[Addition] Thanhium Properties

[Mephistophelian 972]

Good day folks.

I'm back with some more lore! Now it's an addition lore on thanhium. This will serve as an explanation for why certain armours provide 'magical protection' with thanhium studs and also allows you people to RP this affect (whilst abiding to the lore) as well! Also, it has a small explanation as to why thanhium poisoning affects mages so badly.
Enjoy!

Thanhium Poisoning Explained:

Thanhium has long been known as the substance that converts heat into mana. This very property has made it invaluable to all sorts of people, from Mages who don't mind freezing their fingers whilst using enchanted items to morally afflicted Golemancers who can't bear the thought of killing someone and stuffing their soul into a golem core. It is, however, a terribly toxic substance, proving to be sickening to non-mages and positively deadly to mages. Few, however, seem to understand why. Though much speculation has gone about as to why thanhium poisons individuals, the truth of the matter is rather simple:

Upon entering the body of an individual, thanhium begins to absorb their body heat and transfer it into mana. One of two things then happens; either the person suffers a death by frostbite or organ failure (in cases where the amount of thanhium in the body is too great), or the individual suffers from thanhium poisoning (if the amount does not kill them outright). Now that the mana is being produced, and since it is within the very body of the descendant, this mana begins to affect their own mana. Being a foreign source of mana, it cannot be used as effectively or as reliably as the mana produced by the body, nor can it be manipulated as freely. In fact, the soul of the descendent, when attempting to draw upon the mana it produces and utilise it in magic, finds itself incapable of controlling this alien mana. Thus, the catastrophic results of thanhium poisoning occur. This explains, too, why non-mages find themselves suddenly performing tiny feats of magic they had otherwise never been able to do; the alien mana is uncontrollable and, should the soul even attempt to use it as normal mana would be, it results in bizarre circumstances.

Summary:

- Explains (in greater depth) thanhium poisoning's magical effects to mages and non-mages. Benbo's lore on Thanhium is not overwritten, however, and the other effects still remain!
 

Thanhium's Magic-affecting Properties Explained:

As a substance that constantly produces mana from heat, thanhium can be said to provide some sort of conversion-gateway. Heat becoming mana (heat-->mana) is the typical flow of this conversion, though sufficient amounts of mana may reverse this (mana-->heat). It is for this reason that thanhium may be used as some sort of 'magic absorber'; if magic is used against it and enough mana is supplied, the thanhium begins to absorb this forceful mana and instead begins to heat up. The effect this has on a spell cast towards the thanhium is that it 'cushions' the spell with the mana the thanhium produces. The spell then forces the mana 'against' the conversion process, and heats the thanhium up. If heated up too much, the thanhium is likely to either burn into embers (for thanhium dust), melt (for thanhium studs or shards) or explode violently (for thanhium crystals or gems). This effect, however, is only seen when the forceful mana of a spell is cast upon mana outside of a body, and not within a body. Upon hearing up even slightly, the state of the thanhium itself is changed. Though it may have previously resisted mana being forced upon it, once the flow of conversion changes from heat becoming mana to mana becoming heat, the material begins to deteriorate; it is no longer capable of converting heat into mana anymore. It must be noted that a sufficient amount of mana must be forced onto a thanhium formation (dust, stud, shard, gem or crystal) for it to deteriorate, with the purer thanhium formations requiring more mana. If a thanhium gem is hit by a spell with mana insufficient enough to convert the flow, the thanhium effectively halts the spell. It does not, however, immediately resume its process of changing heat to mana, and suffers a cool down (no pun intended) period (this period takes too long to be done in battle). This does, however, allow an individual to 'recharge' their thanhium items by holding them over heat after their use. If it is hit by a spell strong enough to convert the flow or by multiple smaller spells that have a cumulative amount of mana enough to do this, the gem will switch states, now changing mana into heat. For purer forms of thanhium, this happens at a far faster rate (crystals and gems) that is often explosive. For less pure forms, it either melts or becomes embers.

 

An additional effect of thanhium is that the resistance of one separate formation of thanhium may work together with the resistance of another nearby formation. Thusly, studs put on a thanhium jacket may all absorb the brunt of a spell, though the results of overheating are thus far more dangerous, as every one of those studs will melt at once. Again, the cumulative 'cushioning' resistance of these thanhium forms may only be able to take the brunt of a few spells, though it is far more desirable than not being able to take the brunt at all.

 

It is due to the cushioning effect that thanhium has on spells that it is used as some form of Mage-protection-armour, dubbed 'Witcher Armour' by humans. Though it makes metal brittle and leather hard and inflexible, it gives them an essential though brief respite from spells cast upon them; often enough time for the individual in question to close the gap between them and the caster. The same applies to thanhium tools and weapons, and thus explains why creatures such as Archons are so negatively affected by thanhium; due to a mix of the thanhium poisoning effect AND the effect of thanhium on mana.

