My world of fantastic science fiction is based on the real world, but with the addition of magic and thaumaturgy as an additional powerful branch of arts and techniques.
The historical course of my world is similar to the historical course of the real world, but there are sciences derived from magic. Runic engineering studies the interaction of glyphic circuits and geometric shapes imbued with magic with reality. Thaumaturgy and the science of aspects study the converging aspects of matter and its manipulation to obtain new materials and artifacts without classical chemical formulas. Arcanology studies the functioning and principles of so-called spells, incantations, and enchantments. Etcetera.
Science predominates overall, and while it has taken some time, it has swallowed magic, at least partially. There are still many things unknown about the functioning of magic. There are many things that work and have been obtained through trial and error, but whose intrinsic mechanisms are unknown. There are hypotheses derived from quantum physics, of course, but unconfirmed, or impossible to confirm.
But that's not the point.
In my world, just like in the real world, metallurgy has played a very important role. Without metallurgy, we wouldn't have weapons, machines, computing, electricity... we wouldn't have many things. Without metallurgy, they wouldn't have them either, and they wouldn't have thaumaturgy or many enchanted objects they employ.
Within the vast domain of thaumic metallurgy, the most prominent metals are undoubtedly the precious metals: copper, silver, and gold. Throughout the history of my world, these three metals have held an undisputed position of relevance in thaumaturgy. While iron and mercury have also been employed in thaumaturgic practice (the Thaumonomicon, one of the oldest works on thaumaturgy known, mentions thaumium and alchemical brass, two magical metals derived from iron), copper, silver, and gold have demonstrated unparalleled enchantability and magical versatility.
These precious metals have not only been used in the creation of magical objects throughout history but have also been the subject of numerous alchemical experiments in transmutation and aspectual manipulation, although most of these attempts have been largely unsuccessful and have sometimes led to unintended consequences.
In recent times, there has been a growing interest in the use of other precious metals such as platinum, rhodium, and osmium in thaumaturgy. However, this interest is still in its nascent and limited stage compared to the study and practice related to copper, silver, and gold. Thaumaturgy related to these less conventional metals is still to be fully developed, and their magical potential is far from fully understood.

The three main precious metals of interest

Copper has been a frontline choice in creating alloys that function as conductors and catalysts of magic throughout the ages, thanks to its impressive capacity to be enchanted. Furthermore, it stands out for its resistance to aspectual essences and its ability to act as an effective aspectual insulator. Even in ancient times, bronze armor decorated with primitive runes and magical glyphs not only rivaled but surpassed the resilience and tenacity of the finest steel armor of the later medieval period.
Today, this metal remains relevant in the creation of alloys such as molybdocopper, orichalcum, hepatizon, and manganin, which are used in the manufacturing of special munitions. These bullets, engraved with specific enchantments, acquire attributes and particular effects that make them highly effective in a wide variety of situations. The versatility of copper as a magical material makes it a valuable and sought-after option for practitioners of magic and thaumaturgy worldwide.
Silver, on the other hand, also stands out for its capacity to store magic. It has been employed in various ways in the realm of thaumaturgy and magic. One of its most prominent applications is its use in coating weapons and armor made of steel. Silver can be fused with this material to enhance the enchantments present in the weapons and armor, or even to directly manufacture weapons and armor imbued with its own magical properties.
Furthermore, silver has traditionally been associated with protection against supernatural entities and has been used to create a wide variety of protective amulets and talismans. Its teratocidal properties make it an essential component in the manufacturing of specialized weapons and ammunition designed for the hunting and elimination of creatures such as therianthropes, demons, and other supernatural beings. The famous silver bullets are an iconic example of this type of ammunition, known for their effectiveness in confrontations against beings of malign or magical nature. Silver, with its versatility and magical power, has earned a prominent place in the arsenal of magic practitioners and thaumaturges worldwide.
Gold, on the other hand, stands out as one of the most suitable metals for enchantment and magic absorption. Despite these qualities, its use in thaumaturgy has been limited due to its scarcity, high value, and the difficulty in stabilizing its magical properties. Creating enchanted objects from gold requires highly advanced and stabilized infusion altars, or the use of very specific alloys that can enhance its magical manipulation.
Despite these limitations, various gold alloys have sparked special interest among thaumaturges and alchemists worldwide. Below, we will detail some of these alloys, exploring their unique characteristics and potential applications in the field of magic and thaumaturgy.
Copper, silver and gold...

