Taiyō (Patreon)

Crafting material, very rare

Legends say a long time ago, before even the oldest of the elves was born, a great war happened between the gods and a powerful entity from the Far Realm. In the final battle, tales say that the Sun God toked the sun itself and turned its rays into spears to use against his enemies. Deep beneath the ground, on the places those magic radiant spears touched the land, veins of a strange translucent red gem began to appear.

This gem was named Taiyō, because it always glowed in radiant energy. Almost like a piece of the sun itself. For a long time, this material was used only to produce items that provide light and heat, but recently arcane blacksmiths found a way to mold the gem differently. They discovered that if you use Radiant Flames to heat the gemstone instead of fire, it melts like a piece of metal. After cooling, an item made in such a way becomes a pure tone of white and is almost unbreakable. In addition, it retains radiant energy when exposed to sunlight.

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Proficiency needed

To craft something using Taiyō, you may need different proficiencies. If you're using the uncut gem, you need Jeweler's tools proficiency. If you're attempting to mold it, you'll need access to a unique forge that uses radiant fire and, of course, smith's tool proficiency.

Taiyō is not dangerous to work with, but its almost unbreakable composition makes it very hard for untrained crafters. The crafting tests with this material should have a higher DC if the character isn't using equipment made with strong materials, like mithral or Taiyō itself.

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Most common uses

This magical gem can be found in chandeliers and magic torches inside rich palaces and castles. Taiyō is also used in fancy bathhouses to heat the water and light up the rooms. For a long time, the only uses known for this magical material were to provide heat or light.

Recently you can see more military materials that use this magic component. The most famous one being the white katanas of the Akai Ha, the demonic slayers guild known for their red armor and endless battle against the creatures from the nine hells.