T'kraukok: Shapeshifting Rock

Properties

Material Characteristics

In its solid state, T'kraukok has a hardness of 7 but is very brittle otherwise. Cutting it would most likely require the use of lasers, or very fine-tuned craftsmanship. In its liquid state, T'kraukok has large amounts of adhesion but relatively little cohesion, like an Opposites-Day version of mercury. In its gaseous state, T'kraukok tends to stay closer to the ground, a good thing since the material is best likened to asbestos when breathed in a cold environment. That said, T'kraukok doesn't do as much damage as asbestos while in the lungs and, unlike asbestos, can be easily expunged by moving to a hotter environment.

Physical & Chemical Properties

T'kraukok is the only chemical known to man with a triple point at around room temperature and one atmosphere. If you set it on the ground, it starts out as a rock but evaporates over time, concluding after about a year. If you set it one hand, it sublimates into gas before your very eyes. However, if you compress it with both hands, it melts into liquid and falls to the ground.

Geology & Geography

T'kraukok was once thought to be practically everywhere, considering that it could evaporate in the summer, migrate anywhere, and harden itself in the winter as it rests across the landscape. However, chemical analysis of the environment doesn't show signs of the rock in the atmosphere at any point in the year. Instead, T'kraukok is reliably found underground in the north, in places such as Yukur and Irewa, where temperatures are reliably cool enough to maintain the compound's solid formation.

History & Usage

Everyday use

The ore's instability and unreliability makes it unpractical for most uses outside of academia. For people who want a building that lasts only through winter, ice is significantly more cuttable and shapeable. T'kraukok is commonly used in magic tricks, and its commonality has forced very creative uses of the stuff. Academically, the material is a great way to explain physical changes to matter, and numerous experiments use it.

Refinement

Due to rapid expanding and condensing, T'kraukoi often has numerous air pockets. While these are generally harmless and in fact useful for studying atmospheres of times gone by, it's easier shipped in a more compact state. Sublimating it, compressing it into a liquid, and freezing it is the standard way to process and ship T'kraukoi.

Type

Ore/Mineral

Boiling / Condensation Point

Room temperature

Melting / Freezing Point

Room temperature

Common State

Solid, at least when discovered