Electrum

'As the ravenous monster clasped its tentacles around fair Leifestuine's limbs, it attempted to invade her now-vulnerable psyche, render the elven warrior nothing but a docile slave to its will.
But, as its foul magic attempted to worm its way into her mind, she felt the attempts suddenly rebutted! "What ho!?" The assailant remarked as its magic, the strength of its own powerful mind, was not only blocked but fully repelled!
As Leifestuine and the illithid both were left entranced by the strange occurrence, the faint ringing of her silver circlet revealed the truth to her -- the circlet of her mother Philaunomellia was not merely silver, but the cobalt leaves were imbued with Electrum, the mystical metal that repels psychic forces!
"Your time is at an end Foulgar, for my mother's treasured circlet contains Electrum, which shall repel your feeble mental trickery! Now, have at you!" The fair maiden proclaimed, as her sword was drawn.'

--Transcription of 'Tales from the Forest of the King of the Age of the Elder Magic' issue #52

Electrum is a metallic blue metal that is renowned for its high rate of conductivity with very little loss of charge, as well as its unique ability to resist magic from mental sources, such as Psionic magic or even rare Psychic abilities.
Formerly prized as a unique metal, and common enough to be a staple of elven fashion along with being a form of currency, in the mid-700s, the metal suddenly became a scarcity, leading to several centuries of decline and scavenging that almost wiped it from the face of Edda altogether. However, it's luckily faced a recent resurgence, and just in time to be of use in new engineering, artifice, and magical creations all over the land.

Properties

Material Characteristics

In its original form, Electrum spreads along stone in a sprawling pattern much like when lightning strikes a piece of wood. These thin, somewhat gold fractal vines go about an inch into the stone, or deeper for larger deposits. 
Once mined and melted down for refinement, the addition of heat turns the golden vines into a more cobalt-blue color, and a secondary liquid called Elecrima, colloquially known as Cobalt Tears, is formed once the melted ore begins to cool.

Physical & Chemical Properties

In its original form, Electrum Ore is a decently strong conductor, enough to even produce a small shock from nothing but static electricity, which in the distant past meant quite the threat for miners.
In its smelted form, this property is continued, as mechanically minded Artificers and even modern-day engineers have praised Electrum for its high conductivity, creating a very efficient transport and even storage of electrical energy.
But, the greatest property of Electrum, especially in its refined state, is its ability to defend against psionic abilities. While people of the past before the scarcity of the item didn't understand the 'why' of the property, it was proven correct time and time again. Thoughts cannot be detected, the wearer cannot be held by telekinesis, and even scrying rituals can sometimes fail, and with testing done in the modern day, it seems that even greater mental magic can be deflected with the proper application of Electrum defenses.
Modern engineers and scientists have theorized that the internal conductivity of Electrum generates its own electromagnetic field, which interferes with the focus and connection required for psionic magic to be effective.

Compounds

Two of the most common alloys of Electrum in current use are Steelsmith's Electrum, which is Electrum crossed with Leysteel used for increased conductivity and conservation of energy in terms of Artifice and Engineering, and Flayers Bane, which is Electrum crossed with Silver, typically used for jewelry or inlaid in armor or weaponry for the sake of defense from and combatting psionic magic.

Geology & Geography

In the eras of kingdoms, before the unification of the land into countries, Electrum could be found just about everywhere to some degree, although the lands most known for their abundance of ores were of course more bountiful, such as Agartha, Avalon, and what is now Boncly.
Following the re-discovery of Electrum Herzvenen post-scarcity, a majority of the active veins have been found underneath the Agarthan Foothills surrounding the great mountain, although many other mining settlements have taken it as a sign to look for their own deposits, hoping to avoid the mountain-land having a monopoly on the resource.
One doesn't have to go deep to find Electrum where it exists, as most of the Herzvenen start at around 40m beneath the ground, and the deepest vein of eld went as far as 2000m underground,

Origin & Source

Electrum, like many ores in Edda, is found in Herzvenen, special veins in the earth that regenerate over time, given that the areas Mana supply is potent and healthy enough to facilitate it. Although many of the Herzvenen suddenly dried up several centuries ago, turning the popular metal into a scarce resource, new Herzvenen have finally been found underneath Agartha.

History & Usage

History

In the early days when mining became a wide industry across Edda, rather than a unique trade of the Dwarves, Electrum was a decently common and sought-after resource. Many people at the time were unaware of the scientific angle of its conductivity, but Storm-Mages often knew in less sophisticated terms that Electrum focuses boosted lightning magic rather well. Its psychic-repelling abilities, and its rather sleek appearance, however, were known by all and highly sought after.
Then in 752 EE, miners began to notice the dwindling return of Electrum from the Herzvenen, an alarming development for theoretically nigh-infinite rejuvenating ore veins, and by 765 EE despite the best efforts of hundreds of researchers, all known veins of Electrum were depleted, turning the popular material into a quickly scarce material.
However, nearly three centuries later, a recent anonymous survey of the Agarthan Foothills has found a sprawling network of Electrum veins, and initial tests have proven that they are a part of Edda's Herzvenen, sparking a new mining boom in the surrounding grasslands of the country, and reigniting interest in this formerly lost metal.

Everyday use

Electrum was most frequently included with silver or steel in jewelry, armor, and weaponry for its defensive properties, and was also a feature of many high-grade decorative materials, due to its cool metallic sheen and intense blue color.

Industrial Use

With the scarce samples still in existance pre-resurgence, engineers and electrical workers have utilized Electrum for its conductive properties, as energy transferred through Electrum coated or infused systems have an energy retention rate of nearly 1:1 with the amount of energy put in. It's also easy to reinforce the material with enchantments and treatments to make it resistant to the elements, which makes it a must-have in heavy-duty machinery.

Byproducts & Sideproducts

When Electrum is melted, it produces a liquid film that can be skimmed off known as Elecrima. While not very potent in its base state, as merely a result of Electrum becoming heated, when added with other chemical compounds, it can have a variety of uses.
One of the most common ways Elecrima is used for the general public is when mixed with ground Fhistleweed root, which turns the semi-viscous liquid into a smooth varnish that can be applied to metals to not only give them a slight blue shine but also to make them more resistant to the heat and cold. Coincidentally, this mixture is rather common to be applied on Electrum circuits for that exact reason, reuniting the metal and its byproduct.

Environmental Impact

As a part of the Herzvenen, Electrum has very little impact on the environment around it, safe for the fact that it draws from the magic and health of the leylines to restore its mineral formations.
Luckily, there are very few ways Electrum or Elecrima can be mixed or used in such a way that it causes disastrous or deadly results. If an accident were to occur with either product, it would have the typical disaster that any metal or chemical reaction would have.

Distribution

Trade & Market

In the days of scarcity, Electrum was usually traded among collectors and socialites, occasionally being sold and traded to engineers and artificers who would skim any trace amounts of the element they could find.
In the modern-day following its resurgence, it's become a hot item for ore sellers and smiths in Agartha, although it has spread out further as the paths of merchantry have flowed through the nations.

Law & Regulation

Agartha, wishing to avoid another period of scarcity, has made several legislations about how much Electrum can be reasonably mined in a given period, as well as assigning intense regulation and supervision to the state of the Herzvenen. They've even ignited a new campaign of villages to be created along the newly discovered veins so that there can be people to serve, work, and enrich the land and communities (as well as subtly push people out of the mountain for the sake of population control.)

Type

Ore/Mineral

Value

Prized

Rarity

Formerly scarce, currently uncommon.

Odor

Intensely metallic, with a hint of ozone

Color

Cobalt blue

Boiling / Condensation Point

1000°C

Common State

Solid