CASTLING 01: How to mine, purify and use Helionyx

Helionyx is a fictional mineral created for my fantasy novel, CASTLING. Do not take this article as fact!

What is Helionyx?

Helionyx, also known as Godstone, is a rare mineral found only in the country of Irkalla that was discovered some 400 years ago after the end of the Divine War.

In its raw form, Helionyx appears much like a chalcedony, similar to onyx or bloodstone. It has a dark, almost black glass-like surface with a red color shift that can best be observed in direct light.

In this natural state, Helionyx is quite stable, though it is recommended to wear gloves and a face cover if you are extracting it as it is slightly radioactive, and inhaling it has shown to produce cancerous growths in laborers with long term exposure.

Irkallan Scholars have deduced that Helionyx, due to where it is found, is a direct product of the aftermath of the Divine War where angels and demon spawn fought. Deposits of Helionyx have correlated directly with the fallen bodies of angels, which has led to the conclusion that Helionyx is, in fact, crystallized blood of the divine.

This is why Helionyx can only be found in Irkalla as it was the sole battleground of the Divine War.

Extracting Helionyx

As mentioned above, certain precautions must be taken when mining Helionyx. Gloves and face coverings are recommended. If possible, its best to work on a deposit that is close to the surface to ensure ample air flow, and to prevent too much inhalation of particles.

After extraction, transportation requires little adjustment. It's important to completely enclose the mineral in a lead-lined box that should remained sealed until it is delivered. Protection for your horses, while not a requirement, is recommended.

Purifying Helionyx

Getting Helionyx to a usable state is a process that is long, arduous, and extremely dangerous even in experienced hands. Much like the splendid green mineral, Tobernite, Helionyx lets off an invisible gas when heated that is highly explosive and carries the same carcinogenic properties as its raw form.

Given that Helionyx is glass-like, it must be heated up to extreme temperatures in order to be melted and worked by a blacksmith. This is why all Helionyx kilns are massive in size, and usually have multiple chimneys to let off excess steam and gas.

Before the raw mineral is put into a kiln, it will first be blessed by a Kiln Priest, a specialized role that came about after the discovery of the origin of Helionyx. Because of the dangerous nature of processing Helionyx, death and injury are commonplace, thus a presence of a priest is paramount.

Once it is heated up to sufficient temperatures, blacksmiths can begin working Helionyx for their desired purposes. Usually blacksmiths will fold other ores and minerals into the molds to ensure stability and strength, such as iron. In this state, Helionyx is no longer radioactive, and once cooled, appears much more red in color.

Uses of Helionyx

Once purified and stable, Helionyx has many varied uses from weapons to jewlery. Depending on the purity of the ore when it was first extracted, the end product can be stronger or weaker, heavier or lighter, and more or less red.

Stronger and lighter variants are usually turned into armor and weapons. Helionyx weapons and armor greatly outperform iron-age creations in both longevity and strength in exchange for a much lighter weight.

The most famous example of this use would be the Irkallan Red Guard, an elite group of knights who are named after their crimson armor and weapons.

Weaker and heavier variants tend to be made into jewelry; usually holy pendants or chalices for religious ceremonies. These vary wildly in color depending on how long these pieces are tempered, and what kind of minerals are added in the forging process.

Another well-known example of Helionyx jewelry would be the crown of Irkalla itself. It's famously very heavy and was forged without any outside minerals. It's even rumored to have been folded over a hundred times with layer upon layer of the purest Helionyx deposits.

Because of this special process, the crown is famously very dark in color with a peculiar faint red shift in certain light.

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