Aetherium (Civ5)/Civilopedia

Aetherium was first discovered by expedition parties who mistook it for silver. As their mining operations expanded, the flakes and chunks of it were gathered into large parcels for shipment, and something very strange happened. The parcels began to levitate off the ground. Scientists began to analyze this material's unusual properties. When masses of it are gathered together, it has the power to counteract gravity. With careful engineering, these counter-gravitational forces can be guided into a reliable source of lift, allowing ships to float in the sky. Its importance in the affairs of empire continues to grow, yet even today its properties are not well understood. One careless inventor's apparatus electrified a small chunk of aetherium, causing it to shoot upwards and punch a hole through the roof. The sample, engraved with the inventor's marking for experimental verification, was found weeks later, miles away from where it launched.