Pobdiams

Pobdiams are a fictional class of crystalline substance widely used in science fiction and fantasy media. There is no real-world material by this name, and depictions vary across works.

In most portrayals, pobdiams are rare and valuable, described as luminous crystals with a glassy or metallic sheen. They are attributed with high energy density and stability, enabling powerful technologies or durable storage. Writers commonly leave their exact chemical nature unspecified, emphasizing their functional role rather than scientific detail.

Origins and habitats are diverse in fiction. Pobdiams are said to form under extreme conditions such as near young stars, within asteroid cores, or in the ruins of ancient planets. Their scarcity and the hazard involved in extraction often drive political intrigue, trade disputes, and dependency relations between factions.

Primary uses include powering spacecraft, stations, and reactors, as well as serving as a coveted trade good or wealth standard in some settings. In certain worlds they function as a memory or computational medium, or as ritual or ceremonial objects with symbolic value.

Etymology and naming conventions vary by work; pobdiams may be spelled differently or given alternate names. As a flexible fictional concept, the term is used to fit a wide range of worlds and plotlines, without a single canonical definition.