Loodun

Loodun is a fictional mineral described in fantasy literature and role-playing game materials. In most depictions, it is a translucent, pale-blue to green crystal that forms in hydrothermal veins within volcanic rock. Loodun crystals occur as small prisms or clusters and are said to glow faintly in darkness, a property attributed to trace luminescent minerals within the crystal lattice. In in-universe geology, loodun has a relatively soft hardness, commonly placed around Mohs 3 to 4, making it susceptible to scratches and shaping during mining and craftwork.

Culturally, loodun is valued for both its aesthetic and purported energetic properties. It is frequently used in jewelry, lantern lenses, and talismans, where its glow is considered decorative or symbolic. In magical or technomantic settings, loodun is described as a focus for ambient energy, with rituals or devices designed to channel or amplify that energy through the crystal. Because deposits are depicted as limited, loodun mining is often portrayed as a dangerous or contentious enterprise, subject to seismic activity, rival factions, or environmental restrictions in the narrative world.

Etymology for loodun varies by source, but the name is commonly attributed to a fictional language associated with the Vaeren or similar cultures, sometimes interpreted as a combination of terms for light and stone. The concept appears across multiple works and editions, with regional variations in crystallography, glow intensity, and magical significance, reflecting the world-building needs of different authors and game settings.