Brass

Brass was an alloy of copper and zinc, widely used for decorative and practical purposes.^[1][5]

Properties[]

Brass was commonly made from a mixture of 80% copper and 20% zinc, making 'red brass', or 70% copper and 30% zinc, making 'yellow brass'.^[1] Red brass weighed 545 pounds (247 kilograms) per 1 cubic foot (0.028 cubic meters), while yellow brass weighed a little less at 530 pounds (240 kilograms).^[6] Brass had a melting point between 1,708 ℉ (931.1 ℃) and 1,832 ℉ (1,000 ℃).^[1]

Availability[]

• Aurora's Emporium had a large catalogue of brass items from all throughout Faerun.^[4] It included a stock of plain brass materials in the form of 1‑pound (0.45‑kilogram) bars (1 sp), 5‑pound (2.3‑kilogram) ingots (3 sp), 1‑foot (30‑centimeter) square sheets (1 sp), 6‑inch (15‑centimeter) by 1‑inch (2.5‑centimeter) strips (3 cp), and 1‑foot (30‑centimeter) of wire (4 cp),^[2] as well as brass cylinders and dust intended for use in religious rituals and spellcasting.^[7]
• Hillmarch in Cormyr was a center of brasscasting industry, as well as the mining of the copper and zinc used in it. It produced and exported fine brasswork used across the realm.^[5]
• Hornshield keep in the Storm Horns contained a small but proficient brasscasting, glassblowing, and ironworking industry.^[8]

  

• Ember Me More, a specialty store in Ravens Bluff, sold a wide variety of fireplace-related products made from brass.
• Lamps by Watt, another specialty store in Ravens Bluff, specialized in constructing light fixtures and various other items from brass.^[9]
• Brass was one of the major exports for the Lake of Steam region.^[10]

Usages[]

Currency[]

• The Waterdhavian taol was an unusual square brass coin, worth 2 gp in Waterdeep, but nothing elsewhere.^[3][11][12]
• Gond bells were small brass bells typically worth 10 gp each, though valued at 20 gp by temples of Gond.^[11][12]

Mundane Items[]

• Common, everyday objects were often made of brass, such as keyrings, pins,^[13] lamps, chandeliers, thuribles, ornaments, tools,^[5] scales, needles, spyglasses,^[14] animal cages, censers, bells, door knockers, candlesticks.^[15] water faucets, and barrel spigots.^[16]
• Diningware was often made from brass as a cheaper alternative to pewter and silver, including mugs, steins, tankards, knives, forks, and spoons.^[17][18]
• Some Calishite lamps^[19] and kaleidoscopes were known to be constructed from brass.^[20]
• Brass was one of a variety of metals that hook-hands and peg-legs were typically constructed from.^[21]
• The mechanisms for timepieces and music boxes were often housed in brass casings.^[14]
• Brass was one of three metals that the spinning tops of Amn were known to be constructed with.^[22]
• Brass was one of three metals that hurricane lamps were known to be constructed with.^[23] The craftfolk of Dapplegate were particularly known for crafting brass stormlanterns.^[24]

  

• Inexpensive jewellery and ornamentation could be made from brass, such as decorative pins, hairpins, rings, and chokers.^[17][14]
• Brass was commonly used as a fitting or decoration in other projects, such as bookcases, mapcases,^[25] buckles for shoes and clothing,^[26] and books.^[14]
• A wide variety of musical horns were typically constructed of brass, including fanfare horns, glaurs, hunting horns, longhorns, and sackbutts.^[27] Other musical brass instruments included wargongs, tockens,^[28] and chime lamps.^[19]
• The Crown of Cormyr dispensed Court tokens to grant the right to bear arms. The token consisted of a numbered brass plaque engraved with the Purple Dragon symbol.^[29]
• A special hull sheathing that protected ship timber from shipworms and seaweed growth used brass and other metals.^[14]

  

• Although mundane weapons and armor were rarely made of brass, it was a common decorative element, and some items could be plated or sheathed in brass.^[14]
• Oscray forged chainmail, as well as many of their weapons, from brass.^[30]
• Cultists who worshiped Baphomet were known to decorate their altars with brass weapons.^[31]
• The holy symbol of Gond was a toothed cog made of brass, bronze, iron, or bone.^[32]

