Lyrium and Mages

Lyrium is a valuable but dangerous mineral. Physical contact with the raw ore will cause serious injury and psychological problems for humans or elves and will kill mages outright. Only the dwarves are able to process the ore into a less dangerous and more useful form. Generations of proximity to lyrium ore veins have made dwarves naturally resistant, though not completely immune, to its effects. Surface dwarves lose this resistance over time.

More than half the wealth of Orzammar comes from this extremely rare substance. The Chantry believes it to be the "Waters of the Fade" mentioned in the Canticle of Threnodies, the very stuff of creation itself, from whence the Maker fashioned the world. Only a handful of Mining Caste families hazard extracting the ore, finding veins in the Stone quite literally by ear. For in its raw form, lyrium sings, and the discerning can hear the sound even through solid rock. Presently only blue and red lyrium have been discovered, the former used by mages and templars and the latter rumour to be used by Templars in Haven. One other type has recently come to light. Clear lyrium. Nothing is currently known about this substance, its properties, amount and location all a mystery.

Even though dwarves have a natural resistance, raw lyrium is dangerous for all but the most experienced of the Mining Caste to handle. Even for dwarves, exposure to the unprocessed mineral can cause deafness or memory loss. For humans and elves, direct contact with lyrium ore produces nausea, blistering of the skin, and dementia. Mages cannot even approach unprocessed lyrium. Doing so is invariably fatal.

In the hands of the Circle, lyrium reaches its fullest potential. Their Formari craftsmen transform it into an array of useful items from the practical, such as magically hardened stones for construction, to the legendary silver armor of King Calenhad.

When mixed into liquid and ingested, lyrium allows mages to enter the Fade when fully aware, unlike all others who reach it only when dreaming. Such potions can also be used to aid in the casting of especially taxing spells, for a short time granting a mage far greater power than he normally wields.

Lyrium has its costs, however. Prolonged use becomes addictive, the cravings unbearable. Over time, templars grow disoriented, incapable of distinguishing memory from present, or dream from waking. They frequently become paranoid as their worst memories and nightmares haunt their waking hours. Mages have additionally been known to suffer physical mutation: The magister lords of the Tevinter Imperium were widely reputed to have been so affected by their years of lyrium use that they could not be recognized by their own kin, nor even as creatures that had once been human.

Processed lyrium is used by dwarves and the Tranquil to enchant items. The Circle of Magi also uses it to mentally travel to the Fade in an aware state.

Lyrium is used by the Chantry to control the templars who are given lyrium to "develop their talents" which also leaves them addicted and thus within the control of the Chantry, which until the war controlled the lyrium trade.

The Lyrium Trade
The Chantry used to fully control the Lyrium Trade but Tevinter and now the Rebel mages and lyrium smugglers also have a hand in it, having a trade treaty with the dwarves.

Despite its dangers, lyrium is the single most valuable mineral currently known. In the Tevinter Imperium, it has been known to command a higher price than diamond. The dwarves sell very little of the processed mineral to the surface, giving the greater portion of what they mine to their own smiths, who use it in the forging of all truly superior dwarven weapons and armor. However, since the war the dwarves have been letting more and more of their lyrium be sold to the surface, at a higher price of course. With the retaking of thaigs and the belief that the dwarves have found new veins of lyrium the business is booming al over Thedas. This is just as well for the demand has meant that what stock does come to light is very quickly used.

Most of the processed lyrium sold on the surface used to go to the Chantry, who strictly controlled the supply. From the Chantry, it is still dispensed both to the templars, who make use of it in tracking and fighting maleficarum, and to the Circle - though the Circles have been deprived of it and limited to smaller stock since the uprisings and ceasefire in 937 and 947 respectively.

The two factions have been forced to do their own deals with the dwarves. The control of this trade has been arrested from the Chantry and one of the parts of the peace treaty is that the Libertarians have their own trade agreement with the dwarves and are entitled trade with them in a fair and even manner.