Alter Aeon The Great Library

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Note - as with any topic, researchers should question the reliability
and veracity of these texts.  The library's aim is to preserve
documents, not verify accuracy.

AABN:  48899
Title: a scroll titled "The Secrets of High Alchemy"

Blessed with knowledge by the gods, reserved by the Dragon Emperor to be
employed only at his command, I, Luse Jinshu, the Royal Smith, at the
behest of the Emperor, do scribe upon this scroll the secrets of
Metallurgic Alchemy.

Copper and iron, zinc and tin, these are common and known to all. Likewise
are their alloys - brass, bronze and all the steels.

Above and beyond these lowly substances are the Great Metals. They are
rarer than silver, more precious than gold and keener than steel. The four
Great Metals are each related with one of the four elements:

mithril    - air
orichalcum - fire
adamantium - earth
ziff       - water

As they are like the elements in nature, so also each cannot be alloyed
with its opposite. Adamantium with ziff forms snow adamantine,  and with
orichalcum, rose adamantine. Ziff and mithril makes pearl mithril, and
orichalcum and mithril makes crimson mithril. Ziff, as water cannot be
mingled with fire, cannot be alloyed with orichalcum. Likewise, as air and
earth are in opposition, likewise mithril and adamantium cannot be mixed.

The secrets of alloying these metals are known only to our swordsmiths,
though they will teach it freely to those that master their art.

These also may be blended with iron to make steels of many colors.

This secret is known to but few, but blackest arjale, the blok'arni of the
demons, represents shadow, and can be mixed with any of the other elements.