Staurhil Material in The Denary Realms | World Anvil

Staurhil

Properties

Material Characteristics

Staurhil is a metal. It has a dark purple color in its raw form but when heated and processed it turns to pitch black.

Physical & Chemical Properties

Staurhil reacts heavily with magic. It has the ability to allow magic to channel freely through its surface or body and as such is used by magic users. It is also highly durable and flexible when processed properly.

Geology & Geography

Staurhil is mined from the remains of the Titan Brimios. That is the only known source and the Daesan have exclusively been mining it for thousands of years. Since it is finite, it's also quite rare and expensive.

History & Usage

History

After Brimios fell and brought destruction and death below him, it took the Daesan hundreds of years to recover. They moved their kingdom to another location and left the remains of Brimios alone for a time. Soon they found that his body had broken down and mountains of stone had been created.   Being the curious individuals they are, they started going through the surface of the mountains to discover a new metal, something they hadn't seen before. They begun harvesting the metal and found that its durable, flexible and can be used to channel magic exceptionally well.   Since the discovery of the Sihkern and its use in their creation, Staurhil has been a very lucrative method of business for the Daesan.

Discovery

The Daesan books document the discovery of Staurhil as a coordinated effort to find what lies beneath the surface of Brimios' remains. Once they broke through, they found vast amounts of Staurhil and begun experimenting with it.

Everyday use

Staurhil was initially used to make weapons and jewellery for magical users, given its ability to channel magic. However after the discovery of Sihkern it has been used almost exclusively for that purpose.   However it is also usually mixed with other metals to aid in the creation of magical equipment.

Cultural Significance and Usage

Staurhil is not exported to other kingdoms, for fear that it will be misused. Interested parties need to find a Daesan source.   Staurhil is perfectly capable of functioning by itself. However when used with other magically conducive materials it has been known to amplify their abilities, almost tenfold. So it has been common practice for other kingdoms to buy weapons or items made of Staurhil and melt them to sell the precious metal. This has caused the Daesan to slow down, almost to a halt, their export of Staurhil-made items.

Refinement

Staurhil when left unprocessed it has little use. It needs to be treated like iron, hence its secondary name: Octiron, and then further refined to take the desired shape and size. When used in conjunction with other metals or materials, simply smelting both of them, with just a little bit of Staurhil seems to be working perfectly.

Manufacturing & Products

Some products created by Staurhil, besides the Sihkern are:
- Magical weapons, such as blades or arrows
- Jewellery, known as Enhancers, that are used by mages to enhance their channeling abilities

Environmental Impact

It is theorized that all magic after its use, is recycled and released back into the world. However the use of Sihkerns, accelerates the rate in which magic is absorbed by mortals and as such, causes a problem since it can't be regenerated fast enough.   It is believed by some that there will come a time, if the use of Staurhil continues to grow when all magic will be consumed and the world will starve without it.

Reusability & Recycling

Staurhil items are bought by individuals, resold and broken down to use the precious resource. The Daesan because of this have stopped the sales of Staurhil and its products, outside of their kingdom, making it much harder to obtain it.

Distribution

Trade & Market

It is sold exclusively within the confines of the Daesan kingdom, Seians.
Type
Metal
Value
High
Rarity
Very rare
Color
Dark Purple/Violet before processing. Pitch Black afterwards.
Related Species
Related Technologies


Cover image: by Endora Rodgers

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