Crystal Cores

Magical minerals as energy source

Magical minerals like Firehearts, Glimstone and Vontiaty-crystals have been used as sources of magical power since they were first discovered. Their use as magical focuses, powering enchantments and store spells has been around for as long as time itself. But it has been quite resent break through when crystal turned from being simply magical conductor to powering non magical devices.
The idea wasn't new, and there were several tries and even some results on using crystals as a power source, but many of these tries were hard to replicate, or ill-functioning. That was before the significant breakthrough in the form of the crystal cores.

Utility

Magic is the most powerful force in the world of Melyria, but not everyone is able to harness the power of the Weave to their advantage. Things like steam power and gunpowder provided a solution to less magically inclined species like humans and dwarfs, making it possible to do things that once believed possible only to magic users. But many of these machines and mechanics would be big and bulky, limiting their usage in more intricate contraptions than massive machines.
Use of magical crystals to power non-magical objects is not new; in a way, that has been a mother for the whole school of item enchanters that take magic from stone and capture it to the object. But this required still lots of arcane studies, making items less accessible. The very first prototypes of using crystals without magic binding involved were inspiring, but often fickle and hard to replicate.
In year 3 485 AoS, scientist Felston Stormspark from Alagh Caurak found away to calculate way to convert power of Vontiaty-crystals to be used in reliable manner to make the very first Crystal cores to be used as power source for mechanical construct without using magical means. He soon counted the formula to do the same with Firehearts and similar formula for Glimstone was created in Kingdom of Freynia by Hugo Overgaard in 3 509. Crystal cores have since spread on use around the known world among humans, gnomes and dwarfs.
Crystal cores are used to power more complex machines were springs, steam, water, wind, and other energy methods fail to provide optimal results. This has included everything from mining drills to clocks, small moving vehicles (still fair new and unstable technology), and in most complicated cases, even power artificial limbs.
The invention of crystal cores has made it possible for tinkerers to create increasingly sophisticated machines, and even arcane communities have started to embrace the cores, as they have several usages in magical research. The invention of the cores has inspired researchers to find even more energy sources of an unconventional kind, and this has made many things previously hard to get more access to the general public.

Manufacturing

In the manufacturing process, raw minerals are cut and covered with copper wire and cased in a metal shell. The size of the minerals and metals used varies depending on the usage and wanted power output. As these crystals are not cheap, only a limited amount of cores are manufactured.

Inventor(s)

Rock gnome scientist Felston Stormspark in Alagh Caurak.

Access & Availability

Tinkerers of Umeros, Huon dao and northern side of Velkas have adapted the practice in varying degrees

Complexity

Crystal cores are used to power up mechanical devices, and as such, a certain amount of knowledge from mechanics is required

Discovery

3 485 AoS