Tychereal gold

Tychereal gold encompasses a set of gold alloys that possess the unique property of influencing the luck of the bearer. This capability is achieved through the infusion of the "probabilitas" aspect into the alloys or through the inscription of specific enchantments. However, it is important to note that the effect on the bearer's luck is subtle.
In certain regions of Central, Southern, and Eastern Asia, red gold alloys, which contain a high copper content, are employed for this purpose because culturally, the color red is believed to bring good luck in these areas. These alloys, when enchanted or infused with "probabilitas," appear to have a greater impact on the bearer's luck, although their effect is temporary and tends to fade over time. Additionally, these alloys are prone to mild oxidation and corrosion, leading to the loss of their desired tychereal property.
However, the most effective tychereal alloy is known as "leprechaun gold," invented in Ireland during the Middle Ages. Leprechaun gold is a lime-green-toned alloy, primarily composed of gold with additions of silver and tin, along with traces of cadmium, and with high amounts of "probabilitas" aspect. Although scientific trials have shown that this alloy has a significant and generally positive impact on the bearer's luck, it presents a serious contraindication: cadmium, a heavy metal known to be toxic and carcinogenic.
Leprechaun gold, a tychereal gold alloy invented in Ireland.

Royal thaumium

Royal thaumium, a distinguished and valuable alloy, differs from common thaumium, ancient thaumium or, simply, thaumium (an amalgam of wrought iron impregnated with praecantatio). This exceptional compound is a combination of gold and aluminum impregnated with praecantatio.
By fusing gold with aluminum in an approximate mass ratio of 79:21, purple gold is obtained, a brittle intermetallic compound with an intense magenta color. When this purple gold is impregnated with large amounts of praecantatio, it becomes royal thaumium.
The term "royal" in its name is attributed to its high production cost and its original association with royalty and divinity. Although it shares similarities in appearance and qualities with thaumium based on iron, the properties of royal thaumium are even more pronounced. It can store approximately 53 times more magic than iron-based thaumium, acts as an extremely impermeable aspectual insulator to essences, and possesses a tremendous enchanting capacity. However, it is important to note that royal thaumium is extremely fragile compared to its iron-based counterpart.
Royal thaumium was initially discovered and crafted by alchemists in the late 18th century when the first samples of aluminum were successfully extracted, which at that time were considerably more expensive than gold due to the difficulty of obtaining it. During the early to mid-19th century, this alloy was widely used in the manufacturing of cores for high-power magic wands. Although it has been replaced by more economical thaumic materials today, royal thaumium is still appreciated in certain classic magic circles, acquired by purists and collectors of magical objects.
Royal thaumium, derived from purple gold, an intermetallic compound.

Aurallium

Within the realm of modern metallurgy, quasicrystals have emerged as structural forms that, unlike conventional crystals, are ordered but not periodic. Most quasicrystals discovered to date are metallic and exhibit symmetries that defy traditional crystalline conventions, such as decagonal and icosahedral shapes.
These quasicrystals are particularly intriguing in the field of thaumaturgy due to their ability to harbor large densities of a degenerate form of the "ordor" aspect, known as "auratio."
Among the most relevant quasicrystals in thaumaturgy are dodecaedrites, quasicrystalline alloys generally composed of aluminum or rare earth metals, infused with huge amounts of praecantatio. These dodecaedrites have the capacity to store massive amounts of magic, surpassing conventional thaumic alloys by thousands of times, making them ideal for the manufacturing of high-powered magical objects and disruptive antimagic munitions.
The term "aurallium" refers to a group of dodecaedrite-based alloys of gold quasicrystals, such as the gold-gallium-terbium alloy AC and other alloys M,X)85.7RE14.3 (M = Ag, Au, X = Al, Ga, In, RE = Er, Lu). However, the most notable of these alloys is "pure aurallium," composed of pure gold impregnated with large amounts of "auratio" aspect essence. This material forms dodecahedral, icosahedral, and tricontahedral crystals of a pale orangish-golden hue with celestial blue highlights.
Pure aurallium is metastable, meaning its quasicrystalline structure can collapse under certain extreme conditions to form amorphous gold, releasing energy and magic in the process. Additionally, this alloy has the ability to induce ordering and crystallization of surrounding materials when magic is applied to it, which could be utilized for various purposes, such as manufacturing enhaced wand cores for specific spells, or negentropic weapons like the "ordor ray."
Aurallium icosahedral quasicrystal.
Nuclear tests conducted by North Korea using this material, whose documentation has been obtained and released by the espionage forces of Acheron (an organization tasked with containing and eliminating supernatural threats), yield terrifying results. Atomic weapons doped with big amounts of aurallium generates negentropic fields that destroy all organic tissue within a radius several times larger than the blast radius and the lethal neutron radius. Animal and plant tissues liquefy and reorganize into perfectly ordered crystals of amino acids, phosphates, and carbohydrates imbued with high-purity aspect essences that may continue reacting dangerously with the environment, potentially producing flux, taint seeds and void gaps. All exposed rock and metal recrystallize into large amalgams of pure single crystals of various pure materials, forming ordered giant minimalist structures. And exposed water is aetheralized into pure aqua aspect that permeates and destructively alters any exposed material.
Surprisingly, despite the high thaumaturgy and technology involved in the production of pure aurallium and aurallium alloys, traces of aurallium have been found in well-preserved ancient legendary artifacts of high power, although the origin of such traces of aurallium is likely accidental or non-conciouss, this explains some of the astonishing qualities of these arcane artifacts.

