Oxium
Oxium is a very interesting blue mineral, brought to light for the first time in Martian Dreams.
Description[edit]
Holding it in one's possession and then chewing it like bubblegum - though it does have a terrible taste - releases oxygen, allowing the person in question to act in thinner atmospheres as if under Earth-like conditions. Oxium is found on the Mars of the late 19th century, and allows physical activity, unhampered by the thinner martian atmosphere. The Avatar was made aware of its properties by Lt. Dibbs.
However, despite its uses, Oxium is in constant danger of being devoured by the disgusting Oxi-Leeches, for whom Oxium is their favourite food. Even keeping it in a backpack won't save the Oxium from being devoured.
Oxium is also the basic form of currency on Mars. It can be purchased from Calamity Jane at the Trading Post (in either blobs or geodes) in exchange for large amounts of berries, but there is an infinite supply at the Power Plant, as the oxium bin can produce oxium whenever needed.
Lore[edit]
| “ | The Lowell expedition discovered a substance called oxium that makes life on Mars far more pleasant. The discovery of the gooey, foul-tasting, life-giving substance was pure luck — an old miner named Cooler McGee, gasping for breath and half mad from lack of oxygen, happened to stumble into a cave littered with geodes emitting air! When he broke open one of the geodes he found a blue gelatin within. Despite the horrid odor he popped a wad in his mouth and began to chew. The taste was awful, but each bite released a bit of oxygen. He knew in an instant that he held the key to mankind's survival on Mars. He dubbed the substance "oxium," and it quickly became both a necessity of life and the stranded expedition's primary form of currency. It was traded for all manner of foodstuffs, minerals, objects, and Martian artifacts. He who has oxium is assured of both health and wealth. |
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Trivia[edit]
- An oxium geode can give 20 - 60 pieces of oxium when being broken apart with a hammer. Since the number is random, saving and reloading can give better results.
- One should never buy oxium at the Trading Post, since the prices in purple berries are outrageous and the geodes are bogus, only giving one piece of oxium instead of the number above.
- Though it's most likely coincidential, the cartoon series DuckTales has exactly the same concept with Oxy-Chew.
Gallery[edit]
The oxium bin at the power plant
