Mithral

Starlight Metal

Saleh'Alire » Raw Materials Metals

  A byproduct of Platinum mining, Mithral has been known to the world of Saleh'Alire since the ancient time of the Phet. Indeed, the metal has been mentioned in Nom'ythi, Sa'avian, Phetian, and Ayenian historical sources equally over the course of history- and elaborate washing tables used during its extraction process still exist at many of their ancient sites... Today Mithral is arguably one of the most integral and sought after metals found in all of Saleh'Alire, and its value surpasses even the value of Platinum itself.

Appearance & Structure

  For the most part, Mithral resembles Silver in both appearance and properties. It varies more widely in color, though- ranging from a very dark, bluish grey to a creamy white. In the majority of cases, this color range can be used to visually determine the purity of the metal, as pure Mithral is most commonly white in color. As a result the metal is frequently categorized into two groups: The impure Grey Mithral, and the pure White Mithral.   Both forms of Mithral are much lighter in weight than iron and other metals- including the Platinum around which its generally found. Despite the weight, however, it is significantly stronger after smelting and working. But while both Grey and White Mithral can be used in traditional metalworking, White Mithral is significantly easier to work with and provides a stronger, more stable end product.   Regardless of its purity or what color it is, however, all Mithral has a shimmery blue quality to it; often described as being "like starlight", this shimmering effect is most noticeable in lowlight environments. For that reason it's used extensively to not only find Mithral veins themselves- but also to detect the presence of Platinum veins that may be hidden within the stone.  

Distribution

  A byproduct of Platinum formation, Mithral in all its forms is incredibly rare- forming at depths between 6,000 and 10,000 feet, though a handful of veins have been found as close as 1,600 feet from the surface. Likewise, Mithral is difficult to extract from the surrounding rock; for every 1 ton of concentrated Mithral ore produced by a mine, approximately 3 to 5 tons of slag will be produced as a result.   As of the current era only three mines produce either product: The Thiiruan and Juriin Mine in the Domur Mountains, operated by the Druagmiir- and the Halueth'ari Mines in the Athdran-Lachill Mountains, operated by the Caenala'vi.  

Common Uses

  As a soft and malleable metal, Mithral can be smelted like silver, beaten like copper, and polished to shine like a mirror- all while retaining the lightness of a feather, and the strength of Titanium. Best yet, Mithral does not tarnish, rust, or dim with time. It also takes enchantment well, and will hold magic longer than most metals (though not as long as Sunstone will)- making it all around more valuable than mundane metals like steel, silver, or gold.   As a result of its high flexibility, Mithral can be used to make an incredibly wide range of objects. These include decorative objects and fine threads, to fine jewelry like necklaces, bracelets, and brooches. Its most frequent use, however, is in the production of thin and lightweight armor (especially in combination with Milonan Silk)- though is a poor metal for crafting weapons.
Item type
Raw Material   Rarity
Rare   Prices
3 PP / lb

Demiterium

Often colloquially called names such as Corrupted Mithral, Demiterium is the name of a closely related metal that can be found in the few rare spaces where Platinum and Mithral veins meet.   Identified by a deep blue grey color, and a bright iridescent silver sheen, it's well known for its innate ability to suppress Arcane powers- making it a commong component in the production of shackles, jail cells, walls, safes, and other areas and objects where magical abilities need either be limited or suppressed. For this reason Demiterium is easily worth ten times its weight in Platinum compared to any other metal.


Cover image: Gemstones by Chan Walrus

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Author's Notes

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I absolutely love getting feedback on my setting and its worldbuilding. I love it even more when people poke and prod at it, and ask questions about the things I've built within it. I want both. I actively encourage both. And it makes me incredibly giddy whenever I get either. However, there's a time and a place for critique in particular- mostly when I've actually asked for it (which usually happens in World Anvil's discord server). And when I do ask for critique, there are two major things I politely request that you do not include in your commentary:   ➤ The first is any sort of critique on the way I've chosen to organize or format something; Saleh'Alire is not a narrative world written for reader enjoyment... It's is a living campaign setting for Dungeons and Dragons. To that end, it's written and organized for my players and I, specifically for ease of use during gameplay- and our organization needs are sometimes very different than others'. They are especially diferent, often-times, from how things "should be organized" for reader enjoyment.   ➤ Secondly, is any critique about sentence phrasing and structure, word choice, and so on; unless you've specifically found a typo, or you know for a provable fact I've blatantly misued a word, or something is legitimately unclear explicitly because I've worded it too strangely? Then respectfully: Don't comment on it; as a native English speaker of the SAE dialect, language critique in particular will almost always be unwelcome unless it's absolutely necessary. This is especially true if English is not you first language to begin with. My native dialect is criticized enough as it is for being "wrong", even by fellow native English speakers ... I really don't want to deal with the additional linguistic elitism of "formal english" from Second-Language speakers (no offense intended).   That being said: If you want to ask questions, speculate, or just ramble? Go for it! I love talking about my setting and I'm always happy to answer any questions you have, or entertain any thoughts about it. Praise, of course, is always welcome too (even if it's just a casual "this is great", it still means a lot to authors)- and if you love it, please don't forget to actually show that love by liking it and sharing it around. Because I genuinely do enjoy watching people explore and interact with my setting, and ask questions about it, and I'd definitely love to hear from you... Just be respectful about it, yeah?


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