Crystal Casting Armor

Is it a bird, is it a dragon? No it's a flying wizard!

— reaction of Covenant General during the Storm Battle

In the world of Niorath the Crystal Casting Armors are among the strangest pieces of clothing one can find. At first sight they look like a well decorated mix of metal armor and cloth. But when they are worn by a magic user their properties can change very noticeably.

Appearance

As the armor can change form depending on the kind of user or her/his actions, the armor's appearance is typically classified into two forms.

Regular Look

While not being worn by a magic user or if the magic user chooses, the Casting Armor looks normal although expensive. The most striking feature is perhaps the fact that part of the armor is made from elemental crystals or Falls. These are especially prevalent on the shoulderpads and the various decorations in the metal breastplate. The lower part of the armor consists of metal greaves and robes. Often these robes are lined with a thin layer of crystal as well.
Another important aspect of the armor is the elemental crystal which is placed on the forehead of the caster. This allows the caster to use her/his mind to control the various properties of the armor.

Regular Form by Kefkejaco with Heroforge

Types

Cloudcrystal

Cloudcrystal armor has a blue color, and emits a cyan light while used for casting. It is the most common type used in Aelerium.

Embercrystal

Embercrystal armor is red in color and emits a fiery crimson light during casting. Since Embercrystals are more common in Mervidel the majority of the armors of this type can be found here.

Seacrystal

Seacrystal armor is white in color and it emits the same color during casting. This armor is pretty uncommon because Seacrystals are the rarest of the elemental crystals.

Tremorcrystal

Tremorcrystal armor is yellow in color and emits a warm yellow light during casting. Most of the Tremorcrystals are found deep underground and the armors are therefore more commonly used by inhabitants of the Lower Realms.

Caster Look

Caster Form by Kefkejaco with Heroforge

The regular look changes completely when worn by a magic user. If the caster chooses to do so, part of the crystals imbedded in the armor will start emitting light, depending on the type of elemental crystal used.
The armor can have additional properties based on the elemental crystal that is used. Some of these are merely cosmetic. For example, the winds created around a caster using cloudcrystal armor can blow robes and hair. This looks intimidating but serves no real practical use.

Types

Cloudcrystal

Cloudcrystal armor is known for its use for elemental air magic. A strong caster's power is enhanced while using lightning magic. During the casting of a spell the armor can launch lightning bolts at nearby enemies. In addition an advanced caster can use the armor to fly.

Embercrystal

Armor made with Embercrystal uses the power of elemental fire. Casters who wear it are resistant to fire and their fire magic is enhanced. During the casting of a spell the armor can create fiery tendrils that attack nearby enemies.

Seacrystal

The Seacrystal armor uses the power of elemental water. While wearing this armor casters are able to breathe under water and their water magic is enhanced. During the casting of a spell the armor can launch sharp ice shards towards enemies.

Tremorcrystal

Armor made with Tremorcrystal uses the power of elemental earth. Casters wearing this armor are able to climb any rocky surface, even upside down. During the casting of spell the armor allows the caster to create a tremor that knocks nearby enemies down.

Where to find them

Most of the Crystal Caster Armors can be found in Aelerium. Since it is a region which has all types of Crystals all types of Caster Armors can be found here. The majority here are of the Cloudcrystal kind, especially around the capital city Infor. All of the other armors are created here as well although to a lesser degree.
The Embercrystal Armor however are more common in Mervidel due to the large amount of Embercrystals there. In addition the Elves living there have included the crystals not only in their armor but in their weapons as well.

by Kefekjaco with Heroforge

Although it is not verified, many belief that the vast majority of Tremorcrystal Armors can be found in the Lower Realms. This theory receives some credibility thanks to the discovery of these kinds of armor in ruins there.

by Kefkejaco with Heroforge

The largest amount of Seacrystals are found along the western Isles of Farlis and the Oneragan East coast. It took a long time for the techniques of making the armors to reach these regions. For this reason the amount of Seacrystal armors there is not as high as one would suspect. An additional limit on excavating these crystals is that many are found underwater.

by Kefkejaco with Heroforge

Chaos Crystals

There is one type of Caster Armor which is forbidden in every nation of Niorath, the Chaos Armors.
Many of the world's monsters and danger are blamed on use of Chaos magic which caused the nations to ban it's use once and for all. There are still some places however, mostly where people don't like to obey the law as much, where these type of armors can be found.
Since Aelerium has the best Crystalweavers one is most likely to find a Chaos Armor there. It is said that they are far more powerfull than regular Casting Armors.

Origins

The Casting Armors find their origin in Aelerium, one of the successor nations of the Avaronian Empire. It is not certain when the first version of these armors were created. What historians do know is that they became more commonplace between 700 AE and 800 AE. Many of the aristocratic families of Aelerium claim to have been the first creators of the Casting Armors but so far no convincing evidence has been put forth.

Magi Covenant War

By the year 891 AE the use of Casting Armors was commonplace and all of the most powerful families in Aelerium had at least one. Many of the armors were even exported towards the other Elven countries of the Magi Covenant such as Mervidel and Kavonia. The Elemental Crystals used in the creation of the armors were becoming high in demand as well. Aelerium soon rose rather quickly in power thanks to the large money influx.

