Possibly the most precious substance in all of Éran, Birros is a very rare and exceptionally hard silvery metal (it is sometimes referred to as Dragon Silver), so difficult to handle, only the dwarves have so far demonstrated knowledge of how to smelt it without ruining the metal. It is not its shining appearance or hardness that has made Birros the most coveted metal in Éran though, but its unique quality of being completely resistant to magic. Any kind of magical energy, whether it's a charm spell or a lightning bolt, is stopped dead in its tracks the moment it comes into contact with Birros. This quality makes it the most effective defence against wizards available to anyone who is not more adept in the arcane arts than one's foe, making it much sought after by virtually anyone in a position of power that could potentially be threatened.
Its aura of magic-negation is proportional to the amount of birros gathered. A headband of birros would then only offer partial protection, whereas a light helm without a visor would completely protect the head fom all magic. Stories of shields of birros, though incredibly rare, are known. Though occasionally, wild tales of a set of full plate mail birros armor are heard, no incidents of anyone actually wearing such a suit have been reported in modern history.
The Crown of Brennèl
The Crown of Brennèl has been the royal insignia of the rulers of Brennèl ever since it was given to its legendary founder Devon Bren I by the dwarves of Amlaithir, over 1300 years ago.
A shining silvery surface, the crown is obviously a piece of outstanding craftsmanship. Delicately wrought, with fine spires protuding above the head, one delicate spire protuding downwards at the front, covering the centre of the forehead and a thin metal net covering the head and around the ears to help keep it firmly in place. Its only decoration is a diamond at the front.
It's symbolism of the sovereignity of the Emperor is more than just figurative however. It is made of Dragon Silver and effectively protects the wearer from any kind of mind-affecting magic, demonstrating that the emperor answers to no one, by mundane or magical persuasion.
In Brennèl, the crown has given rise to the saying to have 'an Emperor's mind', indicating someone stubborn and unruly, who clearly won't be swayed by anyone.
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? Responses (10)
Is there a Birros mine somewhere in your world? 5/5
about two or three small ones, though obviously kept highly secret. I'll do a plot idea for one of them in the not so distant future.
A rare metal that negates magic, not all the new but well presented.
Nicely done in terms of a write up. Take a High Paw!
Cool idea, not new but brought to the table... just add a bit of history or perhaps a historical or legendary item said to have bene forged from this would make this great. For me anyway.
a good idea. Made this into a scroll and added an item. Feel free to add your own.
So, just a question, but does the magic need to hit the silver or can someone just be touching a piece of the silver for it to be negated?
The magic needs to contact or attempt to penetrate the silver somehow. The crown in the example above is pretty useless against a fireball. But, it protects the upper head entirely, making the mind impenetrable to magic.