Arcane Crystals

The mortal's willingness to take risks for the sake of power never ceases to amuse and amaze.

  The unstable nature of magic in this world has created a certain reliance on potent and often dangerous materials. I have spent some time studying these arcane crystals and my findings are not encouraging for the health and future of magic in this world.

Titan Fall

When the Turmoil weakened the world, magic ran wild. As the Solar Titan sacrificed his essence to save Valjeta, the arcane powers were changed. Like the amber of an ancient tree, what was once a malleable, intangible force became congealed into solid deposits of crystal.   The power of magic was locked away into these arcane crystals, causing the swift Crystallization of many mages in those early days. Their greed coalesced and solidified inside their bones so few of those sorcerers responsible for the turmoil survived the aftermath of the cataclysm they wrought. I have heard rumors that the hearts of those mages are highly sought for their potency.   The few sorcerers who did survive from that time turned to questionable methods to do so. If any of them still live, they are likely formidable and less than sane.  

Arcane Crystals

There are many ways to obtain these crystals, which are now necessary for any mortal seeking to control magic. Some sorcerers seem to simply be born with an innate ability to resist the corruption of Crystallization, others have latent deposits embedded in their very bones. If and when these people finally succumb to crystalization, they will be the most sought-after source for those who sell these powerful gems.   While the harvesting of corpses is seen as unsavory or even illegal in many places, it tends to be the safer option. The other primary way of obtaining crystals is through mining.   In some cases, the collection of crystals can be relatively simple for a few rare and scattered places they are on the surface. These locations are often distant, hard to reach, and full of treacherous beasts and unpredictable storms of wild magic, but at least you don't have to dig for the crystals if you can survive the journey there and back.   Often, people with the interest and means will pay adventurous fools or mercenaries to fulfill this dangerous task for them. Especially those who are fully aware of the ambient threat of hyper-corruption in these places. Of course, there are far more valuable things to be found in these arcane zones such as star leeches, but that is for another time.   A more reliable and controlled source is, of course, a vein of crystal. These veins are thought to be the frozen remains of the ancient ley lines of the world, solidified like all the rest in great rivers of crystal deposits deep below the surface.   In order to access a vein of arcane crystal, an enormous amount of labor and resources is most often needed. Thus, the majority of the crystal mines are controlled by governments or large organizations. These mines come with their own dangers and challenges. Deep earth mining is already a difficult endeavor but the ambient magic and corruption add a new layer of danger.   These mines are hotspots for flash-crystalization, corruption, and wild magic incidents. Without proper protections, miners don't last long so many organizations resort to slave or prison labor.  

Dust and Stone

The most common use of arcane crystals is powdered fragments called dust. It is the cheapest and easiest way to move and trade crystals, especially in places where the use of crystals is outlawed. Magic users can inhale the dust to empower their spells or give themselves a quick boost of energy. The risk of corruption is high at first, but many people build a level of tolerance after a while, slowing their corruption gain over time.   Larger crystals, of course, offer greater power and greater risk. These larger crystals can also be tainted with different elements which can affect the outcome of the spells empowered by them. A crystal tainted with electric energy could have the power to turn a fire spell into burning plasma, for example.   If a crystal has much more power than the spell being cast, it can completely overwhelm the intention, changing the spell entirely. It could also waste the arcane power, dissipating it in a miasma of crystalizing corruption or cause even more explosive results for the caster.   These same principles are applied in the creation of potions, scrolls, and wands. One must operate with care when creating these items, as the alchemical process of adding the crystals poses a high risk of crystalization.  

Crystal Size	Effect	Chance of Corruption
Dust	Maximize	5-10%
Shard	Max, Duration	10-20%
Fist	Max, Dur, Damage (type may be affected)	15-30%
Chunk	Max, Dur, Dam, Range (or AoE)	30-50%
Slab	Max, Dur, Dam, R, Critical (Wild Magic)	50-100%