Prima Materia

Prima Materia is a mineral found in the Windward Isles. Renowned for its Alchemic potential, Prima Materia is highly sought after, and its discovery is largely responsible for the rush of colonization in the Windward Isles.
== Description ==
Prima Materia is a hard, stony mineral of a light blue hue. It has, thus far, only been found in the Windward Isles, and even then only within the deepest mines. Deposits of Prima Materia have proven to be exceedingly rich, extracted not as an ore within the surrounding rock, but rather found in its pure form in long veins. Prima Materia is difficult to extract, being exceptionally resistant to fracturing and abrasion. Steel picks and drills swiftly become blunt before more than a handful of the material has been chipped away. To date, the only means of mining Prima Materia efficiently is with Xalinite spikes, which do not blunt or wear away when used to extract the mineral. Currently, the greatest quantities of Prima Materia are being mined by the East Wind Trading House of Aleverd.
== Uses ==
Prima Materia is an unusually effective catalyst and reagent in Alchemy. The mineral can, with little effort or expenditure of resources, be transmuted into functionally any form the Alchemist can imagine. From metals and other base elements to highly complex organic compounds, there is virtually no limit to the materials one can synthesize with Prima Materia.
Indeed, the name "Prima Materia" comes from an age-old theory held by Alchemists: that all matter is derived from a single "source" material that was created at the beginning of the universe and eventually changed into the myriad forms of matter known today. This "first matter" or "Prima Materia" could, in theory, be transmuted into literally anything.
Following the discovery and exploitation of Prima Materia, the Philosophies have leapt forwards. Metallurgy, Medicine, Engineering, Industry, and, of course, Alchemy, have made advancements never before dreamed of. With Prima Materia, fuels can be made to burn longer and hotter, metal and stone can be made keener and stronger, and salves, tinctures and potions can be made to treat injuries and illnesses that were once thought incurable. 
Thus far, the only material that cannot be synthesized with Prima Materia is, ironically, the one most sought after for it's mining: Xalinite. While Alchemists have been able to transmute Prima Materia into a form atomically identical to Xalinite, the resulting product is unstable. For reasons not currently understood, the synthesized Xalinite will begin to decay within minutes of the transmutation, eventually breaking down into a hodgepodge of base metals. Some Alchemists have proposed employing Psionicists, citing the Xalin's telepathic abilities; however, as early Psionic experiments ended in catastrophic failure, further experiments have been postponed indefinitely. 
Of note is the fact that Prima Materia, once transmuted, becomes Alchemically inert and cannot be transmuted again. In addition, any substance created from Prima Materia shares its distinct pale blue coloration.