Basic Definition:
A darkfire floan is an eleven-sided stone about one centimeter in diameter and made of darkfire particles fused with carbon atoms, existing as the most basic building block of the most unstable form of darkfire: xetox.
The Three Forms of Darkfire:
Darkfire exists in three different forms: xelox, xemox, and xetox. Xelox is the purest form of darkfire, consisting of eleven-sided darkfire particles that are not bound to any other element. Xemox, the most common form in the natural environment, consist of darkfire particles each with at least one of its eleven sides bound to a carbon atom but also at least one of its eleven sides not bound to an element.
Both xelox and xemox exist in gas form. Xetox, the third form, exists in solid form because all of its darkfire particles each having all of its eleven sides bound to carbon atoms. Xetox is considered the most unstable of the three forms because whenever a darkfire particle has all of its eleven sides bound to carbon atoms, it will force all darkfire particles in its vicinity to convert into xetox particles, themselves. And then an unusual phenomenon happens in which xetox particles will converge to form xetox chains until the signature one-centimeter floan stone is formed.
The Darkfire Quarry Cycle:
As mentioned before, xemox is darkfire in its natural state. However, since xemox particles are bound by carbon atoms, they will sink through the soil until they run into a layer of rock that they cannot pass. This phenomenon will occasionally form a chamber called a quarry, the ceiling of which is held up by the pressure of the accumulating darkfire particles. The increasing pressure will cause the xemox particles to condense and be forced to fuse into xetox particles. Thus, floans begin to form. Under the ever-increasing pressure, these floans will come together to form floan chains, which can range from two centimeters to many kilometers in diameter.
Occasionally, a single floan will be bound to separate floan chains on all eleven of its sides, forming somewhat of an eleven-pointed star shape. The moment this occurs is known as the "point of release," because this will cause an immense release of energy that forces all of the remaining xetox and xemox particles to break out of the quarry through weak spots in the ground and into the air, while simultaneously decompressing into xelox molecules. This is known as a discharge. And a significant site where this occurs is at Mount Carris, located in Middle Remikra.
It is important to note that though most darkfire particles at this stage convert into xelox, some xetox particles will still remain in xetox form, raining down as floans.
Uses:
In terms of practical uses, xemox is completely useless. In contrast, the other two forms, xetox and xelox, serve important and practical purposes.
Many industries, especially those in the Independent Commonwealth State of Retun, like to harness xetox floans because they have the potential to produce large amounts of energy, especially during the discharge phase of a darkfire quarry cycle. There are currently two methods of xetox floan extraction. The first method is simply finding floans on the ground, left over from a discharge. This method is the easiest to follow in terms of collecting floans, but given how surprisingly hard it is to actually find floans this way, this method has the lowest yield. Better yield is given through the second method, in which a special drill down into a selected darkfire quarry will cast a spark of spellfire to trigger xemox particles into fusing into xetox floans. Meanwhile, the said special drill has a catching mechanism designed to catch said floans before they attach to a floan chain. Yield in this method is higher near the core of a floan-chain-star that is almost formed. This is, however, the more difficult method, primarily in terms of timing, because not only is it impossible to break a floan chain before the point of release, it is important to catch the floans before the point of release is reached, lest said floans will decompress into xelox.
Energy produced by xetox floans is very immense, with its source of production renewable. The only drawback is that darkfire floans do not last long in terms of energy production. Furthermore, xetox floans when exposed to the open air eventually "fade away," after a certain period of time.
Xelox, on the other hand, is a desirable form of darkfire because of its effects on the human mind and body. It is important to note here that since xelox particles are not bound with carbon atoms, they form these semi-bonds with each other by orbiting with each other in rings each around a "center of gravity" which consists of nothing but a mutual tug of force by each particle on each of the others. When they do so, they are consistently at equal distances and angles from each other in the said ring.
Xelox exists in two classes, with each defined by the number of particles in the said orbiting ring. Class I Xelox consists of orbiting rings each containing solely of three xelox particles each. The effects of Class I Xelox on the human body depends on which type of Class I the said xelox is, as there consist of two types: Low-Velocity and High-Velocity. Low-Velocity Class I Xelox can heal damaged tissue and broken bones, as well as perform other amazing medical feats.
High-Velocity Class I Xelox indirectly influences emotions and thinking patterns in a variety of different ways depending on what parts of the human brain that this form of Xelox comes into contact with. This as a result has led numerous populations throughout history to mistake this effect for actual mind control, leading societies of the past to view darkfire as a whole as morally corrupt. In fact, all of Class I Xelox was illegal in the Retunian Republic until 1309. And even today, some political entities continue to criminalize it.
It is important to note the existence of Class II Xelox, which consists of orbiting rings consisting of either two or four xelox particles each. Class II Xelox is extremely rare compared to Class I Xelox. This, in combination with the fact that Class II Xelox can be implanted into human DNA to make a line of paternal or maternal descendants resilient with the passage of time, serving as the basis for the existence of bloodlines for sovereign Houses like House Nalesh in the Great North, makes Class II Xelox a very highly-priced commodity.
It is also important to note that Class II Xelox is and has been completely legal throughout every society in Circlaria, though seldom talked about in the media.