Aatrax
"Have they been a massive contribution to mage societies, yes, of course! But the danger is too damn high to permit mining of these materials! I've been battling the council for years to reconsider and yet the death toll keeps going up. The further these unprotected measures allow these crystals to spread the more danger any and all are within."Aatrax Gemstones or Aatrax for short is a volitile crystal native to the Underbelly of the World. Looking similar to sick Sun Stones cause uneducated members of the populace to approach the crystals, tempted to take a piece for themselves under the impression they are pruning the helpful stones of the Underbelly. Naturally forming in tightly packed caverns, the crystal is extremely volatile and sometimes explodes for no reason. Physical contact with raw Aatrax ore will cause serious injury and psychological damage for Mortalis, Immortals, Godless, and will sometimes kill mages outright. Aatrax requires a tightly guarded secret to mine properly. Taking a piece from a wall or chipping a shard off is easy, as it is a very flaky and dusty material, but the consequences are lasting, leading to Aatrax's famous withering disease. Krualan Mineral Companies see big profits however from mining this material, even if it does cause around 1000~ deaths annually. Trace amounts of Aatrax can be infused in stones to create glowstones, which are used to light passages in the above world. Antons are also noted to contain Aatrax in trace amounts within their central core and headcases in order to help them function properly. Scriptorri are created through submerging parchment in Aatrax, infnused with enchantment magic, and allowed to sit and drip off into run-off bins and containers, hence why creation of Scriptorri are generally considered high level enchantment graduation tests. Rune Magic is seemingly written with manipulation of Aatrax infused materials (hence why it is a generally forgotten practice), and Mages who are shunned by the Mage Circles can be rendered unable to use magic through being scarred with Aatrax tipped brands. Mana Potion bottles are often stored alongside Aatrax in order to expand their shelf lives, which can in some cases cause the Mana to turn red, causing some to mistake them as healing potions. (There seems to be no other effect other than the strange shift in color.) The Aatrax trade has been a massive point of contention within underbelly circles for many years. Kruala holds most stock in the trade, distribution, and mining of these materials. It has made the city a very lavish place for the guilds who control most of the export. There can be found within Kruala several 'tribute statues' constructed by the Artisan guilds dedicated to the gemstone, despite the dark and controversial history surrounding it. The most popular place to begin excavation of Aatrax is called the Vein Roads. The Vein Roads spread all throughout beneath the Underbelly of the world, and is a breeding ground for Aatrax growths. Most Dwarvish ruins from back in the times of their rule, before the elves, are located down there as well. Leaving a single fragment of Aatrax upon the ground for even a split second guarntees that microscopic pieces of that crystal have already disappeared into the earth, similar to a disease, that will burrow themselves in and incubate. Waiting until the landscape around them changes to begin to spread out their crystal tendrils once again. As such, 'Aatrax Outbreaks' are a common factor many cities have to deal with, often calling in capeable members of mining operations all over the Underbelly in order to deal with it. Aatrax has a nasty habit of rapid periods of incubation and spread. Underbelly prisions are made usually by chipping into already hallowed out Cave Systems, and building around it. Lower levels of these prisions have a nasty habit of being breeding grounds for Aatrax. Over a period of years veins of Aatrax will begin to form up, causing many of the prisioners on the lower levels to lose their minds to the constant whispering of the crystals. There are some prisions that use this to their advantage, and house individuals that are considered scum of society within Aatrax prisions; often referred to as 'The Vaults' where the guards of such will wear heavy suits that are lined with lead in order to work inside. Lead can block Aatrax, to a certain minor extent. Usually having about an hour, just enough time to change food and check in on various prisioners, before the Lead will reach 'Critical Infusion Level' and need to be disposed of, likely in landfills located in 'The Veins'. This usage of subjecting prisioners to this reality of living in the maddening conditions have caused many to take their own life through brutal and otherwise unconventional means. Some workers in 'The Vaults' must go through rigorious psychological counciling from what they see the prisioners doing to themselves when surrounded by this maddening material 24 hours a day.
Aarax Withering Disease
Sometime's referred to as just 'Withering Disease' or 'Aatrax Disease', this condition causes individuals to begin to grow Aatrax crystals from their skin. Their eyes may have a red tinge to them, and electro-magnetic bolts will zap from crystal to crystal. Once a individual is infected, there is no way to cure them. Their body will take one of two routes; soon be encased by the crystals, and they will turn into crystal golems, driven by one need to protect the veins of ore. Or they will simply go mad over time, believing that the Crystals are telling them such horrible secrets of reality. If left to stew in this madness, they will generally try to take their own lives in a mindless disorientation. Family of people suffering from the second generally pay large amounts of gold to have their loved ones monitored in state of the art Aslyums.
Some mages believe these are just hallucinations that are meant to put people into hysteria so they will become hosts for more crystal growths, yet others believe there may be secrets in these whispers.
Aarax Dust
Composed of Raw Aatrax and mana, this is a popular drug in Mage Circles and Religious Orders. The Mana is a buffer to allow ingestion of Aatrax with very few downsides. It is applied by a bit of the coarse dust being dusted on the tongue, and drinking a shot of some sort of low tier mana potion immeadietly afterward.
Some Mages claim their minds are expanded when they take this drug, being able to recall ancient spells, and write down complex runic formula. (A art that has been otherwise lost.) While other Mages are not so lucky, and gain Aatrax's Withering Disease if the dosage they had was too strong for their body. Some Paladins and Clerics are given Aatrax to "develop their talents", this serves as incentive to keep them loyal to their order, which generally have some hand in Aatrax trades in northern Waitifox where the Paladin Wars are being faught, which some believe are more like fancified drug wars rather than fighting for ownership over the mostly-unuseable 'god lands.'
Ingesting Aatrax is addictive. The cravings unbearable to them and, over time, they grow disoriented, incapable of distinguishing memory from present, or dream from waking. They frequently become paranoid as their worst memories and nightmares haunt their waking hours. Other known side effects than paranoia include obsession, and dementia.
Aarax Dust
Type
Ore/Mineral