Animargentum

It is a highly reflective gray metal which tends to develop a smooth and mirror-like surface. It has a viscosity similar to mud, so it can be manipulated easily but does not hold any shape for very long.

Left to itself, a body of animargentum will gradually form into a sphere. Separate bodies of the material will gravitate together and conglomerate into one mass; this occurs at a distance of less than half a meter, depending on the total amount of the material in the system. A large sphere will be flattened slightly due to gravity; this becomes noticeable for those with a diameter of more than a decimeter or so.   If a mineral of any kind is placed within a centimeter of the substance, it will flow toward and engulf the mineral. Once inside the mass, the mineral will be broken down into its elemental components, except for crystals and noble metals (such as gold, silver, and copper), which are left intact. Mundane mercury will be alchemized and added to the mass of animargentum. The material does not interact with organic compounds.   If the mass of other material inside a conglomeration exceeds the amount of animargentum, the material will lose its alchemical properties and revert to mundane mercury.

Natural deposits are rare, because they tend to engulf surrounding minerals and lose their properties. Thus they are found most commonly trapped inside large veins of pure metal. The greatest rates of finding are in the Sylvian Mountains, with smaller frequencies in other mountain ranges.

Is highly useful for purification of ores. After a conglomeration "digests" an ore, it can be put into a powerful centrifuge to separate all the elements. After allowing the animargentum to re-coagulate, each element can be removed and sorted. This process is desired because it leaves valuable minerals intact, but it takes far longer than more mundane methods of purification, including those that use mundane mercury. Because of this, it is not in high demand, and is used primarily by alchemists and wealthy prospectors.

Its ability to move independently gives it a mystique that extends to those who keep it. Alchemists often keep a conglomeration prominently displayed as a sign of their profession. Because of its resemblance to a crystal ball, there are many stories that they use the material to divine the locations of valuable minerals.

Miners seeking new veins of metal may process random rocks with animargentum to see what minerals they contain and in what proportion. This is faster than using other tests if there is little understanding of the rock's composition.

As with mercury, it is toxic if consumed or left in prolonged contact. For this reason, it is only handled with gloves, but no other safeguards are needed.