am'nýer—a'
T
NATURAL RESOURCES
LEGEND
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Sustenance
Apothecary
Trades
Psychoactive Substance
Poison
Lungs Continent
Püertagœ, Fawzia-Kedet & B'hărăbû
Legs Continent
Sky-Coral Sea
Heart & Throat Continent
Rīdhaūñaī and the 'Neutral Zone'
Pelvis Continent
ZàÞça, Trótskarr
Hands Continent
The Mountains of T-'a'Ţăs'múr
Foot Continent
Zdjętzami Homeland
Ribs Continent
The Emerald Isles
Arms Continent
The Ãoni Coast
Ocean
Becal Curtains & The Sk'ïenaik Empire
GEMS, MINERALS
& METALS
Cracking Rocks
There is a rather rare yet beautiful and dangerous occurrence out in nature near the shores. Hidden in solidified clay mounds lay what are known as 'Cracking Rocks'. The reason why Cracking Rocks tend to be dangerous though is that you never know when they are ready to be found, until the clay mounds that incubate them spontaneously combust. Yes, you read that right. The clay housing Cracking Rocks will catch fire if the temperature within gets too hot, causing the forming gems, or 'rocks' to catch fire all on their own. In turn, this cracks the clay, giving the fire more air, but revealing just how deeply buried these beautiful 'rocks' are.
Putting out the fire should be no trouble, but then one has to carve away all the hardened and burned clay to get at the gorgeous nuggets inside. With the clay cleaned away, you'll be greeted with large chunks of rock that have a crack pattern. Beautiful glittering blue veins around the outside, and once you crack it open, the gem inside is one to take the breath away. Despite it have such a plebeian name, Cracking Rocks are regarded as some of the most beautiful of Tam'nýer—a', and rightly so.
D'lak (duh-lack)
This orange mineral, that looks more akin to a potential creamsicle or fudge, is actually a major export for ZàÞça. Rather than be delicious, it's extremely tough, so don't accidentally bite into it unless you want to lose your teeth. This lovely mineral that is used for sharpening blades, polishing glass and various metals, and as Tam'nýer—a''s version of sandpaper, D'lak is extremely valuable.
The good thing is that D'lak forms naturally in massive amounts, and that's due to it being a natural build up of calcified algae that occurs on the Becal Curtains.
Inva' (in-v-ugh)
Inva' is a deep green stone. The colour is alike that of Emerald here on Earth. Unlike Muy'ţa, Inva' develops with smooth sides, not requiring to be filed down. Inva' tends to form where there is much moisture, where there is a hard surface that holds calcium deposits, and sometimes also develops where the first two previous conditions are met with an additional of mold or fungi. It is a hungry mineral.
Because of this though, Inva' can be used in small amounts to clean the impurities out of the body. However, only a tiny amount of shavings or dust of Inva' should be used because while it may clean out toxins from the body, if you have too much it can cause extremely painful constipation. Inva' is also used for jewelry.
Jaq'-bû (jack-boo)
Stunning, probably can't stop staring and it'd look pretty darn good around your neck, however, you would be grievously mistaken.
Jaq'-bû actually has a negative reaction to the oils found in skin making wearing it nigh impossible. Nigh? Well, while it may be bad against skin, usually resulting in small blisters where ever it was touching. For the Ãoni though, it's no trouble at all. The Ãoni actually wear Jaq'-bû quite often. Another place that Jaq'-bû can often be found is adorning intricate automata, ironically crafted by Humans, and clearly, with the utmost care.
Robert M. Lavinsky
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Krêk'h Glass
Krêk'h Glass is a remnant piece of a Krêk'h that has solidified and crystallized during its decomposition process. Usually, Krêk'h decide to die under in the ocean, but on a ledge in the mountains just a few hundred feet underneath the surface. Every once and a while pieces of it will break off, ending up on shore. The Krêk'h whilst decomposing lose all colouration and become transparent, and the blue inside the chunks of crystallized body are actually microbes, and the essence of undersea parasites that are caught in an explosion due to the pressure from the crystallization process, that is clearly a swift process in order ot capture the poor unsuspecting creatures that are just trying to grab a meal.
Due to its frequency of washing up on shore it is easiest to think of it as the sea glass here on Earth.
