Overview
In the world of Ardelûn, there exist special crystals that have unique and strange properties. They vibrate at an imperceptibly fast speed called their resonance. Each crystal has a slight variance and cadence to their resonance that seems to be linked to their corresponding powers. The discovery of these crystals and their corresponding powers has been the single most influential and important discovery in the several thousand years of Ardelûn's existence. They have been used for technology, war, medicine, and science, significantly shaping the history of Ardelûn.
Crystal Types
There are 8 types of crystals in the world of Ardelûn. Each one contains one aspect of its energy.
- Aerolite — Air
- Cryolite — Water & Ice
- Necroshard — Decay
- Pyrothyst — Fire
- Tempestine — Lightning / Electricity
- Umbranite — Darkness
- Verdathyst — Nature
- Lumenite — Light
Categorization
The crystals are classified into 4 primary categories of commonality and power.
Common Crystals
Almost 80% of all crystals in the world are considered common crystals. These crystals are comparatively weak, but are still useful as light sources, decorations, or for empowering small items or inventions. They are not strong enough to be attuned to by individuals or to power anything significant.
Mature Crystals
Mature crystals are strong enough to be used as power sources or to empower stronger gear, like weapons, armour, or other inventions. Only about 15% of all crystals discovered are mature crystals. They are commonly used as power sources for developing technologies, such as airships and powered lifts, but are not strong enough to be attuned to.
Champion Crystals
Champion crystals are strong enough to be attuned to by an individual. Only about 5% of the crystals discovered are this strong. Once attuned to a crystal, an individual can control their power.
Great Crystals
The Great Crystals stand alone in their strength. Only a few such crystals have been discovered and classified in the world as Great Crystals. These crystals are noticeably stronger than even Champion Crystals, and have stood out as such in the history of Ardelûn. They are widely coveted and kept protected as much as possible.
Attunement
People in Ardelûn who have become attuned to a certain crystal domain are able to mimic the same resonance that the crystals generate, therefore gaining the ability to cause these scientific phenomena to occur naturally from within their own body, while holding or in very close proximity to a crystal of the specific domain.
Individuals who have become attuned with the crystals can also sometimes show outward, physical signs of it, whether it be patches of hardened, crystallised skin in the colour and opacity resembling the crystal they attuned with, brightly coloured veins that seem to resonate with the texture, or slightly glowing eyes.
Becoming attuned to a crystal domain is a widely studied field in Ardelûn, and three main methods have been identified.
Through Study
Through painstaking trial and error, studying crystals, and attempting to replicate their resonance, it is possible to become attuned to a crystal domain by sheer practice and determination. This process tends to take years, and comes about gradually — learning minor abilities before the major ones, though some pick up on it quicker than others. Schools exist for just such purposes, to teach students about crystalline usage and experiment with attunement. Not all who study are able to become successfully attuned, or may only be able to master simple abilities without ever learning the more advanced ones.
Naturally Attuned
Some who have been found to be attuned with a crystal were born with these powers, presumably because of where they were born in relation to nearby crystals or the circumstances surrounding their birth. However, no specific formula has ever led to the guaranteed birth of a crystalline-attuned child, and a mother who has never even been in contact with a specific crystal domain could potentially have a child attuned to that domain.
Spontaneous Attunement
A slightly more rare case than the others, some have been known to have become spontaneously attuned to a crystal domain — perhaps due to a life-changing experience or encounter with a powerful crystal, or because of a freak accident in an artificer's laboratory.
Commonality and Societal Implications
In most developed regions of Ardelûn, seeing crystals being used in technology, science, and construction is commonplace. In the streets of New Aerilon, lamp posts contain common Pyrothyst crystals that light the paths. In Dorian, a Cryolite-powered dam controls and diverts water flow from the nearby Serpent's Coil River into the farmland outside the city. In Car-Pendal, Aerolite-powered lifts are used to reach the upper parts of the city.
While their usage extends broadly into inventions and gear for adventurers, encountering an individual who is attuned to a certain crystal is not as common. To think of it in today's terms, it would be the equivalent of somebody who has a doctorate degree — most people may know of a friend, relative, or acquaintance that is crystalline attuned, but becoming so isn't easy or necessarily common.
Societal Implications
There are as many opinions about crystal usage and attunement in Ardelûn as there are people. Due to the aberrant and sometimes unpredictable nature of the crystals, there are some folk who would rather see the crystals and those attuned to them removed from society entirely. This ideology is reflected heavily in certain areas of South Gondalavon — specifically Lavon, Banfarra, and Sparenda — where crystal ownership and usage is heavily restricted or outlawed entirely.
Even in nations that don't restrict or outlaw crystals, obtaining one strong enough for the purpose of attunement or as a power source can still prove difficult. Since non-common crystals are more rare, they are prized more highly. Many guilds and trade companies exist for the mining, trading, and handling of crystals, and working for one can prove a lucrative if not dangerous business that draws many ambitious adventurers.