2 Revelation：2.0 Preface；2.1 Peach Flower Catastrophe 1；2.2 Vision Test before Revelation；2.3 Peach Flower Catastrophe 2；2.4 Explanation of Peach Flower Catastrophe；2.5 Peach Flower Catastrophe 3；2.6 Troupe Leader Liu；2.7 Peach Flower Catastrophe 4；2.8 Revelation；2.9 Dad and Troupe Leader Liu
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One day in September 1972, Fenglong Cui (Uncle Dragon) from the back street of our house came to our home as a guest. I was happy to hear that he worked at Fushun, near to Shenyang. Mom angrily explained to him: "Last year, Baiyang (my father) led home a fortune-teller, who said our Luyan is a monk fate, so Baiyang engaged him to that man’s daughter. Their family is in Shenyang, so Luyan was happy to hear that you live close to them."
Uncle Dragon said, "Ah! It is so, but I see that Luyan, and I are destined to be together!" Saying this, he walked into me, took off his hat, and pointing to his head, said to me: "Look! You resemble me! I'm bald, you're bald, and my name is Big Baldy!" He turned to mom and said, "From now on, we'll call him Second Baldy!"
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Mom yelled, "His father's nickname is Third Baldy! Doesn't that mess up the generation! If you like, you can call him Second Baldy yourself. Big Brother-in-Law! Who do you think Luyan looks like? Like me or like his father?"
Uncle Dragon: "Hmm! This I must take a good look at! I think he looks like big belly Maitreya (see illustration 2.0-1)!"
Mom said in surprise, "You see him as a monk too!"
Uncle Dragon busily explained, "I don't know how to tell fortunes! I'm just talking about his rich, chubby look and posture!"
I asked, "Mom! What thing is a Buddha?"
Mom replied, "Buddha is not a thing! Oops! Look at my mouth! I'd better let your Uncle Dragon explain it to you!"
Uncle Dragon said, "Let me think of something to say. Buddha was born from a lotus flower."
I asked, "What's a lotus flower?"
Mom said, "He's never seen a lotus flower. Here, Mom will draw one for you!"
I looked at it and said, "It's a peach flower!"
Uncle Dragon said, "Peach flower is fine."
Mom shouted, "How can peach flower work! Other people's Buddhas are born from lotus flowers, but my son's Buddha grows on a peach tree."
Uncle Dragon argued, "He grew up and smoothed himself over; besides, there is indeed a saying that peach flowers can also give birth to Buddhas."
Mom pondered for a while and said, "It seems that there are sayings about peach blossom Buddhas, peach wood wedges and peach wood swords. Let's not talk about monks. Luyan! Your Uncle Dragon was a soldier and knows a lot! Let him tell you a story!"
I said, “Uncle Dragon, tell me a story!”
Uncle Dragon said, “Good! Then I'll tell you a story, ‘Peach Flower Catastrophe’. (Annotation, the story is about a Peach Flower Buddha.)
2.1 Peach Flower Catastrophe 1
Constant Fair is an orphan since childhood in Publican Liu’s pharmacy as a long laborer. He was not smart since he was a child, score of school was not that good, and always made mistakes when he grew up and learned how to do business. However, Publican Liu not only took good care of him in every aspect, but also always tolerated and harbored him, and did not hold him accountable for his faults. Constant Fair had never met Publican Liu since he was a child; he also often wanted to see him to salute and thank him in person, but it was always out of place, and was disrupted by some strange and unexpected arrangements.
Constant Fair knows, Publican Liu is eccentric, often go out to travel, leisure time in the study of ancient books, do not like to see people. In addition, Constant Fair also knows that he is not good health, there is a kind of what, no one can say the strange disease.
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One day, Publican Liu commissioned a matchmaker to propose marriage to Constant Fair, to betroth his daughter, Peach Flower Girl, to him. He heard that Peach Flower Girl is intelligent, beautiful, and her medical skills are even more brilliant, to her matchmaking are more than to kick through the threshold, is not marriage. The matchmakers showed him articles written by Peach Flower Girl, told him what she had done, and created opportunities for him to meet her, so have a chance to see her in person. Constant Fair saw that Peach Flower Girl was beautiful; the articles she wrote were clearly organized, with wonderful words; the affairs she had done were all skillfully arranged. Constant Fair thought he was not worthy of her, so he refused. As a result, he heard later that the Peach Flower Girl was also unwilling and called him stupid.
