Orichalcum
Mythological · Legendary · Ancient
The legendary metal of Atlantis, described by Plato as the second most precious substance after gold. The walls and pillars of Poseidon's great temple were said to be clad in it, glowing like fire.
Identity
- Source
- Greek mythology / Plato's Critias
- Aliases
- Aurichalcum, Mountain copper
Physical Properties
- Appearance
- Deep burnished gold with reddish undertones, almost flame-like in direct light
- Luster
- Metallic
- Density
- 8.9 g/cm³
- Melting point
- 1800 °C
- Boiling point
- 3200 °C
- Lighter
- Orium
- Denser
- Nickel
- Magnetism
- Non-magnetic
- Electrical conductivity
- High
Mechanical Properties
- Mohs hardness
- 7
- Tensile strength
- 900 MPa
- Softer
- Vanadium
- Harder
- Tungsten
- Workability
- Difficult
- Brittleness
- Moderate
- Malleability
- Moderate
- Ductility
- Moderate
Chemical Properties
- Corrosion resistance
- very high
- Reactivity
- very low
Lore & Narrative
No smith alive has seen true orichalcum. What ancient texts describe may have been a lost copper-gold alloy, a misremembered mineral, or something that simply no longer exists.
- Notable uses
- Temple cladding, ritual vessels, royal ornamentation
- Forge uses
- ornamentation, ritual vessels, architecture
- Worldbuilding traits
- lost, divine, atlantean, legendary
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