Faktra

Faktra is a fictional mineral introduced in speculative fiction and role-playing game lore. In-universe, faktra is a transparent crystal with the ability to absorb and store photonic and electrical energy, refracting light with a distinctive glow when energized.

The name faktra derives from the constructed Faktri language, with fak meaning light and tra a nominal suffix for materials.

In many settings, faktra forms in high-pressure, hydrothermal environments and is rarely found as large crystals; more often it occurs as slender prisms embedded in host rock. It is described as colorless to pale blue, with a glassy luster and a high refractive index, and it can show anisotropic luminescence when energized.

Faktra is valued as a power-storage medium and is used in devices ranging from archival energy cells to optical sensors. Its ability to hold energy with low self-discharge makes it a common plot device for long-duration equipment, and it also appears in ceremonial or symbolic contexts in Faktran cultures, where it is carved into mirrors and talismans.

Scarcity and mining considerations give faktra an economic and ethical dimension in fiction, including debates over environmental impact and the protection of culturally significant sites.

Researchers in fictional worlds attempt to synthesize faktra, though many authors emphasize that its lattice requires conditions not easily replicated, or that it forms through geochemical processes unique to particular locales.