light of the recent series of accidents involving the use of hydrargyrum, our
Lady Director requires all rune masters in
Nélannie to read a refresher regarding this material.
Properties
Hydrargyrum or mercury (Hg) is a metal that is liquid at room temperature (thus nicknamed quicksilver). This gives it high physical and symbolical flexibilities.
Mercury amalgamates many metals—it alloys with a metal by drawing it out of whatever mixture it is in, thus either purifying it from a liquid or making metallic crystals or fibres grow at the surface of a solid.
Origin
Mercury is mainly mined in the form of
crystals of cinnabar (a mercury[II] sulfide, HgS).
It is a bright red stone found near thermal springs like those in the
Garna Forest or near volcanoes.
Once mined, the rocks are heated and the vapor is collected by distillation to obtain pure mercury.
Handling
Mercury is incredibly dangerous, either if inhaled as a pure gas, or through skin contact with
certain mercury molecules. Worse, it accumulates in the body over time, thus increasing the risks of reaching a toxic dose.
Always use a breather artefact when handling mercury vapor, and thick gloves with protective runes and a full combinations when handling mercury compounds that are toxic or whose toxicity is unknown. Keep everything on no matter the heat! Your fault for not having invested in better-quality equipment with heat regulation!
Good uses
For anything requiring flexibility—be it physical or metaphorical. Great to use in
alchemy to transfer these properties to the base material of an artefact. Amalgamation can also be used to make metal fibres that can be weaved into fabric.
As an incredibly efficient poison—if you do not mind the risks of getting yourself killed along the way.
In
rituals before they were all made illegals—by all account, seeing the magic-charged mercury flow through runic carvings on the ground or even fly directly in the air was very impressive.
Conclusion: Now that you have all been reminded of the guidelines on mercury handling and use, let us hope that we will see a decline in the number of accidents caused by this metal. The number of times healers have had to be called to deal with them has been entirely unacceptable and has reflected badly on the rune guild and all rune masters' reputation for competence and thoughtfulness. If any of you is found to have caused any egregious accidents—such as through any experimentation with new mercury compound without setting full wards to protect everyone around you from your stupidity—you will be summarily stripped of your mastery.
Perfect for enemies indeed. O_O
Personally I'd prefer another solution than risking being near mercury but some people always think they're going to be fine XD