Australium

"*It's like gold, but it makes a man...a GOD!*"

**Australium**is a highly coveted gold-like material which exists in Team Fortress 2 lore.

In Team Fortress 2, Australium is said to bestow incredible intelligence, strength and other abilities. Its rarity in-game also leads players in TF2 to attempt to acquire their own Australium-plated weapons.

## Role in the TF2 Freak World

In some parts of the TF2 Freak World, Australium can be utilised with even greater power than in the lore; possibly the material has a greater effect on TF2 Freaks than on humans.

Australium is used by a variety of Freaks for their own ends. Most notably, Cyborneer and the Australium Guardians aim to collect and safeguard both Australium and the coveted Pure Australium Artefacts found around the globe.

The BLU Nnnngh Sniper was trapped in an Australium prison hidden in a tomb uncovered by Professor Pyrowise. The golden Towering Pillar of Hats kept the Monster sealed until the professor removed it.

A cursed ingot of the resource was responsible for the creation of the Original Vagineer and by extension, the whole Vagineer race.

Several Freaks struggle to control Australium in a never-ending war amongst themselves as well as the Administrator, Grey Mann and any mercenary unlucky enough to encounter a Freak after their Australium-plated weapons.

## Usage

Regular humans who are exposed to the material for a lengthy amount of time undergo several enhancements in both brain and brawn. The metal itself can be adapted and morphed into several states and forms, making it invaluable for building advanced contraptions and similar experiments.

TF2 Freaks suffer similar enhancements when exposed to Australium. However, these effects seem to be much greater than those on their non-Freakish counterparts. They also are considerably faster, to the point of being able to multiply a character's overall fitness within a time span of three or four seconds. The downside, however, is that the Australium must be consumed for this to happen, and the effects are often temporary, though it is possible that humans eventually lose their enhancements if they stop being exposed to the material.

Several objects of Freak origin can be boosted by applying Australium to them, enhancing their capabilities considerably. Usually achieved by just slamming the ingot against it, the object usually turns into a shining gold colour while the metal is consumed.

The Australium itself can be used to craft artefacts instead of using it to enhance existing ones. These are usually referred to as Imbued Australium Weapons and wielding them improves the character's fitness to a varying extent. The weapon itself is also more powerful than a regular one.

## Varieties

Usually, Australium is found in the form of ingots similar to the ones made of gold, though it usually has a carved emblem of a figure fighting a kangaroo on top. These bars can be consumed by Freaks to temporarily boost their fitness (typically a few minutes), and the magnitude of this augmentation correlates to the number of bars consumed.

However, not all Australium is found like that. There have been several pieces of unusual Australium found across the TF2 Freak World.

* **Pure Australium Artefacts**: Polished, perfectly pure Australium crafted in the form of an iconic object. Freaks that hold such weapons are prone to experience a heavy enhancement of their fitness, including stamina, nearing Superhuman qualities. In addition, it gives the wielder the ability to fly indefinitely, use powerful telekinesis, summon objects out of thin air and create Australium-enhanced projectiles. Examples of Australium Artifacts:
	+ The **Saxxy**: The most powerful of them all. Whoever masters the insanely difficult art of controlling its energy, will be one of the most powerful Freaks ever. Was used to contain an Australium Saxton Hale Clone that has since broken loose.
	+ The **Golden Wrench**: One of the more mild Artefacts that only gives enhanced fitness and moderate telekinesis. Three instances of the item are known to exist; one owned by Cyborneer, another by the RED Paintraingineer and another by the Gunslinger Vagineer.
	+ The **Australium Sapper**: Found by an Engineer drone. Gives the wielder, who must be a Spy, immensely powerful telekinesis and summoning, as well as some strength enhancement. The artefact was destroyed when an Australium Cart hit CyborSpy who was currently wielding it.
	+ The **Australium Katana**: Once a gold-coated Japanese blade, it unlocked at the hands of Drunk Monk. A powerful slashing weapon, it enhances the wielder's fitness and can summon explosions wherever the user points the weapon to. It can morph into a type of spear called *Naginata* which is an unconventional but effective melee weapon. If its current wielder is knocked out of action, a spirit will appear and use the Katana himself, disappearing shortly after the current enemy is defeated.
	+ The **Australium Solemn Vow**: One of the most powerful Australium artefacts, it gives its wielder enhanced fitness and superhuman endurance, telekinesis that rivals the Sapper's, and nearly unlimited Australium-summoning and projectile creation. Unfortunately, continuous use after the several years spent dormant was too much for the artefact, which eventually shattered.
* **Cursed Australium**: An exceedingly rare variant with a distinct lavender glow. Its origin unknown, it morphed an already remarkable but ordinary Engineer into the Original Vagineer, arguably the most powerful TF2 Freak in existence. Evidently, physical contact with the material was lethal to anyone who did not possess latent Freakish abilities. The only known instance of Cursed Australium, a single ingot once found on Doublecross, vanished after successful use by the would-be Original Vagineer.
* **Dark Australium**: A variant that CyborSniper and CyborDemo, the Dark Australium Knights, use for their powers. Usually created when either Freak comes in contact with regular Australium, it is a shiny, black ingot that can be morphed into several weapons, like arrows or blades, but also shields.