Incantrum (/inkantrəm/)

Incantrum is a remarkably useful metal. It is believed to be the left-over dregs from the worlds creation, and can be refined into nearly any other metal material, as well as into a unique state which has useful properties for the creation of magical items.

Properties

Material Characteristics

Incantrum has the strange warped appearance of being under extreme heat. It seems to change color randomly every few minutes, warping between different textures gradually. The transformation between different material properties is slow and generally moves over the surface of a sample at a rate of about an inch every two seconds. The result is that the metal is always visibly changing. In fact, samples of the material can sometimes seem to be moving, as different rigidities and structures move through it, causing it to writhe slightly.

Physical & Chemical Properties

Incantrum is generally quite durable. It can be scratched and bent in some of its states, but the warping effect that travels across its surface gradually erodes such markings away as the metal silently reforges itself.

Compounds

Incantrum can be refined into a variety of useful metals. A skilled metallurgist can force the metal to remain in one of its states, effectively transforming it into a normal sample of that material. As such, Incantrum is very risky to work with. It can be refined into rare, useful metals such as mithril, but a mistake in the process can turn the metal into the most expensive possible chunk of lead or iron. 
The most useful state of Incantrum is to stabilized it into a form known as Refined Incantrum, which makes an excellent conductor and storage material for magical energy.

Geology & Geography

Currently, the only known consistent mines of Incantrum are found in Rechen, and the actual locations of the mines are an aggressively kept secret of the triton people. The export of Incantrum is a significant source of income for the triton, and shortages of the metal in Rechen have far reaching consequences for enchanters in the world, who often include at least a small sample of Incantrum in most of their works that need to store magical energy for any length of time.

Origin & Source

Incantrum occurs in deposits, forming a sort of warping film over the stone where it occurs. Due to the motive nature of the metal, areas where it has been deposited are often filled with very porous stone, as the shifting metal slowly forces the sheets of stone apart over many years. The metal, unlike other ores, occurs in its pure state. There is some disagreement about the origins of the metal.
It is theorized that deposits of the metal are created when a powerful magical aura flows through deposits of ordinary metals for an extended period or with a tremendous magnitude. Detractors of this theory note that Incantrum has never been produced in a lab successfully, so its formation must require more than just magical charge.
Another significantly less academically accepted theory is that Incantrum is left-over from the actual creation of the world, and that the reason for its warping nature and its connection with magic is because it is indicative of the material originally used to forge the world.

Life & Expiration

Incantrum in its pure state is stable, in the sense that it does not stop reacting in its unique way by itself.

Type

Metal

Odor

rain

Common State

solid-ish