Item from Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson
Magic-deadening ore mined on a single island off Seven Cities — nullifies all warren-based sorcery on contact, making it the most feared substance in a world where power flows through magic.
Otataral is the great equalizer in the Malazan world. In a setting where mages can level cities, open gates to other realms, and bend reality through warren access, otataral simply says no. Contact with the ore severs a mage's connection to their warren entirely — no magic functions within its radius, no sorcerous defenses hold, no warren-forged weapons cut. The Malazan Empire recognized its strategic value immediately and seized control of the mining operations. The ore's origin is debated — some believe it's a natural substance, others that it's the residue of a warren that was destroyed, its death-energy crystallized into matter that poisons all other magical sources. Otataral Island, where it's mined, is a prison as much as a mine: mages sentenced there lose their powers permanently. The substance changed the balance of power across the world, giving non-magical forces a weapon against sorcery for the first time.
A reddish ore with a dull, matte finish that seems to absorb light. Refined into weapons, armor, or chains, it retains its rust-red color. The material feels wrong to mages — proximity causes nausea, disorientation, and the sensation of a door slamming shut in the mind. Non-mages notice nothing unusual. The ore is warm to the touch regardless of ambient temperature.
Also known as: Otataral, otataral ore, the anti-magic ore