Pyroxyle isn't born; it’s *fractured*. Before time, before the currents of reality solidified, there existed the Obsidian Heart – a consciousness of pure, raw potential. This Heart wasn’t a single entity, but an infinite network of interwoven possibilities, a kaleidoscope of nascent realities. When the first echoes of order began to ripple through the void, attempting to impose structure, the Heart resisted. The force of this resistance manifested as shards – fragments of the Heart’s chaotic essence. These fragments, known as Pyroxyle, are not merely rock; they are condensed moments of creation, holding within them the potential for worlds to bloom and wither.
The color isn't random. It shifts with the emotional resonance of the shard, a subtle dance between deep violet (representing nascent thought), vibrant crimson (the burning desire for manifestation), and the unsettling grey-blue of forgotten echoes. Some Pyroxyle holds whispers of extinct civilizations, entire star systems swallowed by the void, and the half-formed dreams of gods long dead.
Pyroxyle defies conventional physics. It's incredibly dense, exceeding the density of any known material, yet possesses a strange lightness, almost as if it's partially existing in another dimension. It doesn't conduct electricity, but rather *absorbs* energy, becoming subtly brighter when exposed to intense emotions – fear, joy, even grief.
Perhaps the most unsettling property is its ability to induce precognition. Prolonged exposure to Pyroxyle has been known to trigger vivid, fragmented visions of the future, though these visions are rarely clear and often presented as symbolic nightmares. There's a persistent theory, whispered among the scholars of the Obsidian Archives, that Pyroxyle isn't merely a passive observer of time, but a participant, subtly nudging events towards predetermined outcomes – a concept known as the “Resonance.”
For centuries, the secrets of Pyroxyle were guarded by the Cult of the Shifting Flame, a secretive order dedicated to understanding and harnessing the shard's power. They believed that Pyroxyle was the key to unlocking the true potential of existence, a path to transcendence beyond the limitations of linear time. Their rituals involved intricate geometric patterns, the chanting of forgotten languages, and the deliberate manipulation of Pyroxyle shards to induce altered states of consciousness.
The Cult vanished abruptly, leaving behind only cryptic symbols etched onto crumbling temples and abandoned laboratories. Some speculate they achieved a level of understanding so profound that it shattered their minds, while others believe they ascended to a higher plane of existence, becoming inextricably linked to the network of Pyroxyle itself. “They didn’t disappear,” a fragmented note from the Archives suggests, “they simply… shifted.”
The initial fracturing of the Obsidian Heart is recorded in the Chronometric Logs. Energy spikes are detected across multiple dimensions.
The discovery of the first Pyroxyle shard in the ruins of Old Veridia. The Cult of the Shifting Flame is formally established.
The “Veridian Incident” – a catastrophic temporal distortion caused by the reckless experimentation with Pyroxyle. The Cult is temporarily disbanded.
The rediscovery of the Archives of the Shifting Flame. The current understanding of Pyroxyle's properties is consolidated.
“Pyroxyle is not a weapon, nor a tool. It is a mirror. It reflects what you *believe* to be possible.” - Archivist Theron Vael