Stihol

Stihol is a term used predominantly in speculative fiction and tabletop role-playing game lore to denote a fictional substance, place, or organization. Because the term appears across multiple works with different meanings, there is no single canonical definition.

Etymology: The origin of the word stihol is not standardized. It appears to be a coinage rather than a borrowed term, likely created to convey mystery or futurism.

Uses in fiction: In many narratives, stihol is described as a rare energy mineral or catalyst that enables advanced technologies, such as starship drives or high-energy reactors. Some depictions portray stihol as a sentient or semi-sentient mineral with alignment to certain factions, while others treat it as a non-sentient resource. Its geographic source varies by setting, often located in remote or dangerous environments, such as asteroid belts, frozen moons, or hidden planetary crusts. The economic and political significance of stihol in these worlds is usually substantial, driving exploration, mining, and conflict.

Reception and in-world culture: Stihol has become a recognizable motif in the genre, sometimes used as a stand-in for scarce resources in metaphors about scarcity, value, and power. In gaming communities, stihol appears as a collectible resource, sometimes linked to crafting systems or faction rewards.

See also: fictional materials, energy minerals in science fiction, worldbuilding tropes.

References: none real; usage documented in fiction and games.