Avolite
Avolite is an enigmatic, blood red mineral, usually seen in the form of a gemstone, utilized extensively by the Avian race. It is found exclusively on Avos, the homeworld of the Avians. The Stargazers maintain a monopoly on the extraction and distribution of Avolite and guard their knowledge of it jealously. Applications vary significantly, from use as a power source for ships and weaponry, to more peaceful uses such the preservation of books, to even more mundane uses such as a source of light.
Avolite crystals are said to be impossible to cut, which would mean that they can only exist in their natural forms. However, it appears that they can still be damaged anyways. While this may possibly be a sign that Avolite's strength had been greatly overstated, it is not unheard of for otherwise hard to cut crystals, such as diamond, to still be vulnerable to chipping or shattering. Avolite crystals stop functioning after being fractured.
The resonance of Avolite crystals is used in place of electricity to power Avian technology and allows their machines to send signals to one another via these vibrations. The resonance of Avolite crystals is versatile enough to have been used to map the stars. Avolite technology has a distinct audible hum, and Fancy Avian Gongs designed to vibrate at the same frequency as Avolite are sounded at the beginning and end of every prayer session. Avolite also has levitational properties, as seen with the Crystal Torch and possibly utilized by Avian Ships. Most intriguing of all is that Avolite crystals are thought to have consciousness of their own, and seem to even have measurable brain waves. It may be because of this that they are able to store such vast amounts of data. Particularly well defended temples such as The Great Sovereign Temple may be guarded by Avolite-powered automata, with the most powerful of which allegedly being Kluex's own avatar. Whether these machines are programmed or instead operated by the crystals' supposed consciousness is a mystery. They, alongside the Carved Crystal Trap, use Avolite to project deadly beams of light, with the Kluex Avatar boasting additional elemental powers.
Due to the Stargazers' secrecy and sole rights to them, Avolite's origins are difficult to confirm. Though Avolite is said to be mined by the Stargazers, there is potentially more information that they hide by any means necessary. Avolite crystals are regarded as the divine gift from Kluex in Avian society, and are known as "The Eyes of Kluex", a name also used for the Stars. It is claimed that they had been "bestowed upon" Avian-kind. The Avian artifact gifted to them by the Cultivator is made out of Avolite, so, seeing as "Kluex" is simply the Avians' interpretation of the Cultivator, Avolite may have originated from this artifact or had been given to them alongside it. It is also just as likely that Avolite is a natural material unrelated to the Cultivator and it being said to have been "bestowed" upon the Avians was merely a figure of speech.
It may be that Avolite is not the only crystal used in Avian technology, as Crystal Lights found in The Great Sovereign Temple appear to use an unknown blue crystal to produce light. A few of the feats attributed to Avolite in this article may debatably be achieved through the use of other crystals, as descriptions have a tendency of saying “crystal” rather than specifying Avolite by name, though the cultural importance of Avolite to the Avians may suggest that this blue crystal is just a niche exception.
Trivia
- Avolite's restorative properties, ability to imbue objects with life, and ability to fire charges of energy closely resemble the properties of the Cherrystones seen in Wargroove. Since Wargroove takes place in the Starbound universe, it's possible that Avolite and Cherrystones are the same material. If true, it would mean Avolite is created by the Stargazers rather than mined, as Wargroove's Cherrystones are formed by a powerful mage named Emeric and are not naturally occuring crystals.
