Ornikyte

Ornikyte is a crystal substance found across the world of Oarus and charged with powerful magic. Its energy is used as a battery for powering up technology and enhancing a spellcaster's powers. All of the most powerful nations that make use of any kind of technology go to great lengths to mine and harvest these crystals to have access to a steady supply of power for any machines, weapons, and armor alike. Many believe that ornikyte can only be used as a power source but in truth, certain crystals depending on how powerful they are can enhance a machine's effectiveness by tenfold under the right circumstances. It is because of this that many kingdoms and nations have fought entire wars for access to these crystals not just for their machines but also to be used to enhance a spellcaster's magic as well.

Properties

Material Characteristics

All ornikyte found across the world is always a crystal-like substance that comes in numerous colors depending on the region it was discovered and it's level of energy. Ornikyte comes in seven colors such as white, blue, green, orange, yellow, purple, and red. These colors indicate the level of magic concentrated within and the level of power as well as what it can be used for.

Physical & Chemical Properties

Ornikyte is almost always a crystal-like substance that is said to be harder than diamonds and very warm to the touch and glows very brightly. The more powerful the crystal the brighter it glows due to the high amounts of energy within. More often than not crystals are found in large clusters that glow brightly even in the day.

Geology & Geography

Ornikyte can be found in many places underground all across Oarus. They are formed in areas with high amounts of concentrated magic that a number of different reasons can cause. It can be from a spell cast over the land itself, the presence of magical beasts living there for thousands of years, powerful ancient artifacts, and even from the burial sites of magic users themselves.

Life & Expiration

All ornikyte loses energy eventually, depending on the color and grade the crystals can power several different technologies anywhere from a few minutes to days, weeks, months, or even years. It is these crystals that can last for years or more that are heavily prized and valued in all corners of the world. Once a crystal expires it is no more than another gemstone to be used for decoration at best.

History & Usage

Discovery

Ornikyte crystals were discovered thousands of years ago by the priests and mages of the eldorai. However, it was the khazaugrim who truly learned to harness its use as a power source when they discovered it in what many call the Underlands, a massive series of catacombs that go for thousands of miles beneath the surface world. They learned about the locations of entire caves full of crystals and began to harvest and traded them with spellcasters of all races. Shortly after the invention of technology, they began experimenting with crystals and learned how they could be used not just powering their machines and tools but also how they could be used to enhance their effectiveness.

Everyday use

Ornikyte is always used as a power source for technology such as everyday tools used by mechanics as well as weapons for military organizations. Large amounts of it are also converted into a liquid form known as xerium and used to power up vehicles for transportation and warfare alike. In certain regions of the world, ornikyte is also commonly used in crystal form for crafting and enhancing magical items for spellcasters.

Cultural Significance and Usage

There are many different cultures and religious orders that use and even protect rare ornikyte crystals that are far more enhanced and said to be blessed by their gods. These crystals are said to possess powerful abilities only special to these specific crystals alone. Because of this, they are seen as ancient artifacts, the rarest of the rare, and are hidden away in forgotten ruins or heavily guarded by powerful curses and enchantments. Many of them are held up as sacred to their ancestral order as well as their culture.

Industrial Use

All ornikyte that is sold in the major cities of the world has gone through a refining process, fortifying the crystals to make them usable for virtually any kind of technology. Places like the Protectorate, the Undercities, and the Empire have entire factories built for such purposes. At the same time, these factories also work on transforming the ornikyte crystals into xerium for other more specialized technology as well.

Refinement

On their own the crystals are highly unstable, because of this they go through a refinement process to reinforce the crystals making them safe for everyday use. This is done by compacting the crystal, causing its outer layers to become stronger from being squeezed rapidly under extreme force and releasing excess energy. More often than not this is done in heavily fortified bunkers or open spaces away from sensitive materials or civilians. After the crystals are refined they are then classified by their color, size, and energy level.

Byproducts & Sideproducts

At first glance, one may see ornikyte and think that it can only be used in crystal form. In truth, it can also be converted into a liquid form known separately as xerium. Like its crystal counterpart xerium can be used as a fuel source for machines and other forms of technology. In liquid form, it is easier to carry by hand and is less likely to go rampant and explode.

Hazards

All ornikyte especially raw, must always be handled with care due to its highly unstable nature. A single careless action such as dropping the crystal or worse striking it could cause the energy of the crystal to go rampant. When rampant the crystal can send out blasts of energy that can ignite up into flames, send powerful electrical pulses, or even freeze a person to such an extent that their limbs will shatter.

Environmental Impact

Ornikyte crystals are full of magic, this same magic can affect the land and its people alike. The largest and brightest crystals can have a number of effects, a powerful enough crystal in the middle of the forest can cause it to grow more vibrant and lush than it has ever been while any food grown from it can make its populace healthier and stronger than normal. At the same time a powerful enough rampant crystal poisons the land killing everything around it in a matter of months or even hours. In even worse cases, the rampant crystal can affect other things like weather making storms more powerful and causing floods.

Reusability & Recycling

If necessary an ornikyte crystal can be recharged if placed beside one or more crystals to absorb energy for several hours or more. There are many shops within the Protectorate and the Underlands that offer for customers to bring dead crystals to be brought to them and recharged for a decent price depending on the crystal. However, in the Outlands only a handful of these shops in select cities actually exist.

Distribution

Trade & Market

Whether it be the Undercities or the surface nation of the Protectorate one can find ornikyte crystals for sale in various shops and issued to law enforcement and military organizations as well. Though very difficult it is not impossible to find ornikyte in the Outlands, places like Itheria and Khemet are known to trade crystals with spellcasters from far and wide. However, it is unlikely to find it in its liquid form as many kingdoms and cities do not have access to the necessary resources to transform the crystals into xerium. Only cities such as Vulcanos and Ptar are known to trade in xerium but at a heavy price due to its rarity.

Storage

Ornikyte is more often than not stored in crates that are made of almost anything from wood to plastic or even steel depending on the grade of crystal. Xerium on the other hand is almost always stored in sturdy cartridges and vials that can be inserted into slots for powering up numerous kinds of tech.

Law & Regulation

Public shops are limited to selling certain crystals to everyday civilians and can only be sold to those who have a license to show that they understand how to handle a crystal properly. The license grade shows what kind of crystal an individual has experience using and that they have access to whatever materials are needed to safely use and store the crystal without injuring themselves and others. Everyone from the Protectorate to the Underlands must apply and attain one of these licenses in order to purchase higher grades of ornikyte and xerium alike. If one was foolish enough to try to obtain ornikyte or xerium and be caught using it without a license is considered a crime and punishable by time in prison depending on the grade. For traders and merchants to knowingly sell ornikyte or xerium to somebody who doesn't own a license is also a punishable offense that can result in a prison sentence.
Certain higher grades of ornikyte are only allowed to be used by members of law enforcement, the military, construction, and even omnipaths or spellcasters. At the same time, they are also bound by the same laws and regulations that apply to everyday civilians. Soldiers and omnipaths who violate these conditions are dismissed and even imprisoned depending on the specifics of the situation. If one is lucky enough to dodge imprisonment they are still dismissed from their respective organization and have their license revoked or limited only to using basic crystals and nothing more. Depending on the situation a person can apply to have their license re-evaluated to use more powerful crystals but only after a period of probation.

Type

Ore/Mineral

Value

Varies depending on the grade of crystal.

Color

White, Blue, Green, Orange, Yellow, Purple, Red

Common State

Crystal