Argentium¶
"Getting Argentium is one of the easiest Mithis Ores to obtain, both in terms of rarity and complexity of its smelting process." — from Mithis (S419)
Argentium is the Mithis isotope of silver, called Truesilver and Mithril: the easiest of the Mithis metals to obtain and work, pale blue and lighter than aluminium. Its steel is "easily the most common Mithis metal" in arms and armour (S419); in the Sancturi age it had to be depleted before anyone would touch it, and its depleted form became the metal that wounds what steel cannot. Its place among the other isotopes is described under Mithis Metals and Gemstones; Argentium Steel, Truesilver jewellery and the metal's worth are Life & Culture's.
Appearance and nature¶
"A Mithis isotope of Silver. In it's purest form it has the appearance of a pale blue-ish silver. It does not tarnish like ordinary silver (doesn't form a Sulfide). It has a much lower density than silver, lighter than Aluminum, but stronger than Steel" (S419, S416). Its Mithis saturation is five (S419). The 2016 summary gives it an affinity for the Arcane (S418). Worked as Truesilver it "often has a passive pale blue glow, with active glow spikes (sparkling effect) caused by interactions with other Mithis-energy radiating objects" (S419).1
Ores¶
Argentium is found as Argentium Chloride, "shiny blue-green colored mineral", and as Pure Argentium in "shiny veins of silvery-blue" (S419, S416). The chloride gives up its metal easily to heat and light, and "pure truesilver ingots can be formed easily by melting the ore" (S419). Smiths forging it must still bleed away its Mithis energy, which "is trapped in an Argentium Oxide coating that forms at high temp and can be shed using an acidic bath" (S419). The Blue Mountains of Dru'Bazan hold "two known deposits of Argentium" (S429, S384).
Depletion¶
After the corruption of Mithis, silver and its isotope had to be cleansed before use. "Silver is very rare and requires an expensive depletion process in order to become usable. That said, depleted silver, or Truesilver as it is called is very valuable and used in weapons against various creatures and monsters that are otherwise immune to physical attacks" (S320). The dwarves of the White Towers carry "Depleted Mithril Hollowards" whose five runes "show Hollowing absorbed" (S201).
Depleted Mithril is also the stuff of Mithric Ink, one of the Runic Inks: "much more difficult and expensive than it was as the Mithril/Mithis source needs to be depleted by an expert Metallurgist which is difficult and time consuming. It then requires an experienced Corporeal Alchemist" (S230). Runesmiths of both traditions favour it.
Earlier accounts¶
The 2014 compendium calls it "Argentium, Mithril, Truesilver": "Looks like silver, with a slight bluish tint and does not tarnish, magical glows produced from this tend to be deep blue. Much harder than steel and extremely resilient. Easiest Mithius-infused metal to smelt", with a "moderate concentration of Mithius (0.002% - 0.03%)" (S384, S372; "10,000-50,000 ppu" in S429). "The easiest ore to work with is Mithril. It has one of the lowest temperature requirements, and the Mithius does not easily separate from the ore once its molten" (S384). The 2016 summary gives it a Mithis value of six (S418).
Gap
No source names a working Argentium mine of the Fifth Age or describes the depletion process.