Subanese crystal

Subanese crystal or Subanite, commonly known as blamite by the UNSC, is an unstable crystalline material that grows naturally in small, segregated veins on the moon of Suban.

Characteristics
Pink in coloration, with a Mohs hardness scale of 8, Subanese crystals exhibit a number of dangerous quirks that makes them dangerous to handle. They have a unique molecular organization that readily reacts with itself to create ever-lengthening molecular chains, which has a tendency to crack in an angular way. This makes blamite exceptionally easy to sharpen, enough so that microfragments can easily cut through skin and hides of most Covenant species. In addition, these chains are inherently unstable, and at a certain critical mass, the interior structure of the crystal breaks down with enough force to blow apart even fully-armored Sangheili and Jiralhanae warriors. This does not require touch between two nearby pieces, with both exploding with somewhat less force. This is believed to be due to the radiation that is emitted from the crystals, which has no observable effect on organics. Blamite cannot be found in large crystals because of this property, which also makes travel through the caves in which they grow treacherous. In addition, this scatters razor-sharp shards of crystal at high speed. To allow for storage in large numbers, the Sangheili of Suban discovered that blamite can be coated in a lacquer which absorbs the radiation and stabilizes the crystal, preventing unwanted detonations. This layer is stripped off when it is used as a weapon.

Microscopic pieces of Blamite that is ingested or somehow makes its way into an individual's body can remain in their circulatory system for years, which can eventually result in a disease called 'Subosis.' Symptoms include the development of hard, pink (though it can also be purple) crystalline deposits where the crystals settle, typically in the skin, heart, and eyes, as well as scarring within their blood vessels. Over time, the patient will eventually become blind, and their total lifespan is considerably shortened. Blamite has also been connected to a wide number of other conditions as well, such as asbestosis and some forms of cancer.

Although Subanese crystals can be grown elsewhere, only those of high purity are capable of being programmed with semi-guiding properties, as the methods in which it does so are not understood by the Covenant. While commercial blamite is considerably more stable, closer imitations sourced from the black market are considerably more volatile, often exploding while in storage or losing its ability to supercombine over time. In addition, these forms of blamite can have radioactive traces, inducing various forms of cancers and hereditary diseases in its users if not treated.

Acquisition
Subanese crystals only grow naturally on Suban, and their source is a closely-guarded secret of the guild known as the Subanite Brotherhood that has exclusive rights to mine it. They are generated by a damaged but still-functioning Forerunner machine somewhere deep beneath the surface. The exact purpose of the machine is unknown, with the crystals almost certainly being produced as a by-product to the processes that occur within it. What is know is that only a specific mixture of raw materials fed into the artifact will result in their growth. This and the power fluctuations of the device directly affect the purity, quality, and stability of the resulting product. This knowledge is entrusted only to the eldest individuals of the guild. Given the crystal's similarities with the weaponry of the Enforcer Sentinels, some scholars have speculated that the machinery creating the crystal veins may be the remnant of a Forerunner munitions plant of some kind, though the guild's hesitance to allow outside study of the mines - and the Covenant's failure to discover another reliquary that manufactures them - make determining this an impossibility.

However, the Covenant have discovered ways to grow the crystals on other worlds. They sometimes take root on old battlefields, presenting some challenge to individuals trying to erect. These "organically-grown" crystals are, however, too poor in quality to find much use, and so are rarely acquired. Instead, the Covenant employs the use of vein-forges to create the ideal environment for their growth. While the Brotherhood controls production on the machines that are capable of their fabrication, even their most advanced devices are unable to match those mined from Suban as the moon has unique environmental conditions that encourage crystals of the highest purity to grow.

Applications
Because of its unique 'supercombine' properties, blamite is often used as ammunition for weaponry, particularly those employed against infantry. It is easily capable of piercing through most forms of personal armor, sometimes enough to punch clean through them, which makes it an excellent munition for sniping. It can embed itself within an enemy's hide or armor, where a supercombine can blow an individual apart and send ultra-sharp shrapnel into anyone near the unfortunate victim. In addition, natural blamite's ability to track its target means that indirect fire is possible. It is easily countered by energy shields; some models of stationary shields can deflect them, and even infantry-carried shields can provided protection against anything smaller than supercombine explosions. The most commonly used in needler handguns and needle rifles, although these are far from the only ones to use it. Various melee weapons have blamite blades, and the crystals have historically been used in spears, lances, and even crossbows. Some blamite spears that remain in niche use are capable of reloads, with the crystal tips replaced from an internal magazine after a successful hit.

Notably, the Enforcer class of Forerunner Sentinel is noted to have a primary armament consisting of a pink-red substance similar to blamite.

Subanite has a number of other functions. Because of its appearance, stabilized crystals have become popular as pieces of jewelry, with those that retain their natural luminescence being considered the most valuable. However, some illegal works utilize volatile strains that deliberately resemble depleted cores, which are intended as discreet bombs to injure or distract attackers. Specialized industrial crystals also had a multitude of uses in advanced technology, where depending on their impurities they could be found in high-resolution sensors, energy shield projectors, power cells, and very small or very energetic propulsion devices.

History
Subanite has been known to the Sangheili civilization for thousands of years, where small clusters of these crystals reached Sanghelios from meteorites that were ejected from Suban. Since only particularly insensitive grades of crystal could survive the transition, with more reactive veins exploding spectacularly, they were stable enough for mystics and early scientists to experiment without killing themselves. They were suitably mystified by the other properties that the crystals exhibited, and so Subanite was associated with some of the Forerunner artefacts that had been left on Sanghelios.

Subanite is a very multi-purpose material. It can be found in sensors, energy shield projectors, power cells, and either very small or very energetic propulsion devices. Though it was sometimes used in controlled explosives, Subanite was not used as a weapon until long after the moon was colonised and more volatile strains could be mined. Subanite had been regarded as rare and precious for thousands of years, and so it took a long time for Sangheili warlords to grok that it was nearly as common as basalt on Sanghelios’s second satellite, and there was more of it growing each year.

Knowing the Sangheili, it should come as no surprise that the first Subanite weapon was a sword issued to officers of the Subanite Brotherhood. Such swords were a display of the weaponsmith’s skill just as much as they were displays of the guild’s wealth. Honing a crystal into a blade was an exacting process, as was tempering the blade so that it could stand many blows. Because of the crystals' volatility, early edged weapons utilizing Subanite (known as phaatko) were more akin to clubs (or the Mesoamerican macuahuitl) than swords, sporting a multitude of shards that would embed themselves in a victim when struck but still allowing subsequent strikes with the remaining shards.

Subanite swords were in great demand throughout Covenant civilization. The technique of their manufacture was eventually perfected, and so many were made that lesser copies could be found even in the hands of pirates and street thugs. Eventually the plasma blade was perfected and surpassed its Subanite counterpart, but the weaponsmiths of Suban had long since moved on to other designs. They made assassin darts that would home in on a target, grenades that would fill a room with harsh radiation and splintering crystal shards, and long guns that could fire supercombining projectiles. But it wouldn’t be until the first Unggoy rebellion that the weaponsmith’s skill and their understanding of the crystal allowed all the strange properties of Subanite to be combined into one single terrifying weapon.