Fantasma Crystal
"I don't think people realize how much of the stuff is moving around at one time. From ammo cartridges for the military, to power sources for Vomethndan cities, to even enchantment businesses. There's a reason people fight to the death over it, it may be the biggest thing since sliced bread."
Properties
Material Characteristics
These crystals eternally glow with a vibrant azure blue hue thanks to a luminescent property, and have the hardness of quartz crystals. Those who come into contact with the crystals in their raw form have been reported to get a sense of unease when looking into them.
Physical & Chemical Properties
Fantasma crystals have innate magical properties to them, projecting magical fields from their cores, with the crystal's size being proportinal to the power of their magical properties. These crystals retain these magical properties no matter the form, whether cracked into smaller pieces, pressed into a liquid, or even shaved down into a powder.
Geology & Geography
This material is primarily found in The Hollow, a system of winding monster-ridden caves weaving deep below Aekko.
Origin & Source
These crystals have existed for the entirety of recorded history, being mineable out of deposits located throughout The Hollow. Outcroppings of the material seem to mysteriously grow slowly over time despite their minearological properties, a phenomina that is still yet to see any concrete explanation.
History & Usage
Discovery
In 1508, Vomethndan silver miners near Heilagur discovered a vein of a glowing azure crystals which gave off intense fields of unstable magical energy. These crystals, known colloquially as fantasma crystals, quickly drew attention to the region resulting in a rush of prospectors to the area.
Everyday use
Due to their efficiency and ease-of-use, these crystals can be applied in almost any industry which uses magic. Vomethndans are known to use the resource to power factory equipment, public transport, and even lighting. There is even an entire spellcasting method which utilizes these crystals, called Mystek, being used as a powerful spellcasting focus for magical items, equipment enchantments, and even arcsthetics.
However, the most notable application of these crystals has been in the escalation towards war. A war that itself is being waged due to the need of this resource on both sides. Vomethndans and Ezlekhians alike have been mass-producing weapons, whether for offensive or defensive use, which use Fantasma Crystals as a power source. These weapons come in big and small, from trackers as small as a coin to entire arrays of deadly traps, from ammunition cartridges to war machines that can easily clean up crowds of enemy soldiers.
Refinement
The refinement process for these crystals involves the focusing of their unpredictable arcane energies into predictable outputs. Due to the hectic and unpredictable locale of The Hollow, there are so many factors at play that the reactions of these crystals appear seemingly random. However, after going through an isolated testing process, the crystal's preferred element of energy output, as well as its other magical effects (such as being able to output a spell, strengthen certain other spells, etc.) can be surmized and its mechanical purpose can be determined.
Hazards
Unlike their refined forms which perform specific functions, the raw crystals emit seemingly random and unbridled magical energy, requiring well-protected mining equipment to harvest from The Hollow. The raw crystals can shoot off magical projectiles, give off harsh sickening auras, and have been known to even drive the creatures native to the space into madness, so extraction and refinement of these crystals must be done under extreme care.
Environmental Impact
The crystals don't create any additional waste or emissions upon being used. The crystals themselves go inert after heavy usage, losing their luminecense and magic-outputting properties, but otherwise can be used as a cheap ductile construction material.
The bigger environmental impacts have occurred to the areas of The Hollow which have been scalped of these crystals. Though the underground itself already proves difficult for surface-dwellers to travel, the areas that have been stripped of these crystals often fall into complete disrepair, becoming untraversable piles of rubble filled with some of The Hollow's most dangerous creatures hiding between the cracks.
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