While not an example of the "taint" adamant is indeed an example of naturally occurring alchemical change upon a very mundane material. Strong but rather heavy, adamant is suitable for most tools where durability is an asset and is known for its ability to hold an edge. While retaining the magnetic and conductive nature of its parent material, adamant is not readily harmed by temperature changes or electricity. This is exemplified by the fact that adamant does not suffer contraction or expansion nor the usual fatigue experienced by most metals exposed to extremes of heat or cold. While adamant can be made molten the heat required is tremendous (about 5,555 degrees centigrade or 10,031 degrees F). Due to this resilience adamant is not damaged by any but the most extremes of heat, cold or electricity.

The primary use of adamant is in the production of edged tools in order to take advantage of its ability to tenaciously hold an edge. Tools and weapons which employ an edge gain a bonus of +2 to hit and damage from virtue of the sharpness the blade can attain. If the tool or weapon is not specially sharpened to take advantage of this property then damage dealt is normal. Armours made of adamant are harder than iron counterparts, providing an AC bonus of one for shield and an AC bonus of two for full body armours.

The alchemical nature of adamant seems to interfere with some aspects of the Art. Most often, objects of adamant will not readily take to transmutation or enchantment schools ensorcellments. This fact tends to ensure most adamant tools or weapons are non-magical in nature, and if they are then it is most likely under the effects of dread necromantic Arts.

When a small portion of fossilized blood is kept on hand it grants a +2 enhancement bonus to both Strength and Constitution. A secondary effect is that one does not continue to lose hit points once reduced to negative hp from physical wounds. It has been discovered that if fossilized blood is exposed to freshly spilt blood it degrades into a gooey, unusable mass. Because of this fact, many who possess fossilized blood opt to have it enamelled in some way, such as embedding it in wax.

As is to be expected, fossilized blood has been used as a reagent in many alchemical experiments in order to find further use for it. Thus far any discoveries seem to have been kept from general knowledge. The relative scarcity of quality specimens has of course slowed more productive research.

700-1900 wafers, ¼ pound.

These orbs are produced by defeating a dark lord and causing it to collapse into this dormant state. Given enough time the dark lord will revive and so their possession is of a risk, but some find the risk worth it. Most commonly the orbs are used in conjunction with the Art in order to attain more potent results or bend principles in ones favour. It is known that eldritch orbs may be used to accomplish the following effects:

Note, any essence that exceeds natural maximum is used to restore lost hit points on a point per point basis as is normal.

Melting at temperatures just above that of iron mithral is quite easy for any metalworker to use. As the weight of mithral is low by metallic standards it makes a very appealing candidate for the crafting of armour or weapons that would normally be to large and heavy to be used effectively. Like its distant cousin, adamant, mithral is capable of keeping a sharp edge and so grants edged weapons a +1 bonus to hit and damage from superior sharpness.

Although alchemically enhanced the properties of mithral do not interfere in any great way with enchantment processes and so is also favoured by those employing the Art. Of note, mithral has an innate ghost touch property which is lost should it be enchanted, but it will return should the enchantment be broken even if only temporarily (such as by dispel magic). The loss of the ghost touch property is only found to happen when the mithral is actually enchanted and not simply when a spell is lain upon it.

As air quickly passes by the structure of the three the whole will begin to resonate, producing a high pitched shriek which grows louder and higher in pitch the faster the wind blows. The sonics generated by the strident bark deal d6 damage to any within 20 feet of it for every ten miles per hour the wind is blowing. Note, the gust of wind spell is considered to move 30 miles per hour. Making this worse, any strident bark that is within the 20 foot range will likewise begin to shriek. The effects of two or more trees add to each other and so groves of strident bark become deadly at any time wind should occur. For example, if two trees are within 20 feet of each other and one is hit by the gust of wind spell it will resonate for 3d6, which is then picked up by and added to by its neighbour. Adding in the second tree’s 3d6 will bring the total up to 6d6 resonating from each individual tree, and should a third one be present the total would climb to 9d6. The sonic damage capacity of strident bark peaks at 30d6 and cannot climb higher under normal circumstances. By this time the trees are resonating quite violently and visibly shredding the air.

The wood of this tree has always been favoured for the construction of musical instruments that deal with long, drawn out vibrations such as flutes and violins. The wood is rather hard to harvest as saws do have a tendency to start a strident bark resonating, and so chopping tools are most often employed, although one may have to wait a few moments for the shocks from a blow to work out of the tree. Instruments made from this wood play with unearthly quality, adding dimensions to the music not possible without supernatural aid. Strident bark instruments grant a +6 circumstance bonus to Perform checks, adding a further +2 (maximum of +20 total) for each additional instrument within an overlapping 20 foot radius. Most performers can manipulate a strident bark instrument harshly (Perform DC 13) enough to evoke d6 sonic damage to all within 20 feet including himself. As with the parent tree, this may resonate with other instruments within 20 feet also being played harshly reaching a maximum of 10d6. Of note, masterwork versions do not increase the circumstance bonus but increase the damage die to d8.

The sonic properties of strident bark are not of a supernatural nature and are merely extraordinary. The sonics of strident bark are affected by spells and effects as are other mundane sources. It is not uncommon for a small group of minstrels to use these types of instruments as both tools of the trade and for defence, employing magical protection from the damaging effects of their own attacks.

Whitestone is typically found in areas where streams, rivers or other sources of clean water can be found that is also devoid of high concentrations of life. It is thus that this stone is found in inhospitable places where life has little place to take hold but water is present. As the environments which favour whitestone are so barren it can be difficult to find and then extract.

In its raw form whitestone possesses an innate dual-nature which allows it to interact with both the physical world and the ethereal, essentially having a natural ghost touch property. Whitestone in its raw form is often employed in the crafting of weapons, armour and other defences designed to deal with ethereal beings such as some zelengorsk. Any enchantment upon raw whitestone will tend to corrupt this property and so is seldom used in the manufacture of mystical tools. It should be noted that whitestone is of use to those who employ temporary enchantments, as whitestone will regain its ghost touch power once the enchantment has expired but will also aid by maintaining the enchantment twice as long as would a normal object. Enchanted whitestone can be distinguished from its non-enchanted form as the grey marbling take on a blue hue; light-blue for more lowly enchantments and darker for more lofty.

It has been found that the affinity whitestone has with the ethereal can be used for purposes of travel, specifically in the construction of gates which connect one place to another. By proper treatment of a large block of whitestone it can become better connected with itself. Later cutting the block into two or more slabs and using them as gates one can produce a permanent and stable gateway as the stones are strongly bound to each other. One need only try to step though the very stone of one side and emerge at the other. Should more than one stone be used to produce more than two gates the destination is much a part of luck, as one tends to arrive at one slab or another at random. Whitestone used for the purposes of gates will have its marbling change to an incandescent-yellow hue.

Peoples that live in areas where najuato grow typically regard the tree with reverence and protect them from harm. The properties of the wood can save the inhabitants from threats normally beyond their ability to defend themselves from by arming them with something they can use to fight back with. Although the wood is useful in the ways noted above it should be said that it does not make very good armour, as the wood and sap have a very real chance of causing heavy-metal poisoning in those who contact it for long, causing them to lose their senses. Hardness 8, 18 hit points per inch thickness. Najuato sap Contact DC 23 2d6 Int//2d6 Int