Mana Crystal
Properties
Material Characteristics
In their natural state, Mana Crystals are a glassy crystal that is noted for its consistent high transparency properties and Hexagonal crystal structure. It is often confused with Diamond, Quartz, or other colorless gems and crystals.
Unlike most gems and crystals however, it maintains it's physical qualities even without it's crystal structure. Many Mana Crystals which see heavy use or modification have lost their crystalline structure, yet maintain their clear, glassy appearance.
It is also possible for Mana Crystals to take on various colors, but these colored crystals are an exception rather than the norm.
Physical & Chemical Properties
Mana Crystals are chemically nonreactive, incapable of being burned, corroded, or dissolved by any means. Under non-magical circumstances, it is also tasteless and odorless.
It is an Amorphous Solid, meaning that under high temperatures it does not turn directly into a liquid, but rather becomes progressively softer until it transitions fully to liquid. This melting starts around 300 degrees Celsius, near the melting point of lead, and completes it's transition to liquid around the 900 degrees Celsius, near the melting point of Silver. At this point, if allowed to cool slowly it will regain it's natural crystalline structure.
It has a hardness between 8 and 9 on the Mohs Hardness Scale, making it comparable to Chromium in hardness while fully solid. Mana Crystal is also highly resistant to electricity and non-magnetic, having a resistance comparable to Fused Quartz.
Where most of Mana Crystal's properties appear is when interacting with magic and people. When held by someone with magical capabilities, Mana Crystals cause Magical Synesthesia. How much depends on how much Mana is stored, but this can result in many possible reactions from people. It is also due to this reaction that leads most mages to discourage direct contact with the crystals. When charged with magic, this effect becomes much stronger, and in many cases can cause the Magical Synesthesia effect at a distance. Though, this may be a property of high levels of mana, rather than the crystal itself.
Mana Crystals are near perfect conductors for magic, capable of conducting enough magic though them as to be considered infinite for non-industrial uses. They are also fantastic stores of Mana, capable of storing many times more Mana than most other materials. They can also be used to store some spell effects like many other magically charged substances can. When fully charged the crystal changes color and if willed into action by someone with magical ability, it will activate. Also, similarly to many other heavily infused items, mana can be pushed through it to create the effect without burning the imbued effect.
Mana Crystals are cohesive, and tend to stick to other Mana Crystals. As Mana is conducted through or stored within the Mana Crystal, this cohesive property strengthens, causing Mana Crystals with particularly high levels to stick together and quickly fuse.
The last major property of mana crystals is that when too much mana is put into a mana crystal, or too much is conducted through it the Mana crystal can go through violent Disintegration. If this occurs, the Mana Crystal will vaporize into a combination of mana and heat. This sudden outpouring of mana will often destroy any spells attached to the the crystal, if the heat does not.
Geology & Geography
Mana Crystals have no strict geographical location that they form. On the ring of Falsmirror however, there is a geological layer which relates across all of the system which is high in many unusual elements and materials including fossil fuels, high quality metal ores, and many advanced artifacts.
Origin & Source
Mana Crystal is found in nature in a pure or nearly pure state, with a small percentage of those found being with existing properties or enchantments. Mana Crystal can only be created through Soul Crystallization. This makes mana crystals hard to produce ethically.
History & Usage
Discovery
Mana crystal has no known first discovery, and seems to have been brought by the various settlers with them from across the great seas to the continents.
Before this, while the Angels have know of it's existence since The War in Heaven, they are not certain exactly when it first appeared, but they do know that it was Fallen Angels who created it.
Everyday use
Mana Crystals are used almost exclusively for magical purposes. While it's not unheard of for people to make jewelry or decorate with them, these are often designed to be at least partially functional.
Another common use comes from a well known lesser ability is as a Crystal Pen. When held in close proximity to a magical person or lightly charged, Mana Crystals produce a black mark, similar to ink. This mark is fragile and deteriorates quickly, but lasts more than long enough for most quick spell purposes, and note taking.
Alongside it's use as a pen, it's greater use is as a battery. It's ability to store large quantities of Mana makes it highly valuable for many mages. Few use it for it's conductive properties.
