Crystalsis (Kre-stal-sis)

Summary

A dangerous medical condition that commonly results from handling various types of crysium during its processing, Crystalsis is the fear of many crysium miners, processors, and artisans. The condition comes as a result of fragments of crysium–typically shavings, tiny splinters, dust particulate, etc–entering the body. How it enters the body affects many resulting complications, but universally crystalsis is when the body itself starts to transform into crysium as a result of the intrusion.
There is a fair amount of academic argument over the nature of crystalsis, and a large portion consider it a derived strain of manaesia rather than a unique condition. However, the proponents of its unique classification ordinarily win out as crystalsis must be treated differently than those afflicted with manaesia. More fringe groups even argue that crystalsis is perhaps the most serious form of manaesia that could exist. Regardless, for anyone who deals with crysium, the dangers of crystalsis are never far away.
That said, the actual matter of crystalsis differs from species to species, and even profession to profession. Since the root problem of crystalsis concerns the concentrated mana of crysium, those who can handle that mana are more likely to be 'immune' to the condition itself. Dragonkind is particularly noteworthy as they have such mana capacity that crystalsis is virtually unheard of in their species. Baarham are similar, but younger baarham with less mana capacity are suspectible to the condition. Humanity, by comparison, often runs into problems with crystalsis as many members of the species do not have a naturally high capacity to handle it. However, human mages, cultivators, and others trained in magic can often handle or eliminate the risks of crystalsis.
Virtually every species on Veltrona has an awareness of crystalsis, and varying means by which to deal with it. In ancient times, the dangers of crysium made it a fearsome but respectable thing. Often only those trained in magic would dare to do the dangerous work, and so crysium became intimately associated with magic, mages, and where applicable, the magic-using rulers of the lands.
There were once those who, for a myriad number of flawed reasons, deliberately engendered crystalsis within themselves. By partially crystallizing, and using the new crystal medium as a mana storage or magic regulation method, they sought to advance their magics even further. While they achieved some degree of success, the inherently hostile nature of crystalsis against the body made growth with it very limited in scope. In the end, no one really figured out how to make crystal grow as organically as their own bodies did, and so most abandoned this avenue of research.

Causes

Because crystalized mana is so concentrated and intense, often beyond the natural environment around it, crysium tends toward making more of itself. For example, highly stable veltron mana will slowly convert available material into more of itself, leading to more veltron-aspected crysium. This pushes out other mana types, causing further instability in the immediate area. Ordinarily, this oscillating, lop-sided pendulum is mediated by a variety of natural agents: manavores, mana types reacting, incremental degeneration of the offending mana, fauna/flora with stronger and more stable internal mana, etc.
However, when pieces of this crystallized mana is suddenly thrown into an environment that cannot handle it, there is a very good probability of it running rampant. One common case is crysium dust that enters through the nose/mouth and into the lungs. If it is not processed by the body quickly enough, it will start to crystalize the various soft tissues along the way. The speed of this crystallization depends on several factors: bodily resistance, mana training, overall mana equilibrium, and awareness of the afflicted party.
In theory, a rapid response that consumes the body's mana reserves, such as magic, could 'drain' the intruding crysium. The drained, left over crystal particulate is so inoffensive to the body that normal bodily activities will consume it without much problem. For some types of crystalsis cases, this is sufficient. If the intruding crysium is not dealt with, and it begins to 'grow' within the afflicted body, then the severity of the case rapidly escalates.
Similar to manaesia, the body will begin aspecting toward the mana of the intriduing crysium. Unlike manaesia, where a lot of bizarre effects from a mana-imbalanced organism can happen, crystalsis simply crystallizes the body and breaks it down over time. Softer tissues are often the first parts to crystallize, with bones and nerves in particular being the last ones. This means exposure to the face, nose, throat, and lungs is often the deadliest form of crystalsis due to its rapid rate of progress.

