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Originium
A mysterious mineral. As technologies develop, more and more countries start to use it as an energy source.
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Originium (Chinese: 源石; Pinyin: Yuán shí; lit. "Source/Origin Stone") is a substance in the world of Arknights which forms after Catastrophes and widely used as an energy source, but causes the development of Oripathy in living organisms.

Description

A common mineral in Terra, this semi-transparent black crystal contains enormous energy, and is the primary factor of causing Catastrophes. Widely used in the field of Arts, it works as the basic material and catalyst of all kinds of Arts and Arts items. Without Originium, the efficiency of Arts would, without a doubt, drop dramatically. As technologies develop, more and more countries start to use it as an energy source.[1]

Overview[]

Appearing as a black, semi-transparent crystalline mineral (although it has been occasionally seen in other colors like blue or gold), Originium can be found at sites of Catastrophes in large quantities, and is believed to play a role in causing them. Unlike other crystalline minerals, Originium grows and metastasizes naturally in the wild, and can even assimilate with organic matter if given the opportunity. Originium is also quite unstable, as it vaporizes into gaseous particles over time, is highly flammable when in a liquid state, and exhibits highly explosive properties under the right conditions. However, contrary to what one might believe, Originium is not actually radioactive.

Originium has a high energy yield, and as such, has remained a valuable resource since it was discovered in ancient times. By the time the events of Arknights take place, the proliferation of Originium had brought a technological revolution to Terra, with virtually all technology being powered by the substance. Notably, Originium allows the use of various forms of "magic" known as Originium Arts, which has applications in both daily life and war. Processing Originium ore and similar natural substances into useful products has become an essential part of modern industry. Most valuable of all such Originium products is the Originite Prime – highly refined, pure Originium which serves as the main energy source throughout the world.

However, Originium is not without its dangers, since as mentioned above, it can gradually assimilate into a living organism's blood and cells – this is regarded as a "disease" called Oripathy. Many Terrans have been infected by Oripathy since the advent of Originium, and these people, often called Infected, are widely discriminated against in Terra. Furthermore, Originium assimilation may cause varying degrees of genetic mutation depending on the organism.

In ancient times, the use of Originium was mainly focused on Arts. The invention of Originium engines and artificial Arts Units ushered in an industrial revolution across Terra. Despite Originium's hazardous traits, it is immensely useful, with applications ranging from fueling nomadic city engines to batteries, plastic covers, and light bulb. As such, no alternative source of energy (such as petroleum, hydraulic, geothermal, or nuclear energy) could replace the magical traits Originium possesses.[2]

While Originium is indeed hazardous, it has been stated that the mineral is the "source" of all Terran lives, which shaped them into their present forms.[3] It could either be a metaphorical sense with civilizations revolving around Originium technologies such as nomadic cities or a literal sense in which all Terran lives were "molded" by the said mineral biologically.

The following is a MAJOR SPOILER, read at your own risk!

As revealed by Friston the "Preservator," Originium could actually be an artificial creation by the hands of Terra's predecessors. It is strongly implied to be a product of their experiment to create a utopianistic collective consciousness similar with Dorothy's Transmitters, and it is described as an "alternative answer" that is as vast as the "Sea of Solaris." However, the current form of Originium has gone beyond what it truly was in the beginning, hence leading to its corruptive nature. Most of all, Priestess is said to be responsible for Originium's appearance through her "mad experiment."[4]

Trivia[]

  • Originium has many similarities with (and is possibly inspired by) Tiberium in the Command & Conquer series. Both are crystalline minerals that can spread through the environment, used as a source of energy, and is fatal to organic matter exposed to it.

References[]

  1. Startup screen text
  2. CF-6 Before
  3. Kal'tsit's Operator Module desciption
  4. CW-ST-3
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