Tumnihup (/ˈtumnihup/)
Known popularly as crystallized Vita, tumnihup are minerals found on the plains of Amhumap. They typically form as massive crystals, which glow faintly... or strongly if an overflow of Vita is coming. This glow is due to their incredibly high Vita-content, which makes them powerful conductors for Vita magic. Unfortunately, that also means that they are difficult to harvest, and breaking one of the large crystals typically unleashes such a powerful wave of controlled magic that it can cause severe injury or even death to all nearby. Instead, people usually harvest smaller crystals, fragmented remains of larger crystals broken by natural processes. Though it is generally assumed that people refer to these smaller crystals when speaking of tumnihup when not in the context of tumnihup, they can be specifically referred to as "tumnihup crystals".
Properties
Material Characteristics
Tumnihup are colorless crystals, but are not quite transparent, at least not fully. Instead their centers appear clouded, the colors pale and washed out. Some report that the clouding inside the crystals shifts, like liquid trapped in stone, but no confirmed reports of it exist. They glow faintly in the same color of the center, with both color and glow growing stronger when ambient Vita increases, or when magic is channeled directly through them.
Physical & Chemical Properties
Powerful conductors of Vita, the tumnihup on Amhumap's plains are known to pick up on the overflows of Vita better than anything else in the expanse; their glowing can be used as an early warning system, but they also carry the effects of the previous overflow much longer than one might expect. They are faintly warm to the touch but not excessively so, though they take on traits from whatever magic lingers in them and may thus be warmer or colder than usual (or charged, or all sorts of other things). As Vita conductors they are immune to magical damage, simply conducting it, though a mismatch in magic, or a miscast spell, often makes them explode. Physical damage can be done to them, but leads to a release of Vita, often taking the form of powerful and uncontrolled magic.
Geology & Geography
Tumnihup is only found in Amhumap, a large expanse on a single island on the planet Niskhisima. Characterized by its unusually high level of ambient Vita, overflows of energy are common there, and take the form of sudden bouts of magic, which often lead to the creation of the large tumnihup formations found there. Whether they're a result of the high level of Vita, or created by specific magic is unclear, and difficult to study as well.
Origin & Source
Tumnihup is created as-is, massive crystals of tumnihup coming into existence from nothing. Smaller tumnihup crystals, as found away from Amhumap, are shards of their original larger form, almost always fractured by nature.
Life & Expiration
It is currently unknown how long tumnihup crystals can maintain their magical charge. Only small crystals have ever been taken from Amhumap, with the larger crystals too dangerous to reliably study, and even those are too valuable to retain for extended studies. The crystals themselves do not appear to lose integrity over time, but then, they are rocks. Vita, on the other hand, cannot be measured, and thus no one can say whether the crystals lose Vita content over time. If they do, using them as conductors for magic appears to refill them, or otherwise puts a stop to said dissipation, as no low-content tumnihup crystals are known to exist.
History & Usage
History
Due to its location of origin, tumnihup was practically unheard of for long times, though old niskhi legends do talk of magical stones that are suggested to be tumnihup crystals. With the rediscovery of Amhumap, so were tumnihup crystals rediscovered, and they became popular among all Vita-Touched for their conductive nature. During the Second Age, when the planet--and thus also the tumnihup crystals found there--became known to the wider galaxy, the value skyrocketed even further. Countless Vita-Touched admired the crystals for the power they could lend... and countless people intent on killing Vita-Touched valued these crystals for how easily a small mistake while using them could lead to the death of a Vita-Touched.
Discovery
Over the passage of time, tumnihup has likely been discovered several times, the knowledge of them lost several times (and thus also who discovered them). Old legends and myths from several different niskhi cultures talk of magical stones which may be tumnihup crystals, but any details have been lost to time, including where these stones may have come from, and who first knew them.
Everyday use
Though not in any way common, the massive tumnihup on Amhumap does have a common use: it serves as an early warning system that an overflow of Vita is coming, so those who gather tumnihup crystals can (try to) leave the plain before they are caught in the magic.
Cultural Significance and Usage
Though they are too rare for any one culture to build proper traditions around them, the large tumnihup on Amhumap is valued highly among those who do gathering runs on the plain. Many claim that without the massive stones, an unexpected early overflow could've easily spelled their end. Tumnihup crystals are also highly valued among all Vita-Touched, including all niskhi.
Manufacturing & Products
Tumnihup needs to be broken into smaller tumnihup crystals to be used properly as conductors of magic. However, the massive formations they grow in are too hard to work with, and too dangerous to split, so no one does so. Instead, they gather the tumnihup crystals that nature splits off on its own. These crystals are sometimes used in vykas, but not often due to their rarity.
Hazards
Tumnihup, due to its high Vita content, is extremely dangerous to work with. Any physical damage done to a crystal results in the release of incredible amounts of Vita, which usually takes the form of uncontrolled magic, powerful enough to cause severe injuries or even death to any nearby. Any magical damage, on the other hand, is either conducted away from the crystal (and often strengthened as a result), or clashes with the stone's stored Vita, resulting in a spectacular explosion. Even a small tumnihup crystal creates an explosion powerful enough to kill a person holding it. No records exist of full-scale tumnihup exploding, likely because any explosions that have taken place have killed all near enough to witness it happening.
Environmental Impact
Seemingly created by overflows of Vita, tumnihup appears to act as a way to lower the amount of ambient Vita in a more permanent way than the overflows themselves. As such, destroying them increases the Vita present on a planet, though this likely just leads to the creation of new crystals later on. Smaller crystals contain such a minimal amount of Vita compared to the a planet that their destruction has no real impact.
Reusability & Recycling
Tumnihup crystals are extremely valuable, and retain this valuable as long as they're still recognizable as tumnihup. After exploding, they lose all Vita stored inside and can no longer be used as conductors of magic. At that point they are reduced to little more than regular rocks, colorless and clouded in murky, unappealing colors. They are no longer protected from both physical and magical damage, too hard to easily shape and too prone to chipping to use for jewelry or display.
Distribution
Trade & Market
Due to its rarity, its powerful nature, and the dangers inherent in gathering it, tumnihup crystals are extremely valuable. They are purchased primarily by Vita-Touched, who can use them to enhance their natural abilities, as well as those who wish to kill Vita-Touched. After all, it is very easy to kill someone poorly trained by giving them a crystal that will kill them if they make a mistake.
Storage
Though tumnihup crystals require no special storage, precautions need to be taken to ensure they do not explode. They are hard and not easily damaged by physical means, but it's not unheard of for accidents to happen in transport, which need to be avoided as much as possible due to the sheer damage that will happen as a result. Likewise, caution needs to be taken when channeling magic anywhere near tumnihup crystals, as they will conduct the magic if it comes too close, and any clashing of magic will cause them to explode.
Law & Regulation
Tumnihup and tumnihup crystals fall into a gap of sorts in legalization. They are extremely dangerous, both to harvest and to use, but too powerful to deny their use. They are not restrained to only be kept by Vita-Touched, however, because those who possess enough money to buy one while not Vita-Touched also have enough money to bribe those in power.
During the Third Age, while Vita-Touched were hunted down, possession of tumnihup crystals was a reason for suspicion, but also common among those who were tasked with killing Vita-Touched. As such, they were never outright outlawed.
Type
Ore/Mineral
Value
Extremely valuable.
Rarity
Very rare.
Odor
None.
Taste
Tasteless; feels slightly 'staticky' on the tongue.
Color
Colorless but clouded; pale.
Melting / Freezing Point
Unknown.
Density
Fairly light.
Common State
Solid.
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