http://www.armageddon.org/cgi-bin/help_index/timeline.cgi
Yay Felysia.
I will again say that that HRPT was totally sweet, guys.
What is copper good for in a desert world? I mean, it conducts heat (which you don't want) and it bends. You need other metals to make alloys so that it can be of use and if you don't have those metals already, it is just a huge pile of junk. Oh if you don't make an alloy with tin it is also dangerous to the user as well.
I don't get it.
Therein lies the humor of the Armageddon Staff.
Thank you for playing.
:twisted:
Maybe they use it for ornamentation. Maybe they do in fact alloy it with tin. Maybe they just want it because it's rare and rich powerful people like rare things. Who knows? But there was copper, there wasn't much of it, and there was a war over it.
Copper is pretty. Remember Helen.
...
I would like to take this opportunity to point out that the usefulness, in such things as weapons and so on, of copper, is horrible compared to other metals.
However, it still beats the pants off of, say, bone.
Find yourself a vein of tin and you have a whole new age.
One of the primary sources of its value is its rarity. Remember that aluminum used to be considered a semi-precious metal until someone figured out a way to extract it. That's why it was the material chosen to cap the Washington Monument.
What, nothing about protesters chanting, "No blood for copper!"? :P
Cool update.
QuoteHowever, it still beats the pants off of, say, bone.
No way. If you don't make an alloy, it can even fall apart in a single swing (even when it does not land a blow) It is like fighting with a vine, or a rope. Except it only bends when you don't want it to.
Jewelry made by it is going to be too uncomfortable in a hot climate like Zalanthas. Certainly a killer in a desert traveler, but maybe a good display item in a noble's garden or when it is used for very short periods of time.
Quote from: "Sanvean"One of the primary sources of its value is its rarity. Remember that aluminum used to be considered a semi-precious metal until someone figured out a way to extract it. That's why it was the material chosen to cap the Washington Monument.
I like this one. After all Zalanthans may not know much about the metals. They may not know it is not useless at first, but even the sound of metal might make it worth much more than any common raw material. And it is worth fighting for.
Quote from: "Shalooonsh"Therein lies the humor of the Armageddon Staff.
Thank you for playing.
:twisted:
And this is just hilarious! :D
Awesome, I had two charactors participate in that HRPT, war wise. Amazing to see how they covered it up and used propaganda. I am eager to see what the Imms can dig up in the future :D .
Quote from: "Angela Christine"What, nothing about protesters chanting, "No blood for copper!"? :P
Cool update.
There was one, but he was promptly sold to the slaughterhouse so that a templar could buy a new pair of shoes.
Quote from: "Ghost"What is copper good for in a desert world? I mean, it conducts heat (which you don't want) and it bends. You need other metals to make alloys so that it can be of use and if you don't have those metals already, it is just a huge pile of junk. Oh if you don't make an alloy with tin it is also dangerous to the user as well.
I don't get it.
Probably only in pure form. Iron, too, is very soft in pure form, but since you need Coal to get the iron from the ore you get iron with a high amount of carbon in it, which is very brittle. You remove as much carbon as you need to make the metal less brittle and more functional.
You can find copper either as a metal or as ore, but either way there would probably be enough impurities in the metal to make it harder, or it could be hardened by adding whatever. What's more interesting is who would be able to work metal or know how to get it into a workable form in a world like zalanthas at all?
QuoteWhat's more interesting is who would be able to work metal or know how to get it into a workable form in a world like zalanthas at all?
The city of Allanak has a ginormous steel dragon at its gate. I think SOMEONE knows how to work more advanced metals one way or another.
Quote from: "Marauder Moe"The city of Allanak has a ginormous steel dragon at its gate. I think SOMEONE knows how to work more advanced metals one way or another.
That was made hundreds of years ago ;)
(Don't have the timeline memorized but it better be that way.)
What about that rogue elkran who helped systematically dismantle the inept Allanaki army and killed hordes of people with his awesome powers of doom? Huh? Huh?!
Probably not much more than 150-170 years ago, after the Siege of Allanak.
I can't imagine that techniques wouldn't be recorded, though. Black robed templars probably all have steel weapons. Metal daggers and other small, light weapons are made for some senior house members. Also, there's plenty of metal rings (in merchant houses too), keys, and even a few cups. Hell, I've seen doors described as having metal hinges.
Metalworking is certainly rare, but not to the point of being non-existant or legendary.
People wear copper bracelets to ease arthritis. Tek and Muk are very old, and probably have arthritis. Therefore going to war over copper makes perfect sense!
In a way, all metal is useless because it is so rare. You aren't going to see someone making a set of steel plate armor, because the armor itself would be worth more than the life of anyone you could put in it (except the sorcerer-kings themselves). I once had a character come into possession of a metal short sword, and the whole time I was OOCly thinking "Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit!" because, come on, your own mom would gank you to get that thing. It's like wearing a sign that says, "Kill me now, and win this valuable prize!" Not to mention the extreme paranoia that you are probably surrounded by twink pickpockets who would just love to lift that thing off your belt.
So metal is used to make tiny trinkets like rings and keys that are valuable, but don't turn the bearer into a walking target. Or metal is used to make huge things like giant statues and gilded towers, that are simply to big and obvious for anyone to try to walk off with.
So what is copper good for? Well, it is pretty. You could use it for jewelry, and have your own copper smith on staff to re-make the jewelry as needed when it gets bent out of shape. Or you could use copper plate over bone items, that way you get the look of copper with the strength of bone. If you had enough could even cover a roof or building with copper, making it all shiny and magickal looking. Make copper wiring, hook it up to an elkrosian, and invent electricity!
The speculation in this thread is mostly unnecessary as you can find out IC what copper is good for without too much trouble. Who probably got a lot of copper? The Tulukis. Who probably controls most of it? The templarate. Go scope out some Lirathans and see what they're carrying around.