Dust

Dust is crystallised natural potential, known as the power of potentia. It is found in a myriad of different colours, shapes, and sizes, mined from veins of the powerful natural resource. Dust is a vital component of modern living - it not only acts as both a sword and shield to the people of Remnant through its use by Hunters, automated combat machines, and military combat personnel; but as a part of the very foundation of society itself, powering everything from vehicles to factories to phones.

Different shades of dust have varying and unpredictable effects. It can, however, be tested to determine its type, capacity and potency. This power is called potentia, the light that shines within dust crystals and grains. While dust itself is an nonrenewable resource, potentia is - dust crystals will slowly recharge the potentia they contain through being surrounded by an environment of the same kind as the crystal, if extremely slowly. As such, a lot of Remnant technology involves moving potentia from dust into devices or explosives. Dust ammunition, for example, does not actually contain dust; rather, each bullet contains a 'potentia capacitor' capable of charging itself from dust instead, keeping the cost of ammunition low and utility high by allowing the user to switch dust effects on the fly.

Dust is commonly found in two main forms; crystalline and granular. Crystalline is the typical 'raw' state of dust, most typically used by metahumans due to the difficulty in artificially transferring or utilising the potentia held within by weaving the energy within into patterns using their essentia to create a variety of different effects. Granular dust has less utility, being more of a simple power source, but this simplicity enables it to be used by machines and weapons as the energy can be more easily drawn out of the grains by artificial means, unlike dust crystals. The power of each form is the same; it is the type and ease of extraction of the energy within that is modified by processing crystal dust into grains. Granular dust or small crystals will naturally separate or stratify into like clusters.

People who utilise crystal dust to 'cast' with it are known as dusters. These individuals can create a variety of effect from the potentia stored within; while a pile of granular fire dust may be used to power a flamethrower, a duster with an identical fire dust crystal could create a fireball, a protective wall of fire, or even use it to warm themselves up in a frigid environment.

Minervans are incapable of using crystalline dust, as they are not 'born from dust'. They do, however, rely on granular form dust not only for their equipment and weapons, but also their reactors - their very survival depends on 'consumption' of potentia to power themselves.