Orichalcum
Known for its pale pink-hued colour, orichalcum is one of the most sought-after metals in Realmgard. Due to both its aesthetic and material properties, orichalcum is widely used for both artistic and practical applications.
While orichalcum veins occur all over Realmgard, a monopoly of the actual smelting process and technology was previously held by the Dwarven Kingdom. In recent centuries, orichalcum has spread across the continent, with Dwarven Kings sending metallurgists skilled in orichalcum smelting out into the service of other polities as a gesture of goodwill. Nevertheless, orichalcum produced within the Dwarven Kingdom is still regarded as the highest-quality orichalcum available in Realmgard.
Famously, the pirate William Newgate stole 775 orichalcum ingots from the Dwarven treasury. The bulk of these stolen ingots have never been recovered.
Known for not tarnishing, orichalcum is popular in statuary and decorative architectural elements, with many prominent government buildings and the properties of wealthy families adorned with orichalcum features. Orichalcum is also popular for silverware, belt buckles, buttons, and jewellery.
In terms of military applications, orichalcum is also commonly used for swords. While orichalcum is durable enough to stand up to use as a weapon, orichalcum swords are generally wielded as a status symbol, since it is not a vastly superior material compared to more mundane metals.
Due to its high level of heat resistance, orichalcum has also found wide use as an ideal material for firearms and cannons.
Admittedly, there’s a certain similarity here to mithril, but orichalcum is actually a real metal — or, at least a real mythological metal. It’s what Plato says Atlantis was made of. Though there is also a real-life definition of orichalcum: an alloy of precious metals used for some ancient coins.
Mostly, though, Realmgard-orichalcum doesn’t really correspond to any real or mythological metal. I just wanted a pink magic metal (possibly influenced by the fact that my current laptop is what Apple describes as “rose gold” but is clearly pink) and I like the word “orichalcum”.
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