Dust

Dust  is the "currency" of *Endless Space 2*. To learn more about the mechanics of Dust in the game, see it's FIDSI article.

## Overview

### Origin

"Dust" was thought to be the creation of a highly advanced race, the Endless, that traversed the galaxies tens of thousands of years before the gameplay begins. The Endless developed technology that was so advanced that they were able to upload their minds and consciousnesses into computers, thus gaining virtual immortality.

Through their mastery of nano-engineering, the Endless created an infrastructure of nanobots and nano-computers to maintain their society. Some used these infinitesimally small machines to help maintain their biological bodies, while others used constructs of these nano-elements -- known collectively as "Dust" -- as virtual bodies once they uploaded themselves. The technology was sufficiently advanced to self-replicate itself and self-assemble. While individual motes of Dust had very limited computing power, the ability to "talk" and network was built in. As a result, "clouds" of Dust could form extremely sophisticated systems. In reality, however, the Endless' "synthetic Dust" was "a pale imitation" of the true, primordial Dust it was patterned after.

In the **Tabernacle of Remorse**, or the **Tabernacle of Lies** as it later came to be known by the Vodyani Church, it is revealed to Isyander that the Endless did not create **Dust**. In fact, the Endless did not even yet exist as the original three species that evolved from their homeworld of Tor. **Dust** originally came from an ancient race of immensely powerful beings entirely made of it, who were once worshiped by the Endless as gods. Those beings became known as **The Lost**. During the **Dust** Wars, both sides of Endless found out where **Dust** came from, and tried to make their own artificial version of it, but it was but a pale imitation of the real thing, the original Primordial **Dust**. Both Concretes and Virtuals, desperate to destroy the opposing side harvested the Lost to death, using multiple massive devices known as the **Lodestones** to lure them from their hiding spots, and trapped them so they could commit the horrid deed.`

### Uses

Dust is valuable and versatile. During the time of the Endless it improved computing systems and networks, added intelligence to things that were usually "dumb" (roads, buildings, tables, lights, clothing, etc.), and even locked itself together to form structures. Sufficiently large quantities of Dust could form networks and supercomputers; small quantities could assemble into cybernetic enhancements.

The Endless came to rely upon Dust to the point where their civilization was almost symbiotic between life-forms and Dust. Their cities and ships contained enormous quantities of Dust; space stations and habitats were formed almost entirely from it.

### Today

In the world of *Endless Space 2*, however, the Empires lack the ability of the Endless to understand and manipulate Dust. As the game goes on and technology improves, however, Dust will become increasingly useful as technologies are unlocked that allow Empires to better exploit it.

On the other hand, because it is highly valuable and relatively easy to find (in this galaxy awash with the ruins of the Endless civilization), it has become the common currency of Endless Space. Like gold during the Age of Exploration, it is one thing that all societies, regardless of how different they are from each other, want and desire, except for the Harmony.