Ilium
Overview
Ilium is a rare mineral that falls from the sky. In any given year very little Ilium actually falls, but it has been falling for a very long time indeed. It is primarily found in three places; deep underground, under the sea and occasionally in craters - the latter very rarely indeed. One of the most valuable pieces of jewellery one can own is a ring of Ilium – indeed, it is often measured in terms of the amount required to make a ring.
Sometimes called star metal, Ilium is a pale, dull metal that when polished up looks quite a lot like platinum. It is always cool to the touch, and is almost impervious to heat – it is difficult and time consuming to work. However, artisans who work with Ilium are prepared to put in the extra effort because this exceptionally valuable material allows them to extend the lifespan of their crafted items indefinitely and create artefacts.
ritual magicians also have a use of ilium. It can be used to give a ritual enchantment or curse a permanent duration. It can also be used by Apothecaries in the preparation of the valuable Elixir of Exalted Puissance and Elixir of Emyrean Art.
Unlike other materials, ilium is not produced by mines or forests. Imperial ilium is allocated through campaign resources, most of which are assigned to the Imperial Bourse. Occasionally a small deposit of ilium will be found by a lucky NPC mine owner, diver, fisherman or farmer. Found ilium is usually publicly auctioned at Anvil.
Using Ilium in Rituals
To make the effect of a ritual permanent requires a number of rings of ilium equal to three times it's magnitude, with a minimum of ten rings.
Effects that lower the magnitude of an effect do not change the amount of ilium it requires to make it permanent. The ilium must be consumed when the ritual is performed; an existing enchantment cannot later be made permanent with ilium.
Only enchantments and curses with a duration of Season or Year can be made permanent in this way.
Some other rituals can also incorporate ilium to get additional effects such as Distill the Serpent's Stone; such cases are specifically mentioned in the ritual description.
Roleplaying Effects
The roleplaying effects created by many rituals are also made permanent when the ritual is made permanent. As such, they cannot be removed with the ceremony of exorcism.
Removing a Permanent Effect
Making an enchantment or curse permanent only affects the natural duration of the effect, it does not impede other methods of removal or other restrictions on their duration.
A ritual requires an additional condition to prevent it ending prematurely (for example, a mark on the face or that the target be incapacitated) then a permanent effect still ends if that condition is not being met.
For example, the various rituals that grant additional production to farms such as Blessing of New Spring are rarely performed using ilium because such rituals always end at the start of winter.
There is one exception however; an enchantment that is made permanent with ilium is not supplanted if the target is subject to another enchantment unless that enchantment also uses ilium. The permanent enchantment persists and the new enchantment fails. A permanent enchantment can be removed with ritual magic, although there is no formulaic ritual in Imperial Lore at the moment that does so. The magnitude of the ritual must equal or exceed the number of rings of ilium used to create the permanent enchantment
Creating Artefacts
An artefact is a magical item whose properties are permanent. An artisan can create an artefact version of any magical item they know how to craft.
Creating an artefact requires one ring of Ilium for each ingot and measure required to make the item, with a minimum of 10 rings of Ilium. For example, crafting a permanent duelist's scales sword, which requires seven ingots of orichalcum, three ingots of tempest jade, three ingots of weltsilver and three units of beggar's lye will require sixteen rings of Ilium to craft as an artefact.
The ilium must be imbued into the item at the same time it is crafted; it's not possible to make an existing magic item into an artefact.
Roleplaying Effects
Every artefact has a name, which appears on the item ribbon. Artefacts also exert strong influence over their wielders in the form of roleplaying effects. Over time these roleplaying effects may become more pronounced, or subtly shift, based on the significant events in which the item is involved. This is a permanent part of the item and cannot be removed with a ceremony of exorcism.
The creator gives the artefact a unique name when they craft the item. They may also suggest the roleplaying effect associated with the artefact, which will be experienced by anyone bonded to it. When you create an artefact you should e-mail Profound Decisions at empire@pd.co.uk with details of the item, the name and the roleplaying effect.
Roleplaying effects usually reflect the nature of the artisan, or the purpose for which it is intended. For example, Guntherm's Hammer is an artefact greathammer crafted for the Steinr Emperor Guntherm which shares the magical qualities of a Captain's Command weapon but fills the wielder with a strong desire to kill any orc standing on Imperial soil.
Destroying an Artefact
These items can only be permanently destroyed with the Words of Ending ritual or by certain powerful creatures (including some eternals).
An artefact is still affected by the shatter call, but can always be repaired with the mend spell.