Fire Crystals
Fire Crystals, also known as Pyraleth, are a type of magical crystal capable of generating and controlling flames and heat. According to A History of Rislandia, they originated from a divine act of sacrifice at the dawn of the world and have remained one of the most consequential natural resources in the history of Areth.
Overview
Fire Crystals appear in shades of red, orange, or yellow and are dangerous to handle without proper precautions, as direct contact can cause burns. They are found primarily in volcanic regions and the Dragonmist Isles, and are concentrated in deep caverns. Rumor holds that deposits are also contained inside at least one active volcano, though this has not been confirmed in the scholarly record.
Origin
According to A History of Rislandia, Fire Crystals were formed from the essence of Pyraleth during The Great Sacrifice. The source states directly: "Pyraleth became the Fire Crystals, granting flame and heat." This origin links the crystals intimately to the world's creation mythology, making them not merely a mineral resource but a physical remnant of a divine being.
Description
Fire Crystals range in color from deep red to bright orange and yellow. They generate and control flames and heat, and are considered hazardous to handle without protection, as they can cause burns upon direct contact. They are found in volcanic regions, the Dragonmist Isles, and deep caverns. According to A History of Rislandia, deposits are rumored to exist inside an active volcano, though no confirmed account of such an expedition appears in the scholarly record.
History
Age of Giants
During the Age of Giants, The Giants made extensive use of Fire Crystals. According to A History of Rislandia, Giants employed them in their towers, whose peaks were "wreathed in fire crystals' eternal flames."
Dragons and the Deep Caverns
A History of Rislandia records that dragons dwelled in the deep caverns where Fire Crystals concentrated, drawn by the crystals' heat and power. The dragon Volcareth is specifically noted to have "coiled herself around a vein of fire crystals" when she went to sleep beneath the Oler Mountains.
The Orethan Dominion
During the era of the Orethan Dominion, Fire Crystals were integrated into the infrastructure of Oretha Eternal. According to A History of Rislandia, "Heated baths (warmed by fire crystals) were open to all citizens," indicating that the crystals served a civic as well as a military function during this period.
Uses
Fire Crystals have been applied across a wide range of purposes throughout recorded history:
- Heating systems: Used to warm the public heated baths of Oretha Eternal and to provide warmth in towers and structures.
- Weapons: Employed in the crafting and powering of weapons.
- Forges: Used to fuel and enhance metalworking forges.
- Ritual and organizational use: Adopted by the Pyrean Order as a defining element of their practice.
- Architectural flame: Used by The Giants to maintain eternal flames atop their towers.
The Pyrean Order
According to A History of Rislandia, Fire Crystals are the defining resource of the Pyrean Order, which uses them as a central element of its identity and activities. The precise nature of the Order's use is not elaborated upon in the source.
Notable Deposits and Locations
- Volcanic regions: The primary natural habitat of Fire Crystals.
- Dragonmist Isles: A confirmed source of Fire Crystal deposits.
- Deep caverns: Noted as sites of concentrated Fire Crystal veins, historically inhabited by dragons.
- Oler Mountains: Site of the vein around which Volcareth sleeps.
- Active volcano (rumored): A History of Rislandia notes a rumor that Fire Crystals are contained inside an active volcano; this location is described as a subject of potential exploration.