Argent Oil
Properties
Material Characteristics
Argent Oil is of a dark orange coloration, the refining process results in a much brighter color that glows visibly even in sunlight.
Physical & Chemical Properties
It is always lukewarm, and highly volatile until it is refined. Raw Argent Oil is close to an acid, burning through organic materials easily and lights certain materials on fire. After refinement Argent oil is no longer volatile, and can be ingested, or injected, safely.
Geology & Geography
Argent oil can be found anywhere in the universe, although it's presence on certain planets and species can be significantly lower.
Origin & Source
No one is sure where the substance came from, even the gods and their angels question their divinity when confronted with this question. Some believe that there was some a ancient god that created everything, even other gods, who wove the substance into it all. Perhaps its the very force of creation, the substance needed for things to exist, this supports its ability to alter reality and change the way other natural laws work. Other hypothesize that it is the body of the ancient god, and that everything is simply a small fraction of it. The truth will probably never be found.
Life & Expiration
Argent oil never loses its potency after refinement, but raw oil melts though almost anything before dissipating immediately unless handled with specific materials.
History & Usage
History
Upon it's first discovery, aves oil was used primarily by the dark underbelly of the world. Argentavi were very difficult to find, and even harder to kill, but aves oils volatility was legendary. It could melt though anything, and one slash with titanium blade coated with it, or sip from a drink with a drop of it was guaranteed death. It's use became popular amongst the high nobility, it eventually got so bad that the use of organic dining ware became widespread, as it would melt right through it as opposed to porcelain and glass. As noble life adapted, and aves oil became an expected mode of assassination, its usefulness and popularity died out.
Until one day, the natural philosopher, Elwood Olivander, was contemplating the effect the strange oil had on culture. This train of thought led him to consider what made aves oil so volatile, and how volatile it was exactly. He used his connections to purchase several vials of it, an exorbitant cost. He was able to afford such a high price due to his success as a scholar and inventor, he had several booming businesses. It didn't take long for Elwood to discover that after subjecting the oil to certain tests, the oil had lost all of its acidic nature, became brighter in color, and glowed. The nature of his study was on what made the oil so acidic, so he saw this as a step towards discovering what he sought, but ultimately the new substance was useless. So he dismissed the new substance, unlike his hound, who walked up and snatched the vial before Elwood could stop it. He watched in horror as it drank it and tried what he could to get it to regurgitate what he assumed was a lethal substance. The dog ran playfully, but as Elwood caught up to it, he was surprised to see his dog erupt in blinding sparkles instead of growling. The odd behavior didn't stop with that, after it bounded away, several others claimed to see the dog do the same thing to them. Elwood was intrigued, he had owned the hound for years, and nothing like this had happened before. The only change was it consuming that substance, so Elwood began to regularly feed it to his hound to test its effect. Thus the art of Thaumaturgy was born. Eventually he wanted to find a way to avoid the digested part of the oil, so tried injecting it strait into the brain. After many failed experiments, he eventually found a device that could do so safely, the Avian Eye.
Discovery
Aves oil was first discovered with the death of the first Argentavi. Humans had been the prey of these giant birds for years, but this changed after The First Hunt, an expedition led by one Mortimer Weston to find and kill an Argentavi. The hunt was a success, and after that the art of killing Argentavi was perfected in a matter of years. The first thing that Mortimer learned was that the birds had some weird substance that was located along their spines, and cutting that area would cause it to spill forth and melt the bird. This tactic was used for many years, but as Argentavi attacks became more and more rare, the tactic was abandoned so the oil could be used in subterfuge and assassinations.
Everyday use
Aves oil now has one use, as Thaumaturgy is far more deadly than using it as a simple poison, and that is of course its use in conjunction with Avian Eyes.
Cultural Significance and Usage
Due to the early uses of Aves Oil, nobility exclusively use organic dining ware. This simple tradition to avoid poison has since evolved. Caring for organic diner ware is a very strenuous process, requiring thorough washing, air drying for a full day, and then they must be rubbed in special oils. So ones status, power, and wealth can all clearly be seen by the amount, and intricacy of their dining ware. Only the wealthiest of houses can afford to let all guests have individual dining sets while feasting. Those less wealthy can only afford to have large buffet tables set with woodware, while each guest is expected to use smaller, metallic dishes. Merchants, and very small house often have one large wooden platter, from which the grandest dish is served. Woodware still circulates amount the lower classes, as it once was a sign of poverty, but for the most part they opt for the longer lasting and durable metalware.
Industrial Use
Aves Oil is placed in small glass orbs, with a small hole covered by a thin leather that can be pierced easily.
Refinement
The material is acidic until it is refined, a process of heating, cooling, and and exposing the oil to certain elements.
Hazards
Refining can be dangerous, if it is heated to the flashing point, the oil will catch fire, often resulting in a deadly explosion to the one working on it.
Distribution
Trade & Market
The primary seller of Aves Oil is of course the Elwood Institute, although many other local businesses sell impure version of the oil for much cheaper.
Storage
The oil will melt through many things, mostly anything organic, and a fair few that are not. Its raw version is stored almost exclusively in titanium for maximum safety, while the refined version is stored in glass mostly for show.
Law & Regulation
Some cities have banned the use and sell of aves oil out of fear of Thaumaturgy, but a majority recognize its usefulness to far outweigh the cons.
Type
Metaphysical
Rarity
It is not rare at this point, but it is certainly expensive enough to make it seem like it is.
Odor
It's odor changes from person to person.
Taste
Tastes like blood, and has an effect similar to capsaicin.
Color
Orange
Boiling / Condensation Point
Has a flash point of 130 C unrefined, and 65 C refined
Melting / Freezing Point
0 C
Density
40 cSt
Common State
Liquid
Related Species
Related Technologies
Related Professions
Comments