Asclerite

WIP - Summer Camp 2023

Asclerite is a precious mineral found exclusively in the Roaring Plains in the area around the toxic geothermal vents. It is a deep yellow gem that is as hard as diamond and worth twice as much. It was formed by high pressure and high temperatures in Etrea's crust, and has been slowly pushed to the surface by the movement of magma and the force of the geothermal vents.
Merfolk venture into the Roaring Plains to gather asclerite, chipping the rock around the chunks to extract it as fast as possible. The gathered chunks of asclerite are refined further away from the plains, where it is safer. Miners are always accompanied by armed guards, as protection against the threat of the exiles who make the Roaring Plains their home. They also have to wear protective masks and clothing to protect them from the high heat and toxic chemicals that spew from the geothermal vents.
Humans have tried to gather asclerite in the past, but have never been successful. Instead, they now trade with the merfolk for it. There is a large blackmarket trade for asclerite, as the merfolk exiles who live in the Roaring Plains will demand a much lower price - often in the form of goods and services rather than money - than the official merfolk channels. Exiles caught with asclerite are often killed, which in turn has led to exiles reacting more violently to those travelling the Roaring Plains.
Asclerite is used mainly for jewellery, though, like diamond, it also has some industrial uses, such as enhancing cutting blades. However, since asclerite is much rarer than diamond, it is not often used over diamond for these purposes.
The most famous asclerite stone is currently part of the crown jewels of Abror, a country in southern Aenica. It is the orb on top of a sceptre made of gold.