Georgios C
James St. John
Lhut'õ (loot-eugh)
This metal is difficult to harvest as it comes from the fungi Pt'stroka. Lhut'õ is formed in the caps and must be intact in order to still contain the metal. Some people have found the easiest way to handle this metal is to puncture the caps and pour the liquid metal into a mold, then carry it to warmer temperatures where it will harden and be usable by smiths or jewelers.
Lhut'õ can be used for things such as jewelry, but can also be mixed with Prucmeь' vî to make a strong alloy suitable for forging weaponry such as blades or spear heads. The alloy is simple a combination of the two metals that form it: Pruk-Lhut.
Llî-lko' (lee-lugh-kugh)
Llî-lko' has a crystal structure that is mainly face-centered cubic and can sometimes be found with Sho'kră deposits. Llî-lko' has also been notably found in the river beds near Fawzia-Kedet. However, the kingdom has laid claim to the land and river so that it could prohibit mass mining in order to protect the environment.
One of the few great things about Llî-lko' is that it is practically non-reacting as far as metals go, meaning that it has an exemplary resistance to corrosion.
Another is the accidental discovery of one of Llî-lko''s properties; that of being a hallucinogen. This curious revelation happened when a jeweler knocked over a glass of wine that happened to spill over a small slab of Llî-lko' that he was had set aside for use the next day. The two had a chemical reaction, turning the lilac coloured alcohol to a faint chartreuse. Curious, the jeweler tasted it, just a drop on his finger, but even with such a small amount he soon experienced hallucinations. Some the jeweler later described as childhood memories, and prophetic, witnessed through a 'fractal lens'.
Due to this Llî-lko' is unfortunately under strict control by governments meaning that jewelers, as well as blacksmiths, require licenses not only to prove that they have the skill to work with it, but also to gain access to purchase it.
Obtaining a License
Submit an application to the government of the Kingdom of Fawzia for a Lli-lko license. Prove that you are a blacksmith (with statements from customers or fellow blacksmiths), how long you have been one (since it requires a good amount of talent and experience to work with), and payment for said license.
5,000 and this buys you no material, merely the license.
Robert M. Lavinsky
Mïk’paßtro (meek-p-astro)
Mïk’paßtro is a beautiful, rough blue stone that while can be used as gemstone to adorn jewelry or, as newly discovered, a formidable tool to make a multitude of things such as flooring, table ware, or beautification. Mïk’paßtro mining is a growing industry as its many uses became discovered a mere Tam'nýer—a''n month ago, and so far has only been found on the southern Emerald Isles.
How to Use Mïk’paßtro
Boil the rock in vinegar and salt water for 6-7 candlemarks. This will alter its consistency by first causing the rocks to crack apart, and revealing a dense web of fibers that appear a darker hue than the outside rock pieces. Whilst being boiled these fibers will appear fluid. At this point the fibers can be combed with a large, specially made metallic comb and after another grueling two candlemarks (approx) the two connecting rock ends can be combed out as well.
Pulled from the boiling vat of water, the blanket of fibers can now be shaped into your final product be it a mug or tiles for flooring. In the case for using as a tool for the beautification of nails, such as our earthly acrylics, the fibers should be cut as soon as possible into small 1 inch sheets and placed into a thick container of oils and Tam milk. This will help keep the fibers malleable despite cooling from its boiling temperature.
Hannes Grobe
Muy'ţa (mo-oi-tz-ah)
This seemingly fuzzy moss or mold is actually a gemstone in it's raw form. Muy'ţa tends to form after a deluge, high in the hills or mountains that are usually arid aside from rain season. Akin to our tide pools, Muy'ţa forms in little divots in the rocks, forming somewhat like the aforementioned mold, but the chemical reaction of what is usually found in the soil in dry places, combined with high elevation and subsequently thinner air causes Muy'ţa to come to life. The name Muy'ţa was also coined because the person who discovered it cringed when they first saw it, finding it to be physically repulsive to behold, and exclaimed "Muy'ţa!" to express their disgust.
Macroscopic Solutions
Nyzal (knee-zah-l)
Nyzal is something no one really understands how it works. It is found growing, like a fungi, along stumps of trees, and on rocks both wet and dry. While seemingly a disadvantageous growth, and squishy to the touch, it was found by accident when trying to cook it to harden. In fact over the years, Nyzal has become something of a commodity and if heated cautiously to a certain point, can be forged. Meaning that Nyzal can be used to make stunning weapons, primarily daggers or harpoon and arrow tips. In turn, it can also make brilliant hilts of weapons. Of course because it takes precious time, energy and talent to forge it, this in turn makes it expensive. However, one is totally capable of sharpening it by hand as well, once solidified with heat.
