Life Crystal
The Life Crystal is a rare crystalline substance of considerable technological and possibly mystical significance, first encountered by the Wyranth Empire in a cache discovered on the Isle du Mystere. Its applications ranged from powering mechanical constructs to enabling the operation of the Changeling Net, and its limited supply made it a resource of exceptional strategic value.
Overview
The Life Crystal was notable for the breadth of its applications. Even a mere sliver of the material was sufficient to work miracles for automatons, dramatically enhancing or enabling their function. The Changeling Net, however, required a greater quantity of Life Crystal than the automatons did in order to operate. Beyond its mechanical uses, the Life Crystal was also known to give those with giant's blood a connection to others, suggesting properties that extended beyond purely technological utility.
The supply of Life Crystal was limited, a fact that necessarily constrained the scale at which it could be deployed.
History
The Life Crystal was discovered by the Wyranth Empire within a cache located on the Isle du Mystere. The circumstances surrounding the original discovery and the full extent of the cache's contents remained closely held by the Wyranth.
Role in The Iron Wedding
In The Iron Wedding, the Life Crystal's influence was felt through its role in powering key Wyranth technologies. The Changeling Net — which required more of the crystal than the automatons — was employed to disguise Ivan, the Iron Emperor as the ambassador Andrei Zelezo during the events surrounding the titular wedding. A character observed of a notable effect, "this comes from the life crystal," underscoring the crystal's centrality to Wyranth technological capability during this period.
The Life Crystal's connection to those bearing giant's blood also carried implications for characters of that lineage present during the events of the novel.
Properties
- A sliver of Life Crystal was sufficient to produce remarkable effects in automatons.
- The Changeling Net required a larger quantity of Life Crystal than the automatons to function.
- The crystal granted those with giant's blood a connection to others.
- The total supply of Life Crystal was limited.
Related Technologies
The Life Crystal was directly associated with two known technologies: automatons and the Changeling Net. Its discovery by the Wyranth Empire on the Isle du Mystere placed it within the broader context of Wyranth technological development and military capability.
In A History of Rislandia
According to A History of Rislandia, Life Crystals carry a mythological origin and a history stretching back to the earliest ages of the world, far predating their discovery by the Wyranth Empire as described in the novels.
Name and Origin
The sourcebook records that Life Crystals are also known by the ancient name Vitarum, derived from the divine being of the same name. According to the creation account in A History of Rislandia, Vitarum underwent a Great Sacrifice during which its essence was transformed into the crystals themselves: "Vitarum became the Life Crystals, granting animation and healing." The crystals are thus understood in Rislandian scholarly tradition not merely as a mineral resource but as a remnant of a divine act.
The sourcebook further states that the Fae owe their existence in part to Life Crystals: "Born from Vitarum's Life Crystals merging with Chronazel's Fate Shards," the Fae came into being through the union of Life Crystals with Fate Crystals belonging to the entity Chronazel.
Ancient Use
According to A History of Rislandia, Life Crystals were in use long before the Wyranth Empire. The Giants employed them to power automatons during the Age of Giants, establishing a precedent for the mechanical applications later adopted by the Wyranth. The crystals were also the tool of the Lifewardens, a faction or order associated with their curative and animating properties.
During the era of the Orethan Dominion, Life Crystals powered automated water fountains in Oretha Eternal, with the sourcebook noting: "Automated water fountains (powered by life crystals) provided fresh water to every district." This represents a civic and infrastructural application not mentioned in the novels.
Mining and Supply
A History of Rislandia confirms that the primary source of Life Crystals is the Isle du Mystere, where they are mined from volcanic deposits. The sourcebook describes crystal mining as a primary industry of the island and a source of its strategic importance. Secondary sources include scattered ruins elsewhere on the continent. The sourcebook also notes that Life Crystals can be corrupted or drained, adding a vulnerability not addressed on this page.
Physical Description
The sourcebook provides a physical description absent from the novels: Life Crystals are green in color, sometimes exhibiting an internal glow.
Properties
According to A History of Rislandia, the powers of Life Crystals encompass animation, healing, and the acceleration of plant growth — a broader range than the automaton-powering and changeling-net applications recorded from the novels. The sourcebook does not mention the connection to those bearing giant's blood that the novels describe.
Military Applications
The sourcebook details the Wyranth military use of Life Crystals more specifically than the novels. According to A History of Rislandia, Life Crystals power the mechanical soldiers of the Automaton Corps of the Wyranth Imperial Army. The sourcebook further notes that automatons are vulnerable to crystal disruption, implying that interference with or removal of Life Crystals represents a tactical weakness.