Now, to have some thoughts about silver.
It is lighter than gold, but harder, very rarely found without contaminations like lead and tin, if I am correct, and likes to react. Any piece of silver will quickly oxidize, its shine fading to black, as we all know, but like copper, it will passivize, and not decay further.
Silver is of little use for building tools or weapons, but cutlery, dishes and jewerly were often made of silver - but watch out for the contaminants!
Silver is a metal closely associated with the Moon, and thus with the feminine side throught the female cycle more or less corresponding to the waxing or vaning of the moon, also with the oceans through the influence the moon has over the waters, and with the emotions of the raging sea and the warmth and emotionality of femininity as compared to the cold and rationality of masculinity. Of course, there are exceptions. Lots. But let us continue, shalll we?
We will consider the silver's effects on magic, spirits, and of course the shape-changers, children of Luna.
silver will, according to use, stabilize emotions, or bring out hidden emotions to the fore, or quench unwanted ones. This effect will be gradual and not to be compared with direct mind control...
The shape and symbolism will be most important. The metal will integrate the emotion into its matrix and set it then gradually free. As such, it is more attuned to biogenous fields of mana than to inanimate ones. Common motifs will include dove (for peace and love), owl for wisdom, bear to contain rage (or evoke it!) or bull for resolve.
Geometric forms can also be chosen - circle for the perfection of the shape and unity of endless angles into a single harmonic whole: meant to elaborate or strengthen an emotion; triangle for the simple yet powerful form of three sharp angles, one in each direction: leading the emotion into a simpler, purer state; square is stable and fits easily next to other squares; it will hold the emotion constant and help avoid conflict; a pentagram or heptagram is a powerful protective shape intended to ward the wearer from an emotion, or to keep an emotion from outside influence. A pentagon is a shape detrimental to an emotion, with five weak angles dissipating it into all directions, BUT could be used to lend a little of the wearer's emotion to others in the vicinity. An octagon is a link to the astral aspects of an emotion, allowing the wearer to "feel" the magical aspect of a place - in a cursed room he will get depressed, while on blessed temple grounds will he experience joy and comfort.
The localization is best chosen for one of the seven chakras - like brain, heart, lungs or the loins.
silver is a metaphysically strong metal, with lots of character. As such, it is harder to enchant, and any magic item made of silver will be ... different, as if it had a character of its own, even if there is no spirit bound into it.
Silver strengthens its own magical field through exposure to moonlight and through constructive interference of its resonance - thus the longer a piece of silver is in a shape, the more will it express the shape's abilities and attributes. Silver's magical field tends to fuse with the aura of one who wears it for extended periods of time, but it tends to reject suddenly approaching patterns. This means that it could confer a certain degree of resistance to mind control if worn in large quantities or over importan chakras. The positive effect on the female body will stem from this property - it will ward the pregnant woman and her child from outside influence if utilized well, and help the mother avoid detrimental stress. Through its connection to the moon it will stabilize the female cycle.
If the silver's magic is breached through an outside pattern, it tends to affect the silver's shape - if the wearer of a peace amulet is affected by a berserk spell, the amulet will be deformed. If a demon breaches a pentagram made of silver, the runes will melt. If the wearer of silvered armor is hit by a Magic Missile, the plate will indicate the place of impact with concentric circles. And so on.
Note that due to the aforementioned properties, an old pentagram made of silver lines and runes would be far better at containing demons if well used, and a silvered armor could reduce the magical damage the wearer suffers.
Thus, people could consider ANY silver item breaking a bad omen and attribute it to evil outside influence, leading to a broken-mirror-like superstition. Messages would be carried in silvered cases as to detect whethr someone has been scrying them, a king's throne would have concentric silver circles as to detect hostile spells and malevolent spirits.
if the silver's field is stronger than one it impacts, though, it will tend to drag the lines along, stretching them, deforming, even tearing them apart if the silver's patern is strong enough and th force of impact, the emotion behind it and the will guiding it great. This is the reason behind weres being marmed by silver- it upsets their frail magical balance, plus it is as if their very mother had struck them. None-the-less, a wak-willed being with a new-forged silver sword will be of little use against a raging were-bear.
Likewise, a wizard struck by a silver weapon could lose some mana, or a prepared spell, or just suffer a point of extra damage.
BUT a spell cast from silver runes would be harder tro dispel, and magical parchments and books would be written with silver inks to reinforce what has been written. As we all know, AgNO3 for example is black.
more about the amulet theme: if someone is wearing a silver amulet that already has attuned itself to his pattern, he will notice if someone he has close contact with conflicts with his aura due to vibrattions of the silver - this could be even used to find the right partner with an 'aura in tune with my own'.
The silver learns to know the wearer. Thus, it will accept his general persona in the roughest sense - be imprinted with his emotions, and general view of life. Someone wearing a silver amulet that has been owned by a line of berserkers will have a hard time in keeping his temper in line!
This could result in people storing silver that has belonged to their deceased beloved because 'when I pick up that brooch, it is as if Connie was here...'
Thus, also spirits constrained within silver will have an easier time remembering their lives, on will be harder to exorcise from the item if one wished so. Beware a demon or dragon with scales of silver, for it is not only harder to defeat with spells, or banish, but the fact that it wears a silvered (or silver!) body indicated it was powerful enough to begin with, as to animate this metal.
Silver will be associated with water and air magicks, and with spells concerning the realm of night, stars and emotions. (most of course those concerning emotions at night under a star-lit sky on the shore of an ocean, where at least one female is concerned
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I'm waiting for comments on this one, friends.