Nyzal can be found on the Foot, Pelvis and Throat continents, as well as sporadically on the Lung continent and the Ãoni Coast. It seems to oddly thrive when things get dry, and has been found that when the weather is at its hottest that it is more akin to a sponge, perhaps actually being beneficial to the trees it adheres to.
Tamsin van Essen - Erosion
Õnntas (eugh-nn-ta-sse)
Õnntas, because to find a deposit of it is few and far between, is actually a niche market as it is mainly used for the superstitious to burn in their fireplaces with various herbs, woods, and the leftover foods from Cza'tîm and Şœvu, (equinoxes & aphelion), celebrations. The less than lovely smell of the Õnntas is covered by the herbs, foods, wood, and the burning of it in this manner at this time is considered good luck. This gift is very popular among merchants as it is believed to bless all their affairs for the remainder of the year. Õnntas can also be used by the more affluent of blacksmiths for their forge.
Qanzoe (kahn-zuh)
As strong as steel (without the need for multiple alloys), used primarily for smithing tools and constructs not carve from limestone and granite. Qanzoe is an exceedingly useful, reliable and needed resource.
It is one of T-'a'Ţăs'múr largest imports, if not the largest import. ZàÞça is known to use it for public art pieces to last through the brutality of the sand and coarse red earth. Qanzoe can be found in small and large quantities, but whenever someone strikes it, there tends to be a bit of a commerce bump. People are known to flock to mine it, much like our gold rush, except perhaps not such on a massive scale.
Qanzoe is primarily found in Trótskarr, the Foot Continent, as well as the Throat.
James St. John
Prucmé'vî (pur-rook-meh-s-vee)
Prucmé' vî , or colloquially known as Pruk (pur-rook), is the same consistency of copper here on Earth; easy to work with but solid enough to hold shape and be used in the manufacturing of heavy use items. That being said, this is a popular, every day type of metal.
When found naturally it is discovered mainly in octahedral or complex isometric shapes with varying amounts of gangue. It also changes colour, though the depth of change is dependent upon how much exposure it had to snow and colder temperatures. Snow has a much more profound effect on colour variance if it has been covered with it for a long time as it is kept cold under a weight. If that is the case, the colour change maybe permanent or leave behind a gradient. The colour change is that of a teal to dark blue, which is quite the noticeable difference since Prucmé' vî is visually the colour of gold.
Because of this colour change, especially when used for the production of tableware, it is highly sought after and treated to intensify the natural chemical reaction that makes it appear by storing it in ice boxes. Though do note that salt water will have adverse effects and make this metal form white crystals on the surface, so water from the Sweet Way or Püertagœ's aqueducts is considered best.
H. Zell
Rieárn (ree-aa-rt)
Rieárn comes in two distinct colours; a dark grey, which is always speckled with white, or a rusty red. Sometimes the two different types can develop in a banded manner, as shown in the example image.
Rieárn is a very common rock/mineral found on Tam'nýer—a' that has magnetic properties. However, it should be said that the dark grey samples are the most magnetic. Rieárn can be found at depths as little as 25ft.
Rieárn is primarily smelted down for weapons, although it can be used for other things such as jewellery, building materials, armor, etc. Rieárn can also, surprisingly be used in dye making, as it can be used as a colour enhancer. Some even use Rieárn to dye on its own, but only the rusty red colouration is used for this.
André Karwath
Sho'kră (show-ugh-craw)
This metal, Sho'kră , develops underneath clay and slate, depending on conditions. The most notable thing about this metal is that dependent upon what season it is harvested determines the colour of the metal. Winter is black, Spring is akin to tarnished platinum, Summer could be called a pink champagne, and Autumn holds a steely blue colouration.
Due to these attributes it is used frequently, but most especially for filigree and such things as it is a very malleable and an easy to work with metal. Do note that when forging with this metal that it must occasionally be doused with salted waters as it is a key part in its development, and though it sounds as if this would weaken or crack the metal when being forged, it does not. Though the need for Sho'kră to be washed with salted water is also indicative of Sho'kră forming mainly outside the safety of the Becal Curtains.
