Power Crystal

If you spend any length of time in New Z'hrat, you'll notice that all of their advanced technology is powered by magic. But, due to the instantaneous and temporary nature of spells, and the impracticality of powering something as mundane as the office copier with an overworked and underpaid specialist wizard, they need some sort of capacitor for magic, something that can serve as a battery. In modern New Z'hrat, if you slide open the hatch on anything from the office copier or your light fixture, you'll see a polished shard of pale pink Crystal nestled into a maze of wires and arcane sigils.

Properties

Material Characteristics

It is a pale-pink crystal that resembles rose quartz. Most Z'hratians only see it in it's polished state, but it can be very dull and dusty-looking before it's processed. The purest grades, which can store the most power per volume, are semi-transparent. It can range anywhere from almost-clear with a few milky clouds to a fully opaque blush pink. If it's clear enough, you can often see tiny sparkles within it when it's charged.

Physical & Chemical Properties

The material is remarkably chemically stable, a natural electrical insulator, and abundant in nature, which makes it a great candidate for storing magic. It may melt and begin to burn when severely overclocked.

Origin & Source

Crystal is fairly common everywhere in Z'hrat, but because it's a large city, it's difficult to mine in large quantities without causing sinkholes. The largest mine is in Eighth District, where they're pushing out further and further into the Frontier in order to provide power to the city.

Life & Expiration

The crystal itself is extremely stable, and the chemical structure inside might begin to deteriorate after a few hundred charges. How much magic one can hold completely depends on the size and purity grade of the crystal. Expect the battery in the coffeepot to last a few months between charges, your motorcarriage to have a range of about 300 miles, but something like telecom with significant data transfer might require the crystal to be recharged every few minutes.

Type

Ore/Mineral

Odor

Nothing, usually, but when something's going wrong in the circuit, it can give off an acrid smoke.

Color

Pale pink

Common State

Solid. It's remarkably chemically stable, unlikely to bond with other materials, and it has a decently high melting point.