Copper
Simple Currency
Another bag of coins changes hands, from the Dwarf who minted the coins with his Kingdom's mark to those who will add it to the King's treasury. Their reddish-orange color denotes them as what they are, little more than simple change, but enough that a family could buy food for the week or new cloth for winter clothes. While Copper holds the least amount of worth, in the right hands, a few Copper coins could mean the world.
A Halfling mixes thin Copper sheets into special paint, ready to paint the hull of his new fishing boat. Years on the water attract lichen and moss, all sorts of things from the sea that will eventually compromise his craftsmanship and may leave him stranded far from shore. He meticulously paints every inch of his boat, waiting until the sun dries the metallic patina into the wood. The salt will turn the browns and reds to greens in the coming years, but no shellfish will call his work of art home.
Copper is a common resource, one that has a myriad of uses. From coinage to protecting a boat to other uses scattered amongst the people of Isekai, Copper is one of the most readily available and varied metals in the world. This metal does not require the experienced hands of Master Dwarves nor does it require the special forges of Adamantite. Its simplicity allows trial and error by the layman as well as riches for the poorest.
Properties
Material Characteristics
Copper is a relatively soft metal and is one of the easiest to smelt and forge. Because of this, Copper was used for a variety of things in the earliest days of Isekai as the Dwarves built their forges and learned their trade. Its metallic reddish-orange color can be similar to other metals, such as Brass and Bronze, but Copper is a far more common metal.
Little refinement is necessary for many of Copper's uses as it often needs to be in thin sheets for decoration, paint, or for agricultural uses. Coins made from Copper are often refined a bit more and smelted in a specific way so that the coins can withstand constant handling.
Copper weighs very little when compared to most metals, which is why its coinage value is so low. Copper is also conductive and has been known to be used for lightning rods or other preventative devices.
Geology & Geography
Copper is a fairly common resource and can be found in a variety of places throughout Isekai. This metal is naturally occurring, even without the presence of Copper Dragons, and is frequently found in areas of higher elevations, including mountain ranges and areas of rolling hills. Places such as the Spine of Kallex, the Great Furnaces, the Cradle of Clay, Visk of the Zóni, and the Chromatic Peaks hold a great deal of the world's Copper supply, but small deposits can be found elsewhere.
Copper is more common in Vóreios due to the presence of Copper Dragons, but these Dragons are not the reason for all deposits in the Northern Continent. Some deposits, mostly in the Spine of Kallex, were created by the death of a Copper Dragon in their twilight years.
History & Usage
Everyday use
While more common in the mountain ranges of Vóreios, Copper can be found throughout the world, making it one of the most plentiful metals. Its easy-to-forge qualities allow it to be used as common currency, the lowest value coinage in Isekai as determined by the powers of the world. Even so, Copper coins have great buying potential, allowing even the poorest to buy necessary goods to survive.
Due to the soft nature of the metal, Copper is not often used for weapons or armor. Its metallic sheen is best used for decoration and coinage, although some have harnessed its conductive properties to make lightning rods to protect buildings in areas such as the Great Plains and the Cradle of Clay where stopping a possible fire due to lightning is paramount to survival.
Other common uses of Copper include a variety of alloys that make the metal stronger, special paints to be used on boats to prevent plant and shellfish growth, items that need to conduct heat, and as a nutritional supplement for agriculture. These uses are not as common as coinage and decoration, but people around the world have found a myriad of uses for the metal.
Type
Metal
Value
100 Copper Coins = 1 Gold Coin
Rarity
Common
Color
Metallic reddish orange
Melting / Freezing Point
Relatively high but does not require enchanted forges to heat or work with this metal
Related Locations
Related Species
Related Professions
Comments
Author's Notes
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