Trazlucerne
"More beautiful than a diamond, trazlucerne is the builder's expression of delight unto the world" -Zotay MelosTrazlucerne is a semi-rare stone found in the Northern Teeth that is highly regarded for its translucent surface. In places like Omarop, it is often used as roofing or as a more durable replacement for glass in buildings such as banks. It can come both opalescent or non-opalescent and in a variety of colours depending on the impurities present. It is a silicate-based stone that was originally generated from the heated flare-ups of the Northern Teeth when there were more active volcanos. pockets of magma hit the Tongues river system and lakes in the area, naturally magically concentrated, to create this lovely stone and its twin, Gauvirst.
Properties
Material Characteristics
Trazlucerne can be opalescent or non-opalescent and vary in colour, but is coveted for its strength and appearance. It is used in archetecture as accent pieces due to these qualities. Naturally it is uneven and even at times a bit jagged but it can be smoothed and polished to form domes and sloped surfaces.
Physical & Chemical Properties
It tends to keep surprisingly cool and translucent making trazlucerne a stone of choice for roofing if natural light is preferred. It is also surprisingly stable as was learned in the first industrial age. While some the limestone and marble of archetecture suffered at the hands of acid rain, the trazlucerne roofs of Omarop and Scyriryi fared much better.
Compounds
One of the unusual features of trazlucerne is its inabiity to be used in compounds, magic, and alchemy making it a favourable material for applications requiring a largely inert material.
Geology & Geography
Trazlucerne is largely found in and near the Northern Teeth, particularly in the regions around Nomris and Scriryi.
Origin & Source
Trazlucerne and its twin, Gauvirst, tend to be found amongst deposits of lava rock and obsidian.
History & Usage
Discovery
Trazlucerne was first found by elven and gnomish miners of Scriryi before any of the industrial ages. over the years, the city perfected the process of extracting the stone without hurting the ecosystems and land unduly. Their process and resource has made Scriryi a relevant and prosperous city-state even in times of national recession.
Everyday use
Trazlucerne is often most used in archetecture and sci-tech applications where sturdy and magically inert material is needed.
Cultural Significance and Usage
In Scriryi, the stone is ground up and applied to the skin for Starseve in an annual festival to mark the might of the Northern Teeth and Charin's journey across the cosmos.
Industrial Use
Trazlucerne is used in magical development as it is completely inert to magic. This made it a highly sought after material in the era of magical mastery as non-magic containment needed to be established. It is also used as building material.
Refinement
Trazlucerne requires limited refinement and does not lend well to alloy and compound making. Processes of shaping and polishing are often needed for architecture and industrial purposes.
Environmental Impact
Scriryi and Nomris have perfected the art of extracting the stone with less impact on the environment making Trazlucerne one of the most eco-friendly stones to extract in Moudon.
Reusability & Recycling
The stone can be reshaped easily enough, but is not very transformable.
Distribution
Law & Regulation
Almost all Trazlucerne comes by way of Nomris and Scriryi, meaning that these city-states pretty much exclusively control the distribution of the stone. Attempts have been made to gain the upper hand in negotiations for the stone but most have resulted in nothing and those that have just led to sanctions and one war.
References:
Image from: https://i.natgeofe.com/k/295a9281-adfe-4f73-8023-5574af45f56c/opal-polished_3x2.jpg
Type
Stone
Rarity
Semi-Rare
Odor
vaguely metallic when wet
Taste
None
Color
varies but red is most common
Boiling / Condensation Point
1473 K
Melting / Freezing Point
1273 K
Density
2.75
Common State
Solid
Related Locations
Cool concept for a material. I may be looking to deep, but I feel the "magic inertness" could use some expanding on. Does magic pass though it without interacting with it (unlikely if used for containment)? Does it absorb and diffuse magical energy? Or does it contain the energy by reflecting it back? Coming from a background in nuclear power i view inert in the lens of reactors. Inert Fuel matrix is the material that the fissile material is suspended in, and largely does not interact with the radiation released, which is good as it cuts down on the radioactivity of spent fuel. However our containment materials have a high rate of radiation absorption, like lead, while remaining stable. Then there are reflectors, which reflect neutron radiation back to the core allowing for increased efficiency in the nuclear chain reaction (and reduces escaping radiation of the same type.) I do like that it was adapted into a roofing material or possible window material that (i'm assuming) is stronger than glass. Good job overall.
Hey, thanks for the comment. I had written about trazlucerne as being magically inert because I wanted to lend myself the option to later expand the stone's uses as I continue to flesh out more about how magic has shaped and scarred Moudon. That being said, trazlucerne would operate more like lead, absorbing magic while remaining stable and visually unchanged. I would also like to explore the implications of being able to access that stored magic at some point, though no one is currently aware how to do so in Moudon.