Objection!

[Stephenls]

All but the most powerful artifacts are made of 5MM-derived alloys. Daiklaves, f'rex, are made of 5MM-steel alloy. The amount of actual orichalcum in a full-sized orichalcum daiklave is a nugget roughly the size of a chicken egg. (Jade-steel alloy is made by mixing jade powder with molten steel, before anyone asks how one alloys metal and stone together.)


This doesn't make alloyed artifacts any less indestructible than they'd be if they were pure!


Incidentally, the comic is highly entertaining.

 

[Haku1]

I don't see why it can't be a 5MM-brass or bronze alloy... yes, steel would likely be preferred... but why not other metals?


*eyes an Orichalcum Uranium alloyed daiklave for a nuclear-powered kitty*


EDIT - this isn't meant as an argument or flaming or anything... just curious as to why it can't be alloyed with other metals.

 

[Jukashi]

All but the most powerful artifacts are made of 5MM-derived alloys. Daiklaves, f'rex, are made of 5MM-steel alloy. The amount of actual orichalcum in a full-sized orichalcum daiklave is a nugget roughly the size of a chicken egg. (Jade-steel alloy is made by mixing jade powder with molten steel, before anyone asks how one alloys metal and stone together.)
This doesn't make alloyed artifacts any less indestructible than they'd be if they were pure!


Incidentally, the comic is highly entertaining.

Quite right. But if you use less of the MM, you would expect it to become weaker, eventually reaching the point of not being completely indestructible. The idea of the orichalcum-bronze (as opposed to orichalcum-steel) is that it stretches out the orichalcum better (making it cheaper, since you need to use less) in exchange for the possibility of degradation when exposed to corrupted essence flows. It's not that it's an alloy that's the problem; it's that it's that particular alloy. This isn't that clear in the comic, which is my fault, but I didn't want to add too much text.


In short: thaumobabble!


Glad you like the comic.

 

[The Lone Badger]

I'm guessing it's orichalcum/bronze because bronze is kind of like gold if you squint and look at it funny.

 

[Stephenls]

I don't see why it can't be a 5MM-brass or bronze alloy... yes, steel would likely be preferred... but why not other metals?
*eyes an Orichalcum Uranium alloyed daiklave for a nuclear-powered kitty*


EDIT - this isn't meant as an argument or flaming or anything... just curious as to why it can't be alloyed with other metals.

I wasn't objecting to the idea that orichalcum can be alloyed with bronze -- I was objecting to the idea that an artifact made of 5MM-alloy is any less indestructible than an artifact made of pure 5MM. All 5MM artifacts save for the most powerful are alloys, yet daiklaves are no less indestructible for being impure!

 

[Flagg]

I was objecting to the idea that an artifact made of 5MM-alloy is any less indestructible than an artifact made of pure 5MM.

The comic doesn't assert that.

 

[Jukashi]

It does in a circituitous manner; the intended meaning is that orichalcum-bronze, while usually just as indestructible as any MM, can be rendered less than indestructible by long exposure to powerful tainted essence effects - you could perhaps add an additional layer of explanation by saying that the bronze, it being an alloy itself, was being "separated" by the essence, with either the copper or the tin retaining the orichalcum's invulnurability while creating weak spots composed largely of the other. Of course, alloys don't work that way, but physics in Exalted are different, after all.


I felt this was fairly reasonable - all I was trying to do was create a suitable enough "magic science" explanation for why parts of the automaton were weaker. If you don't agree with it, I can only apologise and try do better next time.

 

[Smeggedoff]

funnily enough, I'm pretty sure that Orichalcum outside the exalted setting was said to be a mixture of bronze and gold (and was a reddish gold colour in actuality)


or so is theorised, but hey ho.

 

[dmoonfire]

funnily enough, I'm pretty sure that Orichalcum outside the exalted setting was said to be a mixture of bronze and gold (and was a reddish gold colour in actuality)
or so is theorised, but hey ho.

That's actually one of those thematic changes I made in my world. Orch. is slightly reddish or has a reddish tint.