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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Stormonu" data-source="post: 5602940" data-attributes="member: 52734">I left the effect of the arrival of starmetal purposely vague beyond the destruction of the capital.  I imagine however, that fragments have dispersed pretty much across the known lands, a lot of terrain was rearranged, with the greatest concentration in the heart of the old empire.  I also imagine it's a fairly rare metal and an ore of status - a bit hard to find new deposits that someone hasn't claimed, difficult to work (and impossible to enchant) and with many superstitions (being borne of a "dragon's curse") surrounding it.  I suppose it'd be on par to mining plutonium on our world.I was thinking more that it has a warping reaction when it comes in contact with magic.  Magic itself isn't changed (it's sort of used as "fuel"), but the wielder is.  The starmetal causes physical, generally detrimental mutations.  Hit a spellcaster with a starmetal bullet (the equivalent of a "magic bullet, I'm assuming) and beside the wound, the area around it might necronize, just from the residual energy of magic the wizard possesses.  Hit a wizard with a starmetal bullet while he's actually casting a spell, and it might mildly poison him (similar to lead poisoning), twist the mage into a hunchback, or even cause the spellcaster to implode.  Of course, starmetal bullets would be as rare as hen's teeth or the Lone Ranger's silver bullets - starmetal is just too valuable to go around making one-use items out of it.The reverse, however is true - if a knight incorporates starmetal into his breastplate (a common practice to show wealth) and is hit with a spell, it could be disastrous (both to the knight and the wizard, as the reaction might "channel back" to the wizard as a backlash).  However, this is a world where magic is rare, so the chances of getting hit by magic should be fairly rare and wizards would likely be adverse to casting spells in the presence of starmetal.  Also, there might be a method of reducing or protecting against the backlash in some way - such as warpcloth, which can be used to insulate a breastplate or wrap a gun for safe storage.  Usually, such defenses at best only protect against minor magics and only slightly reduce the effects when in contact with more powerful magic.Obviously, a caster, elf or dwarf wouldn't want to handle a gun or other item made starmetal; it'd at the least leave burns as if the item were white-hot.</blockquote>

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