Cultural Significance and Usage
Due to it's rarity and uses, owning it is often seen as a status symbol for the wealthy and magical. This doesn't make it less prolific among mages, instead making small fragments in various forms far more common.
Crystal Pen, are the most common form as they are cheap ways to get access to them while making writing with them easier. Anyone having one of these is immediately assumed to be a mage, regardless of whether they are or not, and so many keep them tucked away. Additionally, those who have these often seen as high risk high reward targets for thieves and other criminals looking to steal. Someone having one of these is more likely to have magic items, which are always valuable, but mages can also be far more dangerous than they seem.
Someone wearing large amounts of Mana Crystals are often seen as incredibly wealthy, or incredibly dangerous.
Industrial Use
In industrial settings, Mana Crystals are often used as valuable tools. In small quantities they are used as batteries for various magical processes that occur. In large quantities, they are used as conduits, transmitting incredibly large amounts of mana to a large number of high intensity spells, and acting as a battery when not conducting Mana. Occasionally, the writing abilities of the crystals are used, but in most cases it is not. Few spells need to be written during production of a good, and most spells that would come out of such a process would be made more permanent, and therefore the markings made by the Mana crystal would not be valid.
Refinement
Refinement is not an entirely necessary process in most cases as Mana Crystals are often highly pure from the start, but in some cases they need to be refined or purified of impurities.
The first refinement process seeks to remove material impurities. The exact process has many variants, but the most common methods destroy or otherwise fragment the crystal then fuse it to a larger crystal via it's cohesive properties.
The second kind of refinement is magical refinement. This process is needed when a mana crystal has a residual spell effect contained within it. The one way to do this is through dilution, putting this impure crystal and fusing it with a much larger crystal in order to decrease the effect across the larger crystal. The most effective way is through forced discharge, where the crystal is repeatedly filled and emptied via using the spell within it. This is a long and possibly dangerous process, but leaves the crystal intact.
Alongside this, many Mana Crystals need to be shaped into a more useful form. In workshops without magical assistance, a Mana Crystal is cut like most gems would be, with the main exception being that the shards are collected to be recycled into other crystals. In workshops with magical assistance, the reshaping is done non-destructively, simply molding it or reshaping it like clay.
Hazards
Working with Mana Crystals is normally not harmful. Direct contact can be irritating to some due to Magical Synesthesia, but this in never directly harmful. When being worked by cutting or grinding however, it has many other problems. Mana Crystal Dust is highly dangerous primarily due to it's hardness. If breathed in it can cause damage to the lungs and other internal organs. Worse, if the person is involved in the forming of a Mana Crystal from their soul, the crystal dust is likely to react and begin moving or possibly even growing within them, causing severe internal damage. In rare cases, a mana crystal can become stuck in someone and other pits of dust begins accumulating at that first crystal, causing blockages and pain. All of this is on top of the feeling of Magical Synesthesia within the body, something that can make an already harmful process, unbearably difficult.
These effects are not particularly magical in nature however, merely being a result of a very hard, very sharp, and self attracting material entering a body and doing something it shouldn't be.
Distribution
Trade & Market
Mana Crystals are sold by a handful of people, with the most common being Jewelers, Enchanters, and others who sell magical equipment and items. Every city worth it's salt has someone who sells it, and even most towns also have someone who sells them, if only in small quantities.
Storage
Mana Crystals should be stored in their own containers for the best results, but can also be stored by wrapping them up to ensure they don't come into contact with each other and accidentally fuse.
Law & Regulation
Mana Crystals in many places are considered restricted items. While few places outright ban ownership, most places restrict it by limiting sellers. Often one group or company will be allowed to sell them, or a license from the state will be required to buy and sell Mana Crystals. Outside of this, many places will place limits on how much an individual or group can own at once, or how much they can carry around in public. The high price, and their usage as batteries make them potentially dangerous in the hands of the right mage.
Type
Glass
Rarity
Moderately Rare
Boiling / Condensation Point
900 Celsius
Melting / Freezing Point
300 Celsius
Density
2.92 g/cu. cm.
Common State
Solid
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