Some days later, again, Publican Liu asked the matchmaker to marry Peach Flower Girl to Constant Fair and tried to persuade him. Constant Fair finally said, "As long as Peach Flower Girl is willing, I am willing." As a result, Constant Fair heard that Peach Flower Girl was not willing again.
After some time, Publican Liu asked the matchmaker to marry Constant Fair and Peach Flower Girl again, saying that, this time, Peach Flower Girl had already agreed. Constant Fair heard that Publican Liu and the matchmakers had been trying to persuade Peach Flower Girl to marry him, and that the father and daughter had quarrelled over the matter often recently. He thought to himself, "This is that Peach Flower Girl let me to delay for a few days so as to let her father have a rest and a few days of fun, and then it is me to reject it. Constant Fair then said to the matchmaker, “I'll think about it then”. After a few days, he told the matchmaker: “No.”
In this way, Publican Liu and the matchmakers used many ways to set up the marriage between Peach Flower Girl and Constant Fair, which was a long time coming, but just not possible. Time passed, Peach Flower Girl and Constant Fair both passed the age of normal marriage.
（2）Death with Eyes Open
In one middle night, a matchmaker who had become friends with Constant Fair came running to tell him, “I don't know what's wrong! Old Publican Liu is acting like crazy! He said he would ‘die with eyes open’, until he sees you and Peach Flower Girl get married, and enter honeymoon house. He also secretly let people in the preparation of a small inner courtyard, to you and the Peach Flower Girl locked inside; not married to not let you two out. I thought, ‘What's going on here! I had to tell you!’ I also found out that they know that you and I are friends and have sent someone to watch me, so I found a chance to sneak out. With that said, I must return, in case of that I am discovered.”
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Constant Fair was shocked when he heard this and thought, “This can't be done! Then I ruin Peach Flower Girl for life! No! I must Leave!” That night, he escaped from Publican Liu's pharmacy. He didn't go back to his hometown because he was afraid that Publican Liu would send someone to catch him.
Constant Fair lived a life of anonymity, wandering around. Of course, he also needed to make a living, and later he worked as a shopkeeper in a pharmacy. For the first few years, the business did quite well, and the business grew. Later, he realized that someone was working against him in business and went to resign with the proprietor. The proprietor said, "Now, our business is so big that we can fight with them! I trust you, and I don't blame you if you lose money." Constant Fair said, “I don't want to fight with them. To tell you the truth, I suspect those opponents are related to one of my former benefactors”. The proprietor understood the matter well and said: “In that case! I cannot force you.”
Constant Fair left the pharmacy and wandered to another place, where he found another job in a pharmacy. Something similar happened to the last job. He found out that there were against him in business, and still thought that those people were related to the former boss Publican Liu, so he voluntarily gave up the job again.
In this way, Constant Fair changed job after job, always feeling that someone was struggling with him and unwilling to fight back against his opponents, but his bad reputation spread, and he couldn't find a job. So, he went back home.
On his way to his old village, Constant Fair met a messenger. The messenger asked him, "Do you know Constant Fair from Fair Family Village?" He replied, “I am!” The messenger said, “The people in your home asked me to tell you that your father passed away.” Constant Fair thought to himself, “I have been an orphan since I was a child, and replied, “You are mistaken! I'm not the person you're looking for!” The messenger verified, “XXX County, YYY town, Fair Family Village, the name is Constant Fair!” Constant Fair replied immediately, “Yes! It is me!” The messenger added, “The news that the people in your hometown asked me to convey to you is that your father has passed away. I'm just a messenger, and the rest, I don't know!”
At this, Constant Fair felt uncomfortable in his heart and sensed that something was wrong. When he arrived home, he inquired if there was anyone else in the village also name Constant Fair. He found out, in his county, only has one Fair Family Village, and in the past 40 years, only his name is Constant Fair in the Village. For several days in a row, he felt a tightness in his chest.
（3）Peach Flower Fortune