Symptoms

Crystalsis can be hard to notice unless one uses magical senses to detect it, or it has progressed to a point of actually interfering with bodily functions. If one can visibly see symptoms, typically it looks like actual crysium growing out of the surrounding tissue. In severe cases it can grow fast enough that it's actually audible to the ear as new crystalline growth emerges.
Internally, one usually notices a disruption to their body's mana harmony first if they have the skill or training. Increasingly severe pain, burning/freezing sensations, the grating of muscle, and a growing, pervasive numbness of the afflicted/lost regions are all associated with the crystalsis process. Afflicted areas beyond the point of saving are virtually entirely pure crysium, perhaps with vestigial bones or nerves left embedded inside.

Treatment

The primary issue related to crystalsis is the highly concentrated mana effectively assimilating the environment around itself. If the mana is dealt with, then the remnant crystalline matter is virtually a non-issue. Hence, many treatments for crystalsis focus on mana management techniques, such as internal regulation, exhaustive spell casting, body enchantment, etcetra. Those already familiar with these practices are capable of handling crystalsis virtually without any real issue, sometimes unconsciously so.
Education, practice, and due diligence are the three ingredients toward most crystalsis treatments. Because it is a ever-present risk when processing crysium, one must be willing to undergo ever-ongoing treatment practices. Much like washing one's hands after dealing with filthy tasks, mana cycling to consume or purge invasive mana types is the most effective means of preventive care.
If the crystalsis has progressed to the point of significant tissue crystallization, then it becomes much more problematic. The lost body tissue will not simpy reappear once the crysium mana has been dealt with. The body will also start breaking down the residue crystal and consuming it as part of its natural functions. However, this can leave a cavity behind that the body then hemorrhages inside of, endangering the life of the afflicted.
Thankfully, various other medical practices related to internal wounds, missing bodily parts, etc, are useful in this respect. Regeneration-enhancing magics help the most, as it guides the body to restore lost tissues in a mostly organic manner. More severe tissue loss, which may not be regenerated fast or at all, can be handled by things like substitute flesh to prevent the body from hemorrhaging itself.
However, if something like an entire limb has crystallized, it is functionally a lost cause, and more extreme medical attention will be needed. In such cases, amputation is often the quickest way to save the afflicted before the crystallization reaches vital organs.

Prognosis

The type of crystalsis greatly informs the overall outcome of contracting the condition. As mentioned, crysium particulate exposure to the face, throat, and lungs is the most dangerous as it is immediately life threatening. In such cases, a person may be put into a critical state within days, and death within a week assuming no treatment of any kind.
Other exposures, such as slivers of crysium inserted through the skin or piercing deeper into the body, will still become damaging but at a more controlled pace. The hands are often a sight of frequent possible exposure, but also often just as easily caught before the loss of fingers or fine motor control becomes an issue. However, the body being pierced also carries secondary problems of the literal, actual damage said piercing does. Severed arteries or other vital components are as problematic as any other time they might be, crystalsis or not.
Thankfully crystalsis itself doesn't propagate through the veins or the blood, or at least very easily. Due to the high regulation of blood's mana, the concentrated crysium exposure is often so diluted and processed down that it cannot run rampant elsewhere. This means overall that crystalsis is a very local and generally contained problem in the body if it sets in.
A frequent secondary set of problems, though, results from the general damage the crystalsis wreaks. Infections and disease from other sources, ordinarily under control or non-problematic, are given a free vector to attack the afflicted body. Ironically, the crystalsis process itself consumes these deadly agents while it is on going. However, if crystalsis damage is done, and the process discontinued, whatever remaining sicknesses there are will swiftly infect the gaping wounds left behind.
Such a situation can result in more severe sickness and problems long after crystalsis itself has been addressed.

Prevention

Since the primary goal is to keep crysium particulate or pieces outside of the body, preventing that is the main method of stopping crystalsis. Filtration masks, protective goggles, and then reinforced clothing in areas of concern are all standard procedure with crysium processing. As long as there is no breach of these protective items, a simple water-based cleansing will ordinarily wash off any concerning crysium dust that may cling on.
The usage of mana-draining magics, or enchantments that can facilitate the same effect, allow for purging of excess mana-intake during crysium handling. These practices are fundamental, though not everyone is diligent in upholding them. Long before equipment offered protection, people would ritualistically exercise their mana reserves after processing crysium. It helped to stave off or solve crystalsis in the ancient times, and it is a method of choice for poor or badly equipped crysium operations.

Type

Magical

Origin

Magical

Rarity

Common