Aagrava is a dark alloy of iron, copper, gold, and a last element that should be silicium from its atomic properties, but is nothing like it in other aspects. It does not have the same physical properties, binds very poorly with oxygen, and is not even close to the real silicium found in the same dimension. Two explanations seem to gather most of the consensus: either this element really is silicium, but bound to another element undetectable by Terran technology that gives it different physical properties; or it is not silicium at all, and something else defines what an element is, perhaps a property unique to this dimension, not yet identified. In the meantime, this odd element is called Similicium, of symbol Sii.
It is generally admitted that the similicium is what gives Aagrava its peculiarities. Indeed, the alloy's main feature is the force field it generates around itself. It repels everything around it, but the force is stronger towards the greater center of gravity, here the ground. This means it is not strictly anti-gravitational, and the field's range depends on the size of the chunk of alloy. This means that the shards in suspension may all crumble, given enough of them are pulled out. This effect is somehow dampened at the base of Avalon's Reach, so that the stability of the building is not impaired.
It seems that the metal is toxic to the vegetation, as the overgrowth that plagued the surrounding area did not affect the ruins in any way. Preliminary studies show that it has no adverse effect on human health, though it is too early to be sure and people that approach it proceed with caution.
Applications
When the anti-gravity property of the Aagrava was first disclosed, eager engineers tried to use some of it in anti-gravity devices such as belts and exoskeletons. However, the original technology is still enigmatic and poorly understood, and the prototypes were abandoned after the failed test trial. Conventional anti-gravity technology may be more complex and limited, but it is still better than a half-mastered material.
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