Unohdu

Unohdu is a fictional mineral resource that appears in science fiction and tabletop role-playing game settings. In the depicted universes, unohdu is a rare silicate mineral valued for a combination of hardness, stability under pressure, and energy-handling properties. Its crystals are commonly described as colorless to pale iridescent, forming prismatic shapes with a glassy (vitreous) luster.

Etymology and nomenclature are intentionally constructed to sound alien. The name doesn’t derive from real-world languages and is used in-universe as a designation for a distinctive mineral type encountered by characters and factions.

Physical properties, as described in various works, include high hardness and notable thermal conductivity, along with a strong piezoelectric response. These properties make unohdu attractive for speculative technologies such as energy storage, precision sensing, and compact power systems in starships and advanced equipment within the fiction.

Occurrence and extraction are typically tied to remote tectonically active belts in the story world, often on isolated planetary bodies or frontier moons. Mining is portrayed as hazardous due to seismic activity and complex geology, requiring specialized drilling, sensor rigs, and controlled extraction methods.

Uses and significance in fiction extend beyond technology. Unohdu frequently serves as a strategic resource influencing diplomacy, trade, and conflict, with governments and corporations seeking control over its supply. It also appears as a plot device to explore themes of resource scarcity and environmental risk.

See also: List of fictional minerals, Glossary of science fiction materials.