Solar Spear

General introduction

The Solar Spear is the biggest sun crystal known to date. It gives light to two major subchambers of the Central Erana Mountain Range chamber of the Eastern Erana Cave-tinent (EECT). While sun crystals are a common light source in subterranean areas, in the EECT they can only be found to the very west. Normally sun crystals are of moderate size, reaching lengths of several or several dozen metres. The Solar spear though, runs through the entire subchamber under the Joun city of Rekka, before it extends into the stone ground, only to reach down into the Nam Kla subchamber and jutting into it for another fifty or so metres.

Appearance and make-up

To not corrupt the integrity of the crystal, the Joun have never attempted to find the start of the Solar Spear with any mining operation. Sun crystals in general, but especially the larger ones, are treated with respect. That means from what is known, the Solar Spear extends over a length of some two kilometres. The diametre of the crystal hexagonal crystal is at a constant hundred metres all along the length. At it's end, it ends in a fine tip with the facets running together at a very sharp angle. This feature is, what gave the Solar Spear it's name, although the development of sharp tips is innate to sun crystals.

All sun crystals are uniform in their appearance in regards of shape and light colour. The Solar spear is no exception. It starts somewhere in the ceiling of the subchamber below Rekka, cutting through it at a slight angle, before hitting the ground and jutting out of the Nam Kla subchambers ceiling further down. Due to the huge surface of the Solar Spear in the first subchamber, the area there is lit almost as bright as a sunny day in the typical, warm white light these crystals emit. Other than the sun they are not scorchingly hot, but rather so warm, that is is almost possible to touch them. The Nam Kla subchamber is considerably more dim with only sixty to sixty five metres of the tip of the crystal jutting out ot the ceiling. Nonetheless the lower chamber is warmer than the first, due to geothermal activity.

Around the area where the Solar Spear comes out of the rocks in the first subchamber, there are also some smaller sun crystals, indicating, that the base of the crystal is not too far away, as sun crystals tend to form around a core, but for unknown reasons only one of them grows long, while the sister crystals around stay very short in comparison.

Significance

The Solar Spear is of a very pragmatic and economic significance for the Joun and the Aqhali Luak further below in the Nam Kla subchamber, as well as an object of worship and veneration. In both of the subchambers it is the main, in the Rekka subchamber even the only source of light, making it an inexpandable asset for both cultures.

The name Solar Spear stems from the Aqhali Luak's name for the giant crystal. They, other than the Joun above know about the Solar Spears tip, as the Joun never ventured as far down, while the Aqhali Luak used to settle both subchambers before. In their mythology, the crystal was the spear of the sun god, with which he struck Samthô during the first big cataclysm, that forced the Joun and Luak for the most part underground. Striking at Samthô directly though was also seen as an act of hybris, disrespecting the soil and the water. Thus the blade broke of, plunged deeply into the ground. The sister crystals of the Solar Spear visible in the upper subchamber are believed to be the guard and the sharp and potentially deadly tip of the spear blade hovers over the Aqhali Luak's main settlement, forever reminding them of the gods' power and their lost greatness on Samthôs surface.

Type

Rock Formation