Mana Crystal

Found only in the Crystal Forest of the Final Realm, these crystals contain large amounts of condensed mana within their structure, making them ideal for power spells beyond a mage's abilities.

Location & Description

Of the many, many kinds of crystals and crystalline structures in the Crystal Forest, Mana Crystals are easily the rarest and hardest to find. They only grow along the northern edge of the forest, where the Forest meets the Mountains. The trees they grow upon vary in both composition and color, with no obvious similarities, but they only grow upon the lower trunk and roots, never within the branches.
They form in either needle-like clumps or shelf-like clusters, depending on where they are on the tree. Size, color and shape all very greatly, even in the clusters. Size varies from a human fingernail to a human head, with color ranging between a light lavender to a deep indigo. The shapes they take are never circular and tend to have a great many edges and points.

Usage

As a mana rich resource, Mana Crystals can be used in place of being's own Mana capacity, allow Mages to cast spells beyond their ability and the non-Mage trained to cast simple spells. Each crystal has a certain amount of Mana, denoted by both color and size. The darker the color, the more Mana is in it, with larger crystals have a greater capacity.
When all the Mana within the crystal is used up, it shatters, no longer able to keep it's shape. However, if it is only near exhausted, it can absorb ambient Mana from both the natural surroundings and nearby beings. It's maximum capacity can not be increased, only decreased by splitting the crystal.

History

Discovered around two centuries after the Convergence by an unknown Adventurer party, it took another 50 years before the properties of these crystals were documented. Originally, it thought that they were simply a new type of amethyst created by the Convergence.

To be quite honest, it was an accident that discovered the fascinating abilities of these crystals. One of the Junior Researchers had one on their person when the Mage began casting one of the recently translated spells. Unfortunately, it turned out we had translated the amount of Mana required incorrectly and it was starting to consume the Mage.
That was went the Junior Researcher grabbed her, likely out of panic, but it saved her life. There was a sound of shattering glass then the spell completed, with all parties alive, but down one crystal.

— Personal Notes of Head Researcher Illiren

Further research, along with new discoveries in the Mountains itself, have lead to the theory that these crystals were a species of mana rich mushroom before the Convergence ripped and twisted the Leylines of the Realm.

Type

Mineral