(A preliminary note: not all information here will line up correctly with canon, since I’ve both wanted and needed to make various tweaks, especially in terms of color. If something is the wrong color as compared to canon or what canon’s changed to, please give me the benefit of the doubt and assume I did it on purpose. There are also definitely types of Dust here that don’t exist in canon, and may never do so, or if they do will probably be different colors or something.)
((Been meaning to put this one out for quite a while. Some of the terminology in it will probably just kind of start existing in-fic in future updates, since I haven’t used it specifically before I hashed out all the details. Sorry about that. There’s a ton of world-building work for this project…))
A naturally occurring energy propellant, Dust is typically found buried beneath the ground all over Remnant, and is the basis of nearly all forms of technology.
While Dust is generally mined in limited quantities, similar to metal or jewels, it has been observed to “grow” in previously barren locations, as though rising and spreading out from far depeer into the planet than anyone has been able to safely travel. Greater depths in mines tend to reveal richer veins of Dust; many mining accidents have resulted from the continual and unsafe deepening of these locations.
Dust is generally stable when crystallized, but is used equally if not more commonly in a powdered form, which tends to allow for much finer control over quantity and distribution but results in a far more volatile product. Natural triggers for Dust tend to be simple interaction with “forms of energy,” though on a scientific level the forces that seem to quality as “energy” are often very different. Different Dust types may not react to certain types of input; contact with sparks will almost certainly have no effect on blue or dark blue Dust, but will ignite red Dust more or less instantly. Powdered dust in any form sometimes activates when jostled too suddenly or severely.
However, the most reliable way to activate any type of Dust is through aura. Humans and Faunus alike are capable of controlling Dust by applying their aura and will to it, with varying degrees of proficiency. Those with locked auras generally cannot activate Dust with them except by accident, but those with unlocked auras are capable of many astonishing, almost magical feats. Consequently, it is not uncommon for terms such as “mage” to be applied to people who specialize in manipulating Dust directly, though it is understood that this is not actual “magic.”
An odd feature of Dust that scientists have not yet been able to fully understand is its loss of potency with distance from the planet; attempts to leave orbit have been mostly unsuccessful as Dust weakens and then becomes inert higher in the atmosphere. After some loss of life this way, space travel has been mostly shelved and set aside as impossible. Interestingly, Dust launched into orbit and later recovered has been observed to recover its functioning once it is within a certain range of the planet again. Studies have also proven that Dust is not actually reliant on the atmosphere itself, since it does not lose potency when placed in artificially created vacuums.
Many, many colors of Dust can be found in nature, and new varieties are often synthesized by combining multiple types in differing ratios. What follows is a short and incomplete list of some of the most commonly used types of Dust.
- Red: Fire or “burn” Dust. Releases significant amounts of heat and force when activated. Among the most volatile types. Used in small quantities in most types of bullets, though bullets designed to detonate extra red dust on impact can make for powerful incendiary ammunition. The primary component in most forms of vehicular fuel. A classic form of attack for Dust mages.
- Blue: Water Dust. As its name implies, it transforms into exponentially large quantities of water when activated, usually by coming into contact with other fluids. Highly valued in arid locations where ultra-compacted methods of storing water are vital.
- Yellow: Electric or “lightning” Dust. Generates powerful surges of electricity. The vast majority of electronics rely heavily on yellow Dust to function. Friction and static electricity often activate yellow Dust, making it fairly dangerous to handle when not properly contained.
- Green: Air or “wind” Dust. Releases bursts of oxygen and disturbs the air around itself. Applied in very specific ways, it can cause miniature vacuums that are able to cut through solid objects. Valuable for diving gear and underwater vehicles, though care must be taken not to create too much air pressure and destroy objects or people from within.
- Dark Blue: Ice Dust. Created by combining water Dust with smaller quantities of air Dust, this both generates explosions of frozen water from nothing and absorbs significant amounts of heat from surrounding objects. Vital in the creation of machine coolant.
- White: “Earth” Dust. An unusual type which, as its name implies, activates to expand into large quantities of solid rock. Rarely used by itself, but when combined very carefully with other types, serves as a valuable component in rare and expensive synthetic Dust that can change the properties of surrounding rock and metal instead of creating it outright.
- Orange: Lava Dust. A mostly simple combination of earth and fire Dust which creates already-molten rock. Rarely used for any non-combat purposes, as it is highly dangerous and volatile. In most parts of the world it is illegal to knowingly use orange Dust in weaponry without Hunter certification or other special permits, due to its extreme destructive potential.
- Black: Gravity Dust. Unusual in its longevity and its rare property of being naturally active. When unmodified, black Dust partially or entirely nullifies the effects of gravity. Rare, valuable, and generally found in dangerous, difficult-to-reach places. Mining gravity Dust is extremely hazardous considering it’s usually found hundreds of feet above the ground. However, its effect on gravity can be changed by combining it with other forms. Most heavy aircraft employs some gravity Dust to offset the incredible amount of fuel they would otherwise consume.
- Gold: “Light” Dust. An extremely rare, naturally luminous type that can be triggered to briefly radiate intense light before disintegrating. Mainly used as a minor component in uncommon synthetic Dust types. Is typically not actually desired for light emission, since it’s a lot easier to generate light as a byproduct of fire or electricity than to mine this unusual crystal.
- Cyan: “Phantom” or “hardlight” Dust. Created by comining light and gravity dust, hardlight Dust can create and shape hardlight, solid holographic projections with wildly variable physical properties. Extremely difficult to manipulate through aura, it is used in many forms of complex electronics in miniscule quantities that create projections that are not fully solid and can be disrupted merely by touching them. When heavily concentrated, these projections can be sturdy, heavy, and deadly, able to change shape with ease. However, usage in these concentrations is outrageously expensive.
- Silver: “Space” or “warp” Dust. Created from gravity, light, and earth Dust. Usually only seen as silver-colored state before it is used for anything, warp Dust is typically forged into metal, allowing it to defy conventional logic and compress into smaller states without actually seeming to take on new physical properties. One of the least-explained types of Dust, scientists are mostly at a loss as to how any of this is possible; fortunately, figuring out ways to use it is much more feasible than actually understanding it. Metals made with warp Dust (sometimes called “warp metals”) are understandably expensive, as the Dust component is difficult to synthesize and work with, even for expert blacksmiths and Dust alchemists. A favorite of Hunters who wish to employ weapons of unwieldy size. Also integral for the creation of “warp magazines” that contain far more bullets than would otherwise be physically possible.