Magical Materials

Practicing magic often requires material components. While their use can be bypassed through the form of arcane focuses and artifacts, for more powerful spells, for enchantments that last, these material components are crucial. Theoretically anything can be enchanted, but certain materials are better suited than others to absorb and retain magic. For instance, Refined metal is far better than raw ore or ordinary dirt at holding onto magic. Other materials are attuned to certain schools of magic, such as diamonds with necromancy or corundum with abjuration magic, and thus they can be highly beneficial to incorporate in spells from those schools of magic.

Below is a non-exhaustive list of magical materials and their affinities.

### Metal

For magical purposes, metal is refined earth, with different metals carrying different magical affinities based on their differing properties. The main magical metals are iron, steel, copper, silver, gold, and platinum.

#### Iron & Steel

Iron and Steel are often talked about together, due to their close associations with one another. Due to their inherently entropic nature, both metals are quite useful in evocation spells. Steel, being partially made of carbon--the element of life--also is attuned to necromantic spells.
Despite iron's usual entropic nature, being quick to decay and rust, rarely it can be found in a far more stable form. This "cold iron" is a creation of the Fate of Order, and it's (un)naturally orderly properties make it toxic to chaotic beings, like the fae.

#### Copper

Copper is an interesting metal. It can be found naturally in green, dendritic formations, and is one of the few metals that druids and other nature based casters incorporate into their magic. Outside its affinity for nature, copper is known to have an affinity with transmutation magic and lightning evocation.

#### Silver

Silver is well known for its protective properties, and it is the most useful metal for abjuration spells due to this. It is also native to the material plane and no other, and as such many creatures from other planes or creatures who are of otherworldly natures can be harmed when exposed to it.

#### Gold

Gold is a very useful metal. Its stability lends itself to most schools of magic other than conjuration and evocation. However, gold is also known for its beauty and ability to provoke emotion (usually envy or greed) in the minds of people who gaze upon it. This property makes it highly useful for enchantment and illusion magic.

#### Platinum

Platinum is the most valuable of all metals due to its jack-of-all-trades nature. It is able to absorb and retain vast amounts of magic, and while, like gold, its best affinity is for illusion and enchantment magic, there is no school of magic that cannot utilize platinum.

### Gemstones, Crystals, and Minerals

Gemstones are well known for their magical properties due to the fact that, even in their natural state, many will collect ambient magic. Like metals, some gemstones have affinities with certain schools of magic and, thus, are better utilized in spells from those schools. For ease of reference, gemstones will be listed by the school they have the highest affinity for. If a gemstone has multiple affinities, it will be listed in multiple sections.

#### Abjuration

Magic that protects.
**Corundum**. Also known as rubies, sapphires, or padparadscha depending on their color, these gems are the most powerful gemstones for abjuration magic.
**Jade**. A powerful stone for protecting against harm and ill luck.
**Jasper** Because it is rarely found in crystals, it is a weaker stone. However, jasper (particularly red jasper) is useful for abjuration magic.
**Moonstone**. Most useful in spells that protect from otherworldly creatures.
**Zircon**. A weak stone for abjuration, but it can be used to protect against elemental magic.

#### Conjuration

Magic that creates things or creatures.
**Turquoise**. Used in the conjuration of water and watery creatures.
**Hematite**. Strongly tied to earth, used in the conjuration of earth and metal.

#### Divinitation

Magic that allows you to see distant things, including the future.
**Star Gemstones**. Any gemstone that presents as a star gemstone is well attuned to divination magic. The brighter the star and the more tines it has, the more powerful the stone.
**Tiger's Eye**. A useful, but not very powerful, stone for divination.

#### Enchantment

Magic that bewitches a target's senses, mind, or body, for their benefit or detriment.
**Carnelian.** It has an affinity for enchantments, specifically ones that change a person's emotional state. The rare translucent carnelian stones are much more powerful than their opaque counterparts.
**Moonstone**. Particularly good at inducing relaxed emotional states.
**Pyrite**. Useful for making people fall for lies or lower their guard.

#### Evocation

Magic that calls upon raw energies, such as fire, ice, or even healing and death.
**Aquamarine** Used in elemental spells for water, ice, and lightning.
**Bloodstone**. Not a very powerful stone, due to lacking large crystalline structures. However, bloodstone can be useful in healing magic, and bloodhunters are known to utilize it in interesting ways.
**Obsidian**. Has a strong affinity to fire.
**Opal**. One of the most powerful stones for elemental evocation magic, with different varieties having better affinity with different elements.
**Quartz**. When colorless and clear, it is a powerful stone for healing magic.
**Zircon**. Useful for elemental evocation magic, particularly lightning.

#### Illusion

Magic that creates things or creatures, but they aren't actually there.
**Lapis Lazuli** Used in illusions meant to hide or trick the eye.
**Opal**. A useful gemstone for illusions meant to dizzy, distract, or draw others in.
**Pearl**. Helpful for illusions that are meant to entrap or enthrall.

#### Necromancy

Magic that can resurrect, or bind and control, the dead.
**Diamond**. Made of carbon, a key element of life, diamonds are one of the most powerful gemstones for necromancy.
**Pearl**. An organic gemstone, pearls are useful for spells that trap and bind the living... and the dead.

#### Transmutation

Magic that can change one thing into something else, or change some part of its nature.
**Citrine**. Due to usually being riddled with inclusions, it is not very powerful. Clear citrine can be used in high level transmutation magic.
**Onyx**. Useful in spells that grant strength or vigor.
**Sardonyx**. Useful in spells that grant mental fortitude or capability.