Zhultirium
Zhultirium is a rare and highly sought-after metal, prized by sorcerers for its peculiar affinity with mana. Unlike most metals, which primarily resonate with Tanlil, the flavour of mana governing solidity and structure, Zhultirium resonates with an undifferentiated form of mana that can be twisted into any of the four mana flavours—Anshar, Kishar, Tanlil, and Enlil—allowing sorcerers with Zhultirium in their possession to draw upon a full spectrum of magical potential regardless of their environment. It also seems to generate significantly more of this undifferentiated mana than the amount of Tanlil that would be generated by a metal sample of comparable size. These extraordinary properties make the metal an invaluable material for spellcraft, as it can serve as a reservoir or generator of mana for a sorcerer to perform feats that they would be otherwise unable to accomplish in an environment.
However, Zhultirium’s properties can also be a liability. In environments rich with ambient mana, prolonged exposure to the metal can accelerate the buildup of magical energy, increasing the risk of creating Undead nearby. As a result, it is often necessary to store samples of the metal in obsidian containers to prevent mishaps or catastrophes.
Properties
Material Characteristics
At first glance, Zhultirium resembles a high-quality dark silver or faintly bluish-grey platinum, and its surface often appears to be burnished without the need to polish it as is necessary with other metals. However, upon detailed examination, its unique nature becomes apparent. Under direct light, the metal exhibits faint, shifting undertones—a barely perceptible interplay of hues corresponding to the four flavours of mana:
- A cool cyan shimmer when exposed to moisture.
- A deep ember-like glow under intense heat or strong light.
- A faint earthen solidity in shadow, taking on a slightly weightier, more matte texture.
- A whispering iridescence when held against the wind, revealing an elusive, wavering sheen.
Physical & Chemical Properties
Zhultirium is a relatively dense and hard metal, often mistaken for silver, platinum or polished steel as it shares some properties with each of these materials. It has the heavy feel of silver or platinum and the low reactivity with surrounding elements that these two metals also share. Zhultirium is more durable than either, however, having a hardness and tensile strength closer to that of steel.
The most prominent property of Zhultirium, however, is its apparent ability to generate a kind of undifferentiated mana that is unlike anything else seen in nature, and to do so in significantly greater quanitites than most other metals can generate Tanlil. Thus, it is prized as a pwer amplifier, increasing the amount of mana a sorcerer can access, and as an enabler for sorcery that would otherwise be difficult or impossible due to scarcity of a particular mana flavour such as Anshar in the desert.
Origin & Source
The origin of Zhultirium is unknown, but the possibility that it is a naturally occurring metal has been mostly ruled out by the research of The Charter Schools of Sorcery. However, the method and source for its production are among the many secrets lost in the course of the Mage Wars. Even the Nation of Free Mages have not yet managed to rediscover how to create it. For the moment, therefore, they make expeditions to sites believed to have been towers of The Magelords. The Charter Schools also obtain the material by archaeology of Magelords sites that they know about and control, although they do so in a much more limited fashion that the Free Mages as the existence of Zhultirium is a closely guarded secret that is kept from most Sorcerers.
Type
Metal
Color
Dark silver
Melting / Freezing Point
1300C
Common State
Solid
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