Origins
Beginning as an ordinary meteor, this strange stone drew upon the condensed power of Arcanum as it drifted through the desolate expanse of space. Through years of exposure to magic, the asteroid's core became infused with this energy and crystallised, forming a physical, solid manifestation of living magical energy.
For years, nobody paid them any attention, until one night, while observing the stars, a Tiefling researcher named Anateia noticed a small meteor entering the atmosphere. However, unlike the usual burning trail left behind by such objects, this stone dragged a reddish-pink streak resembling bioluminescent dust behind it.
Many years of research passed before Anateia partially discovered the properties of Axiom. By placing it within a conduit made of gold and bronze, she somehow awakened the stone. When its glow showed no signs of fading and even pulsed akin to a heartbeat, the researcher turned to the Gnomes, the continent's most renowned tinkerers, for help in understanding its potential.
Thus began the experiments, involving the construction of highly complex humanoid constructs made of steel, with their cores consisting of a very "lump of Axiom". The practice itself became known as Tinkering, while the creations born from it were named Axiomatics.
The harvested crystallised Axiom is hot to the touch and should it be grabbed with no means to protect one’s hands, it would render first degree burns and progressively, with longer exposure, second degree burns. Its color seems iridescent, changing its hue from shades of red to pink. The material is durable enough to withstand up to [3] blunt strikes, though any attempts of forming the crystal into a weapon would render it brittle, causing it to shatter on contact. The entirety of the stone must remain untouched. There is always [1] gem of Axiom per meteor.
Harvesting Methods
Harvesting an Axiom crystal is a delicate and precise process that requires great care to avoid compromising its integrity. It is not as simple as splitting a meteorite with a pickaxe and extracting the stone. A meteorite that has struck the ground becomes brittle due to the sudden change in temperature. Therefore, it must undergo thermal treatment by repeatedly heating it over a fire and then cooling it with water. This process must be repeated three times. Once a glow becomes visible through the cracked crevices, the surrounding stone can be carefully removed using a hammer and chisel, taking care not to damage the Axiom itself. The crystal will be noticeably hot to the touch, so protective equipment, such as gloves or steel tongs, must be used during extraction.
Refining
The refining process is relatively simple, as Axiom cannot truly be refined. Instead, its properties can be awakened through the construction of a casing known as a Conduit. This involves constructing a cage from a mixture of gold and bronze, using a ratio of one gold ingot to half a bronze ingot. The cage must be fitted so that it comes into direct contact with the crystal's surfaces, a tedious task due to how rarely these surfaces are perfectly straight.
Once completed, the Conduit must be suspended in mid-air for an entire night [12 OOC hours]. Upon reacting with the metals, [approximately 10 narrative minutes of being placed within the cage] the Axiom will begin to convulse, potentially risking damage to itself. Suspending it in this manner prevents it from vibrating against or striking any supporting surface, thus minimising the risk of damaging the crystal.