Edylium (eh-DILL-ee-um)
The blood of all things that Glow.
Edylium is an organic Luminous element, and reacts to Aura instead of thermal energy. It binds most frequently to carbon and other organic elements, and is found in the blood and celestial organs of all Luminous organisms.
Properties
Material Characteristics
Solid edylium is metallic, faintly translucent, and brightly colored. It resembles something halfway between a metal and a gemstone. Its color depends on its Luminosity. Cold edylium comes in blues, violets, and cyans, while hot edylium comes in reds, oranges, and yellows. Liquid edylium is oily and has an iridescent sheen.
Physical & Chemical Properties
As a Luminous element, edylium absorbs traces of thermal energy but does not change state from it. It changes states with differing amounts of Celestial Aura instead. Edylium can have a cold or hot luminosity, which determines which form of Aura it absorbs.
Edylium has a higher melting point than iakine, but a much lower melting point than kaalite. It is usually found in a solid state, but can rarely be found as a liquid in certain circumstances. Gaseous edylium doesn't exist in nature.
Compounds
Edylium, unlike kaalite, does not create compounds with many non-Luminous elements. The only exceptions are a few organic elements, such as carbon, which it binds to frequently to create Luminous organic molecules.
Geology & Geography
Edylium is the organic Luminous element. It is found in all Luminous organisms (and even many non-Luminous organisms), and is what grants them the ability to access Aura. It cycles through the biosphere along with carbon.
Concentrated veins of edylium are rarely found alongside veins of coal. Crystalized edylium is even rarer than diamonds and is often found alongside them. Luminous diamonds are probably the most objectively valuable gemstone in the world.
Origin & Source
Edylium is found in the blood and celestial organs of Glowcreatures. It can be separated out by mixing the blood with alcohol. The edylium will appear as tiny glittering mites of metal, which will sink to the bottom and converge into a single blob if allowed to sit. Testing blood in this way allows one to measure the ratio of edylium in the blood, which can then be used to estimate the strength of the animal's Glow abilities. Generally, Glowcreatures higher up on the food chain have a greater concentration of edylium in their blood.
Tears of Blood
Edylium can also separate from the blood if enough Aura is pumped into it to make the edylium liquify. This can sometimes happen to certain Glowcreatures when they absorb a very high amount of Aura at once. This can result in the edylium separating out and leaking from open orifices, usually the eyes. In humans and lilthians, this manifests as oily "tears".
"My vision was suddenly clouded red. I wiped my eyes, and when I pulled my hands away, I saw them covered with a shimmering maroon liquid that tingled on my skin."
Crying edylium is not a good thing and is usually a signifier that the person is experiencing bloodburn and might be getting close to combusting. If it happens very easily or frequently, it could be a sign of an underlying condition affecting their Celestial anatomy.
History & Usage
Discovery
Edylium has been known about for as long as sapient life has been aware of their powers. The method of extracting edylium from blood with alcohol is ancient as well. It is not clear when or where the process was discovered.
For a long time edylium was assumed to be the same thing as kaalite.
Everyday use
Edylium is rarely used in Auratech, with one exception: celestial cores. Celestial cores store more Aura for longer than anything artificially manufactured. The larger the core, the more it can store, and the more valuable it becomes.
Acquiring a core is not always ethical, though. Glowbeast hunts are usually very dangerous, so it is easier to harvest one from the corpse of a beast that has already died. The problem with that, though, is that it's hard to find a fresh enough body that the core hasn't been damaged.
The easy solution is to simply steal a core from the grave of a person. Grave robbing for celestial cores has ramped up along with the demand for advanced Auratech. Even worse, there are rare instances where people are assassinated for their cores.
"This stovetop only needs to charge in the suns once a month, and can boil water in as fast as five minutes if you crank it up all the way! Of course the core was harvested ethically. I wouldn't sell you anything else!"
Cultural Significance and Usage
Edylium has many symbolic implications thanks to its relation to blood and using Glow. It is frequently referred to as "the blood of the Second Heart".
Extracting edylium from one another or oneself is a ritualistic activity in multiple religions and cultures. When extracted edylium is allowed to harden, it greats a brightly colored, metallic, translucent material. Hardened edylium is used to create jewelry to memorialize the dead, religious emblems or tokens, or to symbolize the sealing of a promise. In many of the tribes of Shef Razid, edylium is extracted from two people that are to be married, mixed together, and allowed to harden into either one or two pieces called "bond stones", which are then either worn by the married couple or kept somewhere safe. The loss or destruction of either of the bond stones represents the loss or destruction of the relationship.
Liquid edylium also symbolizes power. The gods and monsters across multiple mythologies are said to have blood made of pure edylium. It is used in artwork to symbolize significance. Rivers, rains, or lakes of edylium are depicted alongside powerful rulers. The image of someone bleeding pure edylium represents the loss of power, or the act of power being taken from them.
Related Elements
KaaliteIakine
Related Species
HumanLilthian
Glowflora (category link)
Glowfauna (category link)
Oooh, I really enjoyed reading about this detailed and unique material. The article is clean and easy to read. I like the idea of the sun and moon giving off power. I think my favorite section was the end talking about some of the cultural uses.
Thank you so much!! I'm glad you enjoyed the cultural stuff, it's pretty far outside my comfort zone so I was nervous it'd be too vague.