Electrum is a metal alloy of silver and gold as well as form of currency comprised of it. While ordinarily mundane, it is prized for its particular resistance to magic when forged using the techniques of the Unknown, a race of now extinct expert forgers. Electrum is not generally utilized amongst traders, instead used by those who value the authenticity and immutable nature of the material, such as black market dealers and wizards. Ordinary merchants might not even recognize the metal, and will usually refuse its use in everyday trade.
Attributes
When occuring naturally or formed with mundane forging techniques, electrum appears as a somewhat white-tinted gold metal. It is slightly harder than either silver or gold, and is capable of conducting electricity, but not as well as gold can. Some more impure alloys may be composed of trace amounts of copper and tin as well.
When forged using the lost techniques of the Weiran, electrum takes on fantastic qualities beyond its normal attributes. Most interestingly, the alloy becomes highly resistant to the influence of magic, able to remain unaltered by some of the most powerful spells and enchantments. However, it also becomes rigid and brittle, making easy to break and prone to breakage under duress. This quality was somehow removed by the special technique the Weiran used to forge their coins, which made them nearly immutable in every way, resistant to scratching and chipping in a manner similar to adamantine, though they were still prone to melting. Melted Weiran coins generally lose these strengthened properties, but retained the anti-magical effects. Weiran electrum has a slightly iridescent sheen visible on its surface when compared to its mundane counterpart.
While the anti-magical effects of Weiran electrum are powerful, it can be neutralized by denser metals, such as gold, platinum, or lead. For example, if a number of electrum coins were placed in a lead chest, they could be transported through a teleportation circle without disrupting its magic.
Currency
Electrum is not necessarily a rare currency, the Weiran made many coins before their disappearance, but it has a certain amount of inherent value due to the attributes of the alloy. Additionally, as the forging techniques for electrum coins have been lost to time, the amount of electrum in the economy has remained largely the same, providing a form of economic stability in comparison to the fluctuations of gold, silver and copper, which are subject to inflation.
In the Age of Iron and Chains, treated electrum coins have generally been valued at 1 pound to every 2 pounds of gold, giving it roughly half the value of gold. This price may fluctuate based on location and demand, and those who exchange the two forms of coin will often require transactional fees for their work. Fifty individual coins of electrum are expected to amount to a pound, meaning each electrum coin should be 0.02 pounds.
As a currency, electrum is unused by the general public, but highly valued by those who must be wary of counterfeit gold or magically affected coinage. Electrum is extremely resistant to magic, meaning it is nearly impossible to trace, transmute, or enchant; additionally, traditional Weiran coins are nigh but immutable, meaning they cannot be shaved, marked, or meaningfully altered in any way by grifters and thieves. Those who must make uneasy deals in the black market find special value in electrum, as to circles of wizarding trade, due to the risks posed by their clientele.
Other Uses
Electrum has seen some limited use as a defense against magic. Standard Weiran electrum can be melted down and reforged by a competent smith into armor, shields, weapons, or whatever one wishes. However, due to the brittle properties of Weiran electrum, attacks from non-magical sources may easily cause catastrophic damage to electrum, severely limiting its practical use.
Treated electrum has been found to be capable of stabilizing rifts between worlds when gathered in a meaningful quantity.