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Message: <blockquote data-quote="krupintupple" data-source="post: 5759607" data-attributes="member: 58300">Learned and chemically wise folk like Dandu are why I took great efforts to remove any reference to "real world" hard sciences, like physics, chemistry, or sufficiently advanced mathematics. In addition to the bother of having a friend who just so happens to be a chemical engineer saying "Wait, that wouldn't happen," or "Hold on...what exactly is in this 'acid' that we're buying?", your question has illustrated the pitfall of attempting to square fantasy with reality.My two cents, which were never asked for? Rename the mystery mineral 'Alusian scabs' or 'Maglarian blood,' or something; this is a rare mineral, metal or crystal deposit, that many goblin clerics and shamans believe was a gift from the goblin overdeity, Maglubiyet. They believe that, when included in rare rituals, it allows the spirits of brave warriors and ancestors past to inhabit the goblin, empowering them. Now for the fantasy element: it actually does just that. For whatever reason, it is a mineral that appears like rust, but anyone making a DC15 appraise can tell it's the semi-rare goblin mineral - goblins of course get a +5 racial bonus to this, considering how sought after it is in goblin society. Furthermore, it actually does empower them with spirits or souls, or whatever really. You don't need to rely on real-world examples of biology or worms or whatnot - there's nothing to say that, upon a sufficient quantity of this mineral being sacrified/burned/ingested/imbibed, Maglubiyet couldn't actually send goblin souls (that appear like snakes, or worms, to the shamans and clerics preforming the ceremony) that inhabit those so blessed.Heck, take it a step further; this mineral acts like the surface worlder's prized mithral, but only to goblins. It can stand in as a material component, or pretty much anything you like. Best of all, no sneering chemical engineer-cum-PC can say "Hey, the molecular properties of XYZ don't work like that!" when you roll out your new idea.</blockquote>

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