Summary:
- Thanhium dust will absorb minimal amounts of mana from cast magic and becomes burning hot embers. Coating an entire outfit (even though it is dangerous) it may protect against three weak spells and a single moderate spell.
- A thanhium shard or studs will absorb moderate amounts of mana from cast magic and becomes a molten liquid that does not cool to become thanhium again. Imbedded into an entire outfit, it may protect against seven weak spells, two to three moderate spells (depending on the players involved) or one to two stronger ones (again, depending on the players involved).
- Thanhium crystals or gems will explode upon absorbing larger amounts of mana from cast magic. When in greater quantity and imbedded into armour, it can take the brunt of twelve weak spells, five to six moderate spells (depending on the players) and four stronger ones (depending on the players)
- All the above points refer to magic cast outside of a mage's body.
- If the thanhium is on an article of clothing or item, the negative effects of absorbing too much magic must be RPed, as well as the freezing effects it has when magic is not used directly on it, meaning leather armours with thanhium will likely become very brittle (as well as metal armours, etc). If, for example, your character has leather armour with a few thanhium studs and they are hit by a strong spell or by two moderate ones, the thanhium will become molten and likely burn through the leather and into their flesh (within the span of a few seconds).
- Allows non-mages to have a viable (though potentially deadly) means of resisting some magic.

- You must have the item to be able to say your clothing has thanhium dust, studs or gems in it.

- This only affects thanhium and its slightly impure forms. Thanhium alloys do not work like this.

Credits:
Mephistophelian - For writing the stuff
Tsuyose - For the ideas on how thanhium reacts to mana forced upon it
Luka_Shashavani - For unknowingly spurring this idea.

Bokratz & Abyssus - For the discussion of a very early prototype lore of this.

[excited 10833]

I like this set of clarifications!

[_Sug 2554]

Yes, A well written post which clarifies many of the unanswered and uncommon knowledge regarding the material itself. 

[Ricky 320]

*cough* Lyrium

[Kanrath 190]

One must then consider the idea of thanium heat discharge being countered by thanium heat absorption, and the fact that if you hit a vest with thanium studs with a medium spell, all thanium in the general area would share the brunt of the mana influx, and then be quickly countered by the unaffected thanium's ability to absorb heat. In such then the more thanium studs, the harder it would be to over charge the thanium because the less the load each stud suffers, and the more studs there are to counter the heat.  While a high level powerful spell may simply instantly convert the thanium into its resulting counter force causing the reaction, medium spells on the other hand with a set bit of time between them would be able to be absorbed constantly at a persistent rate as the extra thanium or any thanium that did not overcharge would immediately begin absorbing its own heat likely causing a discharge of mana equal to the spell that triggered the reaction to be released into the immediate area surrounding the wearer. What this influx of chaos mana to the immediate area would do, I couldn't really determine, though I would assume the chances are it would be harmful to some level.

 

Just pointing out a flaw with the heat penalty needing further explanation into the effect thanium has on thanium when creating a heat exchange/mana exchange infinity loop ((in the way that as the mana would be released from absorbing the heat, it would most likely be the same abount of mana as was originally absorbed whch would then cause the thanium to absorb it, release heat, absorb the heat, release mana, add infinium.))

 

(((also..couldn't one then in theory use thanium as a power source for heat, by simply pumping it with a medium spell every so often to continue the heat release.)))

[Aesopian 1080]

No one would stud armor with a metal which melts upon resisting the thing the armor is supposed to defend against. It'd be like wearing a suit of gunpowder to slay pyromancers. You need to increase the effectiveness of thanhium studs. 

[Mephistophelian 972]

7 hours ago, Kanrath said:

(((also..couldn't one then in theory use thanium as a power source for heat, by simply pumping it with a medium spell every so often to continue the heat release.)))

 

I like the thinking you have, and have edited in a few sentences to explain some stuff and also prevent the infinity loop. As for people using it as a source of heat; this too was answered. Once the thanhium is converted, it remains as so, and will only get hotter the more mana is forced against it. Thusly, it will just melt and be an expensive source of heat. It would take far less mana to make a flame and heat something up (or alter the temperature of an item with transfiguration) than to push it into thanhium.

 

5 hours ago, Aesopian said:

No one would stud armor with a metal which melts upon resisting the thing the armor is supposed to defend against. It'd be like wearing a suit of gunpowder to slay pyromancers. You need to increase the effectiveness of thanhium studs. 

 

As with every armour, it can only take a few hits before becoming useless. It just so happens that this has a drastic trade off after becoming useless. That said, I have edited in a few more examples so you can how strong it really is.

[Smaw 2368]

This submission had been added to this weeks Loremag, and voting will now commence.

 

Expect a result within 4-5 days.

[BrandNewKitten 2788]

As the original lore writer I supoot. More uses for LOTC specific lore makes the world go round. 

[Smaw 2368]

Accepted