On Tue, Mar 23, 2010 at 7:53 AM, Guy Hoyle <guy.hoyle_at_hmxELMfxMGIhrJbFmQMr84hi2IbsigQb38jul-XngKxw-TaORasI7IWSKvyjcoHNciCEpZfbh7UCrZNGe7s.yahoo.invalid> wrote:
> Gloranthan metals are not identical to their Earthly counterparts, and have
> different properties.
I want to reinforce Guy here, with many words of emphasis added on.
> Quicksilver (sa-metal in Gloranthan) is naturally
> liquid, and comes from the bones (or blood, maybe) of sea gods killed
> during
> the God Time.
And it sinks.
Down into the crushing densities.
Down into the devouring monster of oneness
And as the *sa-sssuu* (sea silver) sinks, at one point it reaches the depth
of its own core density and stops sinking.
Rivers of mercury do flow at that deep level, flowing down a devouring
hole...
The Merpeople do not WANT anything that causes them to sink. They will all go down as food soon enough. Mystics and other crazies might want it of course--but they are mystics and so who really cares?
within the photic zone, or a bit deeper--within the normal depth range of the cursed air-breathers--some natural deposits of seasilver can be found. No one on the surface knows of these, except through rumor and visionary sight/experience.
Aliminum is the enchanted version of Quicksilver. I don't
> believe Quicksilver is poisonous, unlike Mercury.
Correct. It does have "poisonous powers" to some creatures, but not to sea creatures.
This is off the top of my
> headl when I can lay my hands on my copy of Elder Secrets, I'll let you
> know.
>
Me too--I'd tell you where and how deep the quicksilver pools are int he sea if I had my library. (i will be moving soon, and hope to alleviate that with a damp-proof shed for library.)
Gold is actually disliked by the mermen BECAUSE it does not tarnish. It defies their experience and religion which is based up being ephemeral, coming into a separate swimming life to serve as food for those deeper than one's self--that is a great service and the cause of life in the sea. (Oh yea, you also can do whatever you want in your brief incarnated Life). Gold was made to be an insult, and to harm the waters. it came from Outside, to hurt the Waters. However, like everythign that sinks, even the purest Gold itself was defeated by water (ee the Elemental Pentacle--and note that air does not sink and so is outside of the Food cycle too, able to overcome the shallow waters...)
> Other dirreferences in metals:
> Bronze is the bones of Air Gods, and can be found naturally, not as an
> alloy
> like terrestrial bronze.
>
Although it can also be made (by humans now) by mixing "tin" (a sky metal--yes, A sky metal--there is not always a neat little 1:1 correspondence in 1 metal/element!) and "copper" (an earth metal). This act reproduces the ancient act of copulation between earth and sky, and the subsequent child which is like both o its parents, and also like neither of them).
Iron is an artificial metal, created by the Dwarves to work against their
> enemies, Trolls and Elves. If they;d known that humans would have been such
> a bother they'd have made it work against humans.
>
All of the metals can be considered "artificial" this way--the dwarf creation myth records the sequence of making each metal. Sure, it says that iron was made to fight rival elder races, but there may just as well be similar reasons why the other Mostali races were refined.
> Gold is the bones of Sky Gods. Enchanted Gold glows.
>
All living things have an internal glow that is visible. It's usually weak, but when it's concentrated (like in an enchantment, in an embodied deity, sacred place, etc.) it is visible even to the naked eye, and might even do harm to the material plane.
> On Tue, Mar 23, 2010 at 9:19 AM, roadsgoeveron <daveolloyd_at_AocvwsvGdJpHlQhEn9md-MSaBIxHTtbmwO5Z_XJtChL_OaojGz7acRsyuwZvLWf5F49Oj4xiCDJvmLE7Yw.yahoo.invalid> wrote:
> > Why is quicksilver not refined from cinnabar? I would have said that the
> > essence of the sea gods was imprisoned in a matrix of earth but can be
> freed
> > and allowed to resume its natural form by conducting the proper rituals.
>
Such is true of most metals.
The Gods War truly mixed things up in the Everything World.
Much of value, many things yet undiscovered, has been mixed up, ground down
to forms and bits, and mixed far and wide.
> > Of course, there are presumably "pure" deposits (probably of aluminum)
> > where the gods' bones retain their original form, but those are probably
> > fairly rare.
>
Any pure forms of metal (heck, of anything!) are rare in Nature, in the Everything World.
--
Greg Stafford
Game Designer
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