The Diaphany

A waste plain of psionic crystal mars the desert, resonating with odd energies and realities Stretches of the Menechtarun desert are marred by flat plains of magenta crystal. Appearing like patches of glittering ice, these regions are nearly devoid of life. These are the crystal wastes - dangerous locales mined by the Unity of Riedra for the psionic material inside. Camps from Dar Qat often squat on the borders of the wastes, hauling vast slabs of deep crystal to be refined into crysteel in Sarlona.

One of the largest is known as the Diaphany, and located in the southern dunes of the ancient desert. The conditions and nature of the Diaphany can be used as a base for any of the Menechtarun’s crystal wastes encountered during adventures. The shimmering expanse of crystal has bizarre effects on the minds of living creatures. Its deep crystal is psionically resonant, and reacts to the thoughts of those within. Generally, this causes it to softly glow in the vicinity of thinking creatures, with greater intelligence resulting in a more powerful glow.

Creatures mutated by the environment have learnt to make use of it, watching for glows reflecting off the crystal and hunting those causing it. Other effects are more insidious. The crystal of the Diaphany can spontaneously reproduce illusion and enchantment spells, subtly affecting the senses. Sometimes this can be beneficial, creating psychic impressions of characters like mirror images. It can also result in hallucinatory terrain, reproducing areas from a character’s memories.