On this day, Constant Fair went to the marketplace for a walk. From a distance, he saw a group of people surrounding a fortune-teller. Constant Fair never believed in ghosts, gods, fortune-telling, and the like. But somehow! That day he stood at the back of the queue and wanted to listen.
The fortune-teller saw Constant Fair immediately and said, “The one at the end of the line is in a hurry! Let him come first! Those in front wait a while.”
Constant Fair said, "I'm not in a hurry, I can wait."
The fortune-teller said, "Come over here if you're told to!"
Constant Fair walked up to the fortune-teller, and before he could say anything, the fortune-teller said, “Congratulation! You've got Peach Flower Fortune (Note 1)!”
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Note 1, what is peach flower fortune? Equivalent to the Western world's "The Chosen One" (i.e., the Golden Boy, Adam), except that the peach flower fortune is expressed in terms of the woman's (Eve, Jade Girl) beauty, talent, rich, and power to express this concept. How did the fortune teller see it? The Chinese fortune-teller profession and the Chinese juristic teacher profession use the same set of books. The Golden Boy and Jade Girl (Figure 2.1-3; see 10.9 Godly Trinity) is the basic model in that book, and the Peach Flower Catastrophe is one of the main cases in that book.
Constant Fair replied, “I don't know! I can still have Peach Flower Fortune!”
The fortune teller asked, "In the past, when you worked for someone, was there a proprietor who treated you very well, but you never saw him?"
Constant Fair replied, "Yes!"
The fortune-teller said, “He is dead, and with eyes glaringly open!”
Constant Fair heard, feel the head "buzz" a moment, the sky spinning, earth gravity vanishing, organs are moving. When he calmed down, felt his chest clogged, as if pressing a stone, heard the crowd talking about really God's calculations, a look to know! No wonder that he was said to be in a hurry!
Constant Fair turned around and started to walk home. The fortune-teller said: “Wait, I haven't finished yet! I think you really don't know! When Peach Flower Fortune comes, no one can stop it, there's no other way. You can only obey the wish of that old proprietor of yours and go to his house quickly. Even if you must spend all your money to pay for the betrothal gift, you still must gain their favor, wed their daughter, and enter honeymoon house, before you can be relieved of this Peach Flower Catastrophe.”
Constant Fair reached into his pocket and realized he had no money with him, so he said, "I'll go back to get the money and return it to you."
The fortune-teller said, “No need, I don't want your money.”
Constant Fair felt strange and asked why he didn't want his money. The fortune-teller said, “To tell the truth! Judging from your face, you won't live more than a hundred days. It's unlucky to spend dead people's money!"
Constant Fair said, "Thank you very much! I will definitely repay you when I have the chance in the future."
The fortune-teller added, "Wait! On the way, you must drink more water; drinking water will renew your life. Also, you must keep walking; if you fall, you may never get up again!"
Thanking again, Constant Fair went home, packed his bags, and went on his way that night.
A few days later, Constant Fair felt his chest getting more and more clogged, his stomach gurgling, and problems with his stomach and intestinal motility; sores began to grow on his skin. Whenever he arrived at a place, he first looked for a well, drank his fill, then filled two jugs of water to carry with him, ate something and immediately rushed on. In this way Constant Fair traveled day and night, rushing to Liu's medicine farm.
↪️ Return to Catalog of Layan’s Memoirs

Not that GPT-4o is available, I thought I’d run through the same examples given on the demo website to try and recreate them. What I receive is nothing like what is shown on the demo and almost the same as 6 months ago so I don’t realise what is so special about the 4o apart from the speed. The results are dramatically different, even though they supposedly use the same model.
Recent Tests with ChatGPT: (Prompts copied from GPT-4o demo site) https://openai.com/index/hello-gpt-4o/

1. Font Showcase: I requested a demonstration of text in a futuristic retro font. While the result was interesting, it was mostly rubbish compared to what is on the GPT-4o demo site. 2. 3D Rendering of the OpenAI Logo: The generated image was okay but nothing special. 3. Diary Entry Poem: The handwritten poem was gibberish and it didn’t match the readable, realistic handwriting samples I saw on the demo site 

1. Blocks just don’t make any sense

These differences got me thinking: why can’t ChatGPT replicate the same high-quality results as the GPT-4o demo, even though they’re based on the same underlying model?