Storm Battle

One of the more famous battles during the Covenant War is the battle that ensued in the very early days. The armies of both Kavonia and Mervidel were marching through the hills of northern Aelerium when a caster using a Casting Armor was flying over them. The general at that time was unsure what he was seeing and first thought it was a bird.
Afterwards a larger number of flying casters flew overhead and launched lightning bolts over the entire battlefront which gave the battle its name.

Join the Fight!

The time has come to rise up against the oppressors of the Covenant!
Aelerium will not give in!
Join our cause and protect the Aelerium way of life!

— Covenant War Propaganda

When the other Magi Covenant members decided to force a lower price for Elemental Crystals and all items created with it Aelerium decided to leave the confederation. Both Mervidel and Kavonia did not agree with their sudden loss of access to the resource and a war ensued.
During this war the use of the Casting Armors proved its worth as Aelerium manged to drive both nations back and even conquer some new lands. In the end the magical superiority of Aelerium proved too much for the remaining members of the Covenant and a peace treaty was signed.
From that moment on the use of the Casting Armors has only been on the rise in Aelerium.

Spread

After the war with the Magi Covenant the other nations attempted to create these armors as well. Although they were often not as good as the Aelerium kind, other nations did manage to recreate them. But due to limited resources in their home countries their use was not as large as in Aelerium. Mervidel was the only other nation in Farlis able to create a decent amount of Casting Armors since they had a large source of Embercrystals.
Although the Crystal Casting Armors are the oldest technique for using Elemental Crystals in clothing variations have been created over time as well. The most famous recent example is the Elemental Armors created by the Oneragan Nations. These armors actually allow non-casters to use elemental powers. In recent history the Oneragan nations even started militarizing this new technique.

Aelerium

Economy

Originally Casting Armors could only be found in Aelerium and the country made good use of this. Although they currently can be found in other parts of the world, the highest quality Armors are still created in Aelerium. Most of them remain inside the country but some are sold for quite a hefty price.
The largest customer base for the Aelerium Armors is located in the Human countries of Farlis. Since there are not nearly enough Elemental Crystals in the Human countries to create these, the Human magic users are only able to acquire them through Aelerium.

by Dan Dennis, Pixabay

Crystalweaver in action by Kefkejaco with heroforge

Manufacturing

As it is a costly and difficult project to create or enhance a Casting Armor, each important family has at least one Crystalweaver. This is a very skilled artisan who is able to work with the Elemental Crystals and imbue their power into Casting Armors. A Crystalweaver needs to be both an experienced magic user and skilled artisan. The road to becoming one is long and hard but worth all the trouble since it is one of the jobs with the highest prestige in Aelerium.
To create a Casting Armor the crystal that is used needs to be brought to a fluid state, a process which can be dangerous. This in itself requires a advanced arcane knowledge because crystals in this state have a tendency to unleash all energy at once, rather violently.

Report number 311.30 1212, Officer Undalir
This morning Halari'el 35 1212 a loud explosion could be heard in district 5 of Infor. When we arrived at the scene it soon became clear that the owner of the destroyed building had made an unauthorized attempt at creating Casting Armors.
Three inhabitants of the building perished shortly after but one only suffered minor bruises. Said person resisted arrest and therefore we were forced to use an appropriate amount of force.

— Police Report

The Crystalweaver then uses magic to move the fluid into the crevices that were built into the armor beforehand. This is the part of the process when the different patterns of the armors take form. Once this is completed the Crystalweaver will crystallize the fluid again. If this is done correctly the magical properties remain intact. Many inexperienced Crystalweavers have a hard time perfecting this final step.

Culture

The Casting Armors are one of the creations that the Elves of Aelerium are most proud of. As the families with a magical bloodline are among the most important of Aelerium, owning at least one Casting Armor is a necessity in the higher classes of Aelerium Society. The more of these Armors a family possesses the higher their prestige will be, since the creation of a Casting Armor is still a difficult and costly project. Having an Armor of a rarer kind, such as a Seacrystal Armor, is held in even higher regard.
Armors are usually passed down over several generations and the oldest ones are often put on display in the entrance halls of houses. These oldest armors' design form the basis for newer creations as each family creates different patterns for the breastplate based on the original armor. The family of an Elf wearing a Casting Armor can therefore easily be identified by the pattern on the breastplate.

For pretending to be a member of the Avrenim family by manner of copying their unique Casting Armor design the accused is hereby sentenced to exile. All copies of the armor will be confiscated as will all of his personal assets.
The other members of his family will not be punished but will be required to pay a fine of 200 Aelir to the Avrenim family.

— Court Case ruling

Family Casting Patterns by Kefkejaco

Patterns

Since each family has its own unique design for the breastplates of the Casting Armors, trying to copy this pattern is a punishable offence. Most of the time this punishment is banishment. However, if one were to sell the copies, the punishment could even be death if it is a pattern belonging to one of the ruling families.
The people of Aelerium learn to recognize the patterns of the most prominent families from a young age. When they see a family member wearing a Casting Armor with such a pattern they make sure to do nothing to offend them. There are 4 major families in Infor each with their own flying estate along the Infor crater.

Avrenim	Oldest family, among first users of Casting Armors
Velindrin	Old family, sole owners of Aelerium Embercrystals
Kambor	Old family, main traders in crystals and crystal items
Ilveneri	Current leaders, owners crystal mining operations

Further Reading