Harmonic Stallium

This article is a work in progress
Harmonic stallium is a form of crystalline structure that mimics the growth of organic plants and their roots. The presence of harmonic stallium is a natural phenomena observed around rifts, a larger number of crystal clusters can be found in greater sizes closest to the rifts and they become less frequent and smaller as distance from the rift increases.
The flow of energy that emanates from the rift itself and from within is what gives rise to these crystals. As energy seeps out of the rift, it solidifies and forms harmonic stallium, not unlike how a river might form stalactites and stalagmites through a cave.  

Appearance

Harmonic stallium can form in multiple different ways as its appearance is varied by the type of vibrations it harmonises with.
For example, when harmonic stallium absorbs the vibrations associated with Sloth, it vibrates and cracks, bulging and warping to form bulbous black crystals at it's base that have an oil-like shimmer. The 'roots' of the crystals appear as dark-brown craggy stones with greasy black spots and marks whilst the harmonic stallium itself turns inky black, though still retains its Iridescent lustre.  

Uses

Neutral harmonic stallium can be used to detect magic as well as corrupted or purified rifts. As the stallium nears a source of magical energy, be it a rift that has been corrupted or purified or someone emanating a magical aura, it will begin to harmonize and absorb the energy that radiates from the rift or caster, altering the appearance of the stallium to match that of the energy it absorbs.
Harmonic stallium acts like a sponge for magical energy, beginning in its neutral form, it is able to absorb any kind of emotional vibrations. Once it attunes to a specific emotion though, it can only continue to absorb that emotion and it can not revert to its natural state until fully drained. This is extremely useful when an individual is attempting to conceal their aura or prevent a rift from opening.
Once the harmonic stallium has attuned to a set frequency of emotion, it will store that emotion within like a battery, growing in size and density as it absorbs more of that same emotion. The energy stored within is released almost instantaneously once the stalium comes into direct contact with a being that possesses a soul, for the energy within resonates with the soul and is drawn to it.
Colour
Colourless through various colors to black
Crystal habit
7-sided prism ending in 7-sided pyramid (typical)
Fracture
Conchoidal fracture
Tenacity
Brittle
Lustre
Iridescent
Type
Ore/Mineral
All artwork that isn't an original creation by myself (@Bladeswillfall) will be replaced with either original pieces or commissioned art.


Cover image: VISCERIUM by Me (Fall)

Comments

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Jan 3, 2022 16:42

The GM in me in intrigued, but the player i me want to exploit these so hard.   Can sufficient quantity of pure crystals be used to make a magical "dead zone"?   Can I use the Harmonic Burst to drastically alter a persons behavior? Is skin contact needed or does it work though clothes? Are there materials that block the discharge?   Is the magic detection more of a "somewhere in the area" that would require more than one crystal to triangulate or is it directional?

Check out some of my summer camp articles, like the dangerous flying jackalope or dragon wasps. Or, for something more light-hearted, there is the whimsical language Gobbledygook and Jaden's interesting job as a guano polisher.
Jan 4, 2022 10:02 by Fall

First off, thank you so much for taking the time to read through and leave a comment with your thoughts! Secondly, the powers of balance need to be enforced then, haha!   In theory, yes, though finding enough of the crystals in a neutral state would be a major task in and of itself.   Yes, absolutely, bursts are extremely likely to corrupt or purify an individual. I'd say skin contact is required as otherwise it'd be very hard to do anything with them.   Yes, I imagine it as working like a metal detector picking up the vibrations of magic. So at a certain point you'd know you where close but not with 100% certainty as to where exactly it's coming from. Triangulation would certainly make results more accurate though but isn't a necesity.

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