Nirncrux : A Study Content . By Mendan Flot , Regent of Roiling Concoctions What a remarkable substance the Scaled Court has discovered ! Or perhaps I should say , " rediscovered . " For it is true that the ancient Nede s made use of this primordial element in ages past . They even appear to have known about its unique properties , including its ability to absorb and distribute Aetherial energy . But I feel confident in my claims that even the Nedes never achieved the variety of uses we have discovered for the element we call " Nirncrux . " When the Regent of Serpentine Stratagems emerged from the ruins of Skyreach and gave us the gift of nirncrux , we were equal parts excited and confused as to what to do with the primordial element . But the Serpent whispered to the regent , and she in turn described several ways we could immediately utilize the substance to increase the power of the Scaled Court . But simple tricks and minor boosts were just the beginning . The Regent of Serpentine Stratagems had greater plans than these , and she ordered me and my alchemists to increase the application of the element a hundredfold . My alchemists first studied the viability of the element in its natural , solid form . The substance can be found as veins running through denser rock throughout the upper region of Craglorn , and sometimes as grains or nuggets along river beds or at the base of hills and mountains . In its solid form , nirncrux is brittle and flaky . It resists attacks by most acids , and does not tarnish when exposed to air or water . However , it is neither dense enough nor strong enough for use in practical applications , such as forging weapons or crafting armor . When ground into a powder or dust , the true worth of nirncrux comes to light . The energy stored within the individual grains of dust can be released using an ancient Nedic ritual that we have modified to better serve the Serpent , and the energized nirncrux dust can be utilized in potions , elixirs , and other concoctions . For example , preliminary tests suggest that the dust can be incorporated into the ink used by the Iron Orcs to create their intricate , power - focusing tattoos . Imagine decorating creatures such as trolls and welwas with these ritualistic tattoos . Can they be made into even more powerful engines of destruction ? We believe the answer is a resounding " yes . " We ' ve already provided the newly named Ophidian Exarch of Undulating Destruction — otherwise known as the Iron Orc chieftain , Braadoth — with enough of the nirncrux dust to enhance ink to decorate nearly one hundred of the wild creatures . And more of the primordial element is being gathered for processing even as I write these words . Another immediate application for the dust is being spearheaded by the Regent of Wriggling Nightmares and his team . It involves ancient spawning pools and a variety of exotic and dangerous creatures . By mixing the nirncrux dust with the primeval , procreative nature of the pools , he hopes to create an entirely new monster to add to the Serpent ' s growing arsenal . I will be interested to see how his theories come to fruition . A promising avenue to explore involves another state of the element . We believe that the molten form of the substance might provide an even greater release of Aetherial power . Ancient Nedic writing that we discovered suggests that whatever processes these lost people once used to either create or enhance celestial creatures required the molten form of the substance . We are building great crucibles to smelt the substance into a liquid state . Why the substance only appears in Upper Craglorn remains a mystery , though my alchemists have formed a number of theories to explain it . The leading candidate suggests that the substance was deposited in the region in the distant past by chunks of rock that fell from the sky . Another possibility indicates that the Nedes may have used arcane rituals to draw the substance up from deep within the core of the world , as hinted at in a few wall decorations we examined in Skyreach ' s ruins . We may never fully understand where this primordial element came from or what it truly is , but that will not stop us from using it for the glory and grand purpose of the Serpent and his mortal limbs , the Regent of Serpentine Stratagems .