Construction[]

• In Memnonnar, the domes and minarets that topped the buildings were inlaid with brass.^[33]
• The Twin Towers of the Eternal Eclipse had several alarm bells throughout the complex that were made of brass.^[34]
• The bricks of Gilgeam's Ziggurat of Eternal Victory were decorated with blue enamel, brass, gold, silver, and other precious metals.^[35]
• The Great Brass Gate was the portal though which the noble efreeti Memnon entered the world of Toril to found Memnonnar.^[33]
• The Grand Cemetary of Elturel was surrounded by a spiked brass fence and gate.^[36]

Other Planes[]

• Boats made of brass were used by efreet to traverse the Sea of Fire.^[37]
• The City of Brass made heavy use of this metal. One notable building in the city to utilize this material was the Charcoal Palace.^[33][38]
• Azer were often known to wear apron-like garments made from beaten brass.^[39]
• Celestial archons, with the exception of lantern archons, wore armor made of brass to indicate that they had reached the third rank within the archon hierarchy.^[40]
• Orthons were known to carry crossbows made of brass.^[41]
• The Bleeding Citadel had large double doors of brass.^[42]
• Ember guards were made of brass and stone.^[43]

Magic Items[]

• Spell focuses could be made of brass.^[14]
• The spellbooks Arcanabula of Jume and Detho's Libram were both bound in brass rings.^[44]
• Braziers of commanding fire elemental were constructed of brass.^[45]
• Efreeti bottles were usually constructed of brass.
• Eversmoking bottles were usually constructed of brass.^[46]
• The Farseer of Illusk was partially made of brass.^[47]
• Harvyn's Ring^[48]
• Helms of underwater action were forged from brass.^[49]
• Some Horns of Valhalla were constructed of brass.^[50]
• Lightbringer was an enchanted mace made entirely of brass.^[51]
• Rings of dragons were brass rings highly prized by members of the Cult of the Dragon.^[52]
• Rings of flying were made with brass lining the edges.^[53]
• Peacemaker's rods had sculpted brass ends.^[54]
• Purple Dragon rings were always crafted from brass.^[55]
• The serpent rings worn by worshipers of serpent and reptilian deities were fashioned from brass.^[56]
• Staffs of entrapment were traditionally made by the Netherese with brass.^[57]
• The wooden Quarterstaff of Alcedor had brass covers on each end.^[58]
• Countess Zaranda Star's talking head statue was made of brass.^[59]
• Clockroaches were usually made of brass or bronze.^[60]

Spell Components[]

• Early versions of Bigby's clenched fist required a pair of brass knuckles for casting the spell.^[61]
• Call of despair required a small brass gong for casting the spell.^[62]
• Darsson's music box required a metal cube for casting the spell and brass was one of the two metals that could be used.^[63]
• Detect scrying required a miniature brass hearing trumpet for casting the spell.^[64]
• Dreamspeak required a bell made of either brass or silver for casting the spell.^[65]
• Find familiar required a brass brazier for casting the spell.^[66]
• Horizikaul's versatile vibration required a hollow brass cone as a focus.^[67]
• Hornung's surge selector required a brass spinner for casting the spell.^[68]
• Brass tuning forks were required when using a plane shift spell to enter the Para-Elemental Plane of Magma.^[69]
• Undetectable lies required a handful of brass dust for casting the spell.^[70]
• A brass bell was one of two options for material component when casting the spell Watchware.^[71]

History[]

• The Lodestar Mountains of ancient Netheril supplied the realm with great amounts of various ores, including native brass. The mines were abandoned as of 3456 NY (−403 DR) and infested with monsters.^[72]
• The city of Ulshantir in Asram was famous for its copperworking and brasscasting.^[73]
• A brass coffin was used for the burial of Theldrin Rallyhorn.^[74]

Appendix[]

See Also[]

• Brass dragon

Appearances[]

External Links[]

• Brass Ingot article at the Neverwinter Wiki, a wiki for the Dungeons and Dragons: Neverwinter MMORPG.
• Brass article at Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
  

References[]