Mythalar

Mythalar is known to most of the people on Dartil. It holds together and maintains some breathtaking structures, vessels and vehicles. The only people who are not familiar with it are parts of isolated, rural population. Most people who are familiar with the material only know that it is a powerful and valuable conduit for magic. Proper use and details of its properties are known only to the highest educated people, particularly in the domain of magic.

Properties

Material Characteristics

Mythalar is a somewhat brittle, dense, bright blue and glowing crystal that comes in various sizes and purities. In its purest form it looks like a uniformly blue crystal with sharp edges that taper to a single point. This form is the most valuable, miners are rewarded handsomely for retrieving it and by the time it reaches the market, it costs almost ten times as much as gold per weight. The price is quite high due to the fact that it takes roughly a fist sized chunk to amplify a single spell and its almost as heavy as gold, so usually the smallest available amount costs around 900 gold coins. The less pure version is roughly half as cheap, has a less uniform color and tends to branch into several blunt points. Although it pales in comparison to a pure chunk it is still a very valuable and sought after mineral. The main drawback of this impure form is the fact that it is consumed after being used for magical purposes.

Physical & Chemical Properties

Powerful magical properties of this mineral are the main reason why it's so valuable and sought after. In its purest form, mythalar is able to store spells and release them on command during an extended period of time. The process of storing a spell in a piece of mythalar is called charging. During this process a knowledgeable mage would concentrate for an extended period of time on casting a desired spell toward the piece but in such a way that the spell doesn't effect it directly, but is instead stored within.
It takes a considerable amount of training and experience to estimate based on purity, size and length of charging how long a piece of mythalar would be able to reproduce the spell. One of the most common spells used with this mineral is the levitation spell. Large chunks of crystals are placed within a safe container and charged by several powerful mages. This process can last as long as several days. When the charging process is complete, e.g. for use in an airship, another mage would release the spell in a controlled manner. Due to its powerful properties, mythalar would amplify the spells duration, range and power for as long as it is charged.
When a spell is released from a piece of this crystal it turns into a glowing swirling dust that floats in space around the source of the spell, in case of an airship that would be a special containment unit, but in case of a personal use by an individual, around that person. When the spell is stopped either intentionally or due to loss of charge the dust settles onto the ground and starts clumping together, slowly drawn to other pieces of the same material. With careful treatment with heat it can be restored easily to its natural sharp form. Unfortunately, it isn't possible to stop the spell with lesser forms of mythalar, in case of those pieces it's either use it or lose it. After the spell is cast the dust disappears into the thin air.
Other than use in large quantities by several mages for a controlled release of magic, mythalar can also be used by a skilled individual. If a spell is stored inside a piece it's power, range and duration is doubled, while the concentration requirements are halved and material requirements reduced to zero. After the spell is used an impure piece is lost forever while the pure ones take some time to clump together on their own. This clumped version can be used just as normal as a natural, regular version. If this mineral is used as an added spell component without charging, it raises the level of the spell depending on the quantity used.

Geology & Geography

This mineral seems to originate from deep within the world's core. It usually reaches the surface parts of the soil through violent volcanic eruptions which is why active and dormant volcanoes are seen as potential vaults of unimaginable riches.

Origin & Source

Little is known about the origins of this mysterious substance. Some myths attribute their volcanic origins and magical properties to the remains of titans, or great primordial creatures that used to rule the world before gods imprisoned them below the ground in an effort to create the smaller sentient species that would tend to their creations.

Life & Expiration

Mythalar doesn't seem to have an expiration date. All forms retain their magical properties, but the stored spells are able to be removed from the impure variations of the mineral by exposure to high temperature. Stored spells can be removed from pure pieces by spending the charge or by charging the piece with the spells that remove magic.

Odor

Earthy

Taste

None

Color

Vibrant blue

Common State

Solid