Dust

Dust is a source of energy in Remnant. The physical properties of Dust make it incredibly useful for a variety of purposes, particularly in the weapons of many characters in the series. It is known to make a distinctive "shimmering" sound passively and when in use. The name "Dust" is implied to be a reference to the primordial state which mankind originally believed it was born from. As a natural resource, it is sometimes poetically referred to as "Nature's Wrath", or more prosaically as an energy propellant.
According to ancient legends, mankind was fighting a losing struggle against creatures of darkness known as the Grimm. However, through their resourcefulness and ingenuity, Humanity managed to discover and harness a source of power they named "Dust" in order to battle the Grimm.
The advent of Dust became the turning point in the war. It would appear that after mankind drove back the Grimm and built civilizations, Dust became integrated into everyday life within Remnant.
Despite its widespread use and prevalence in society, Humanity has yet to understand the origins or the implications of their involvement with Dust.[3]
During the Great War, Vacuo was targeted by Mistral and Mantle because it had the largest reserves of Dust in the World. Before they could get it however, the warrior King of Vale stopped the invasion himself and ended the war in the process.
After the Great War ended, Nicholas Schnee wanted to help his Kingdom recover and using funds he obtained after his father died, funded an exploration for possible Dust Mines while managing to find one. After this, he created the Schnee Dust Company which was originally known for being trustworthy and reliable back in the past. After his health started to fail him, his son-in-law Jacques Schnee manages to convince him to let him deal with the company. After he did however, the Schnee Dust Company began partaking in controversial business practices like abusing Faunus workers and shady dealings. At some later point, Jacques admitted to his wife Willow Schnee that he only married her for the Schnee name and company.
At some point, both the Schnee Dust Company and the Mistral Trading Company drained the Kingdom of Vacuo of it's Dust resources. This caused the people of Vacuo's capital to resent people from outside the Kingdom.
After the Great War, Atlas was raised by the expert application of gravity dust, becoming a beacon of hope for all after the bleak outcome of the war. At the same time, the Kingdom of Atlas became the primary source of Hard-Light Dust, which is considered the rarest type of Dust in Remnant.
As an energy source, Dust can be triggered by the Aura of Humans and Faunus. Because of this, one's Semblance can also affect it. Dust can be found in two distinct states, crystalline and powdered. Dust, whether crystalline or powdered, is highly explosive. For unknown reasons, Dust does not function outside of the atmosphere of Remnant, precluding the possibility of space flight. Some types of Dust are much more rare than others, such as Hard-Light Dust which is used for protective barriers and shields. It is unknown if Grimm can activate Dust.
Types of Dust
The four basic colors That are known to be are red, blue, yellow, and green. These four types can be combined to form other types of Dust, each with its own unique properties.
The colors of Dust that have been seen thus far:
Red Dark Orange Bright Orange Yellow Green Pale Green Dark Blue Blue Pale Blue Cyan Black/Purple - These are the same type White
Bright Orange Dust Among other things bright orange Dust can be turned to a fiery projectile when superheated, that splatters to the ground when blocked,[5] to make weaponry out of obsidian or some other form of black glass and to melt ice by generating heat.
Electricity Electricity, or Lightning Dust, is yellow in color and can be used to generate electricity in forms such as bolts of lightning and electrical currents. Mixing Gravity Dust with Lightning Dust will create a magnetic effect.
Fire Fire Dust, or Burn Dust, is red in color and can be used to create fire in various forms, such as fireballs and fire waves. Fire Dust can be combined with Water Dust to create Steam Dust.
Gravity Gravity Dust is black, sometimes purple in color and can be used to manipulate gravitational fields, often to pull objects or create a field that pushes outward. Despite the fact that in reality, gravity can only pull objects, Gravity Dust does not seem to have this limitation. Gravity Dust is used in public transport to make vehicles hover and some Huntsmen incorporate Gravity Dust into weapons for a stronger impact or to recall thrown weapons. Mixing Gravity Dust with Lightning Dust will create a magnetic effect.
Hard-Light Hard-Light Dust is cyan in color and can be used to form solid objects made of light energy. Hard-Light Dust is used in the creation of shields, by both people and technology. The cities of Argus and Atlas also used it for defense. Shield technology appears to be its primary use.
Ice Ice Dust is light blue in color and can be used to create ice in any shape, such as crystals, thin sheets or even large structures like curved ramps or platforms that float in water. Ice Dust is formed by the combination of Water and Air Dust.
Plant Plant Dust is green in color. Plant Dust is used for farming purposes in areas like the fields that were used for the city of Atlas to obtain crops.
Rock Rock or Earth Dust is dark orange in color[9] and can be used to create rocks. When used with a weapon, Earth Dust can fire large stones as projectiles. Earth Dust can also be used defensively, such as creating stone walls.
Steam Steam Dust can generate clouds of steam. This type of Dust is created by combining Water and Fire Dust.
Water Water Dust is blue in color and can be used to create water. Steam Dust is created by combining this type with Fire Dust, and Ice Dust is created by combining Water Dust with Wind Dust.
Wind Wind, or Air, Dust can be used to create wind in various forms, such as gusts and tornadoes. It has been found as both white and green in color in different appearances.
Uses OF Dust
Dust serves as a power source for the majority of technology in Remnant, from airships to androids, though some alternative technologies do exist. Dust can still be used without the aid of weapons or machines and can be unleashed in its raw form such as lightning. Technology powered by Dust is known to glow. The people of Remnant attempted to achieve spaceflight and space-based communications with Dust as propellant fuel, but its inability to operate outside of Remnant's atmosphere hindered these endeavors.
Combat The discovery of Dust was instrumental to Humanity's initial defeat of the Grimm, and Dust continues to be used extensively in combat. Dust can be harnessed in a variety of ways, but when used in its raw form, its full potential requires both an Aura and the intelligence to use it, meaning Humans, Faunus, and certain artificial beings are the only ones who are able to use it for combat in this state. Furthermore, the effective use of raw Dust requires a certain level of discipline to keep from losing control of it. Methods of using raw Dust include weaving it into clothing, fusing Dust with oneself, forging a blade imbued with Dust and inserting Dust crystals or powder into one's weapon. Apparently, there is a limit to how much raw Dust an ordinary person is capable of metabolizing at a time.
Mundane As Remnant's primary source of functional power, Dust has many uses in everyday life, across all walks of life and the full breadth of morality. Nearly all screens from the commonly used Scrolls to computers are holographically projected in the air and are made with Hard-light Dust. One example of this early in Remnant's history was when Mantle integrated Dust into a system built in their houses. Stoves use Dust to heat the burners.
Production and Distrubution The Schnee Dust Company was one of the largest producers of Dust in the world. Dust was mined from the Schnee Quarry, purified, and transported by railway lines or by sea to distributors. Dust was then sold to the public by Dust shops such as From Dust Till Dawn. Some Dust shops like the one in Kuchinashi hire bouncers and bodyguards to prevent their Dust from being stolen by thieves. Crystalline Dust is apparently safe enough to leave out on display openly, whereas powdered Dust is dispensed from tubes on the wall and stored in portable cylindrical canisters. Bags that have been seen on store shelves have the same bright hues as the tubes and their Dust, but whether they contain Dust themselves is unknown. Dust has been said to be a limited resource as it is mined from the ground. According to Flynt Coal, his father's own Dust business was forced to shut down because of the Schnee Dust Company, showing they had monopolized smaller dust businesses to become as big as they had gotten.

Type

Ore/Mineral