Lyrium

Lyrium is a valuable but highly dangerous mineral-like substance. It is primarily mined by professional Dwarven experts from the Mining Caste in Orzammar. Physical contact with raw lyrium ore is known to cause serious injury and psychological damage for humans, Dalish, Drow, goliaths, halflings, and dwarves who are not genetically born with a certain resistance to it. Direct contact with lyrium will kill mages instantly.

Nature

Lyrium exists both in Thedas and supposedly in the Fade. It is believed that it somehow bridges the gap between these two distant worlds. Mages who consume processed lyrium are strengthened immensely as their relation to the Fade is tapped into, even more so than usual.
The Chantry believe lyrium to be the emerald waters of the Fade, the very substance of creation itself, from whence the Maker fashioned the world.
Somewhat disturbingly, some scholars believe that lyrium is alive.

Adverse Effects

Even though dwarves have a natural resistance, raw lyrium is dangerous for all but the most experienced of the Mining caste to handle. Few recordings have made it to the surface from Orzammar, but some have indicated that there have been incidents where dwarves who mishandled raw lyrium suffered from deafness, memory loss, dementia, or heart attacks. For all but those with the toughest stomachs, even close proximity to raw lyrium can cause nausea and blistering of the skin. Mages seem to show these effects but even worsened.
In its processed form, lyrium may be handled by anyone, but long term exposure or a single mistake while working with it can lead to serious side effects. Templars are one of the few groups, other than mages, known to use the substance. Many, later into their career, suffer from addictive and unbearable cravings from lyrium. Over long periods of time without lyrium, templars grow disoriented, incapable of distinguishing memory from present, or dream from waking. They frequently become paranoid as their worst memories and nightmares haunt their waking hours.
It is unknown how lyrium effects the spirits and demons of the Fade.

Uses

Processed lyrium is used by dwarves and those Circle mages who are made Tranquil. Most commonly they use it to enchant items or create poultices and potions. Those mages who consume processed lyrium are strengthened immensely.
Some mages are branded with a lyrium tattoo, a sun on the forehead, to indicate that they have been made Tranquil. The exact process is not well understood, and some deem the act torturous, but it severs the mage's connection to the Fade and also any of their emotions. They become a purely logical being.
While mages use lyrium in their spells and rituals, templars ingest the primordial mineral to enhance their abilities to resist and dispel magic. Outside of the Chantry, some see lyrium as a way to control the templars and force them to do their bidding. Initially, lyrium is given to templars to "develop their talents" which also leaves them addicted and thus in the Chantry's control. The Chantry have the control in this situation since they control the lyrium trade.
Before their fall, some magistrates from the Tevinter Imperium would infuse lyrium into their slaves' skin, making them formidable warriors. The agonizing process also made victims more biddable, with the potential side effect of lost memories. These lyrium tattoos supposedly allowed those branded to access the Fade and control spirits. The exact dangers of which were never studied and the art is all but lost since the disappearance of the Imperium.
in Orlais, trace amounts of lyrium can be infused in stones to create glowstones which are used to light some of the streets in posher districts.

Mining Lyrium

The Mining caste of Dwarves is the only group capable of safely mining and processing lyrium into a less dangerous and usable form. How they achieve this is a tightly guarded secret. It is believed that generations of proximity to lyrium ore veins have made dwarves naturally resistant, though not completely immune, to its effects. Even their resistance is only skin deep, as open cuts and direct exposure to the eyes leaves these dwarves vulnerable.
Surface dwarves who were once of the Mining caste lose this resistance over time.

Lyrium veins depicted in Dwarven art

Templar lyrium injection kit

Type

Ore/Mineral

Related Locations

• Orzammar