Handout 2, Adv 5, Crystals

I have manastones in my world and typically they are used to run and power the big and powerful items. Sometimes they are also used to run the small and intricate things as well. I've also had the knowledge on how to make them sort of percolating around my world for decades without actually writing it all up in one place.

Until now.

So here it is: Manastones, Magegems, and Skycrystals - all in one place and all how to make them. And the group ran across it as they will need one for Marcus's ritual of the Tower Master - and Flimflam should be using it for hit ritual of the dryad planting thing he's hoping to do.

Follows:

Olympian Crystals

Sometimes referred to as Manastones, Skycrystals, Magegems, Heartstones, and God’s Tears, Olympian Crystals are gathered along the slopes of the Olympian realms or amongst the tops of those clouds that passed recently through the Olympian territory. Prior to the Kinslayer Wars both the officers of the Speaker of the Sun and the runemasters of the High Thane of Westrock have in the past been able to gate to the crystal fields and harvest a great abundance of these inbuable crystals however the skill and accuracy to do so has been lost so we must treasure and care for any un-touched crystals that we manage to acquire.

Olympian Crystals can be imbued in one of three ways: 1) as a manastone to empower a latent construct with arcanic power to give such an item the illusion of life, 2) as a skycrystal or God’s Tear to act as a focus for a particular deity or infernal agent, and 3) as a heartstone as one would find in a beacon or as an anchor point along a leyline or Weave intersection.

Discussing the Heartstone creation first as it is the least taxing of the three iterations. A Heartstone is usually a beacon or marker for a mage when he is suspecting that he will be taking an etheric, astral, or portalling journey. Any jaunt through the planes or demi-planes is fraught with peril and smart mage or sorcerer should establish a Heartstone first on the off chance something goes awry. If at any time it appears the magi is suffering from the effects of a baleful portalling or is floundering in the ether betwixt the multiverses, the Heartstone will act as a beacon and empowered silvered cord that will lead them back to the prime material plane and within a hand’s grab of their Heartstone. Travel to such a location is still at the discretion of the mage and their own power, but most magi who have the luck and beneficence of having a Heartstone agree that it is an invaluable tool.

The magi in question must find a stone that is untouched and has not been imbued. They must then meditate over it, cradling it in their cupped hands without clothing, perfume, soaps, or jewelry to separate them from the world for a period no less than 12 hours. During such time they must remain still and at ease; partaking neither food nor water, relying only on their senses and discipline to keep them grounded.

If they have been successful, the crystal should begin to emit a faint keening as well as an ambient glow similar to that of a candle. At this point the mage should have their apprentice hand them a blade that has been sharpened no less than 101 strokes of a whetstone so that its edge is sharp. The magus then takes the knife with their off hand, holding the crystal in their on hand, and then cuts the skin on the chest over the heart vertically no less than 3” in length.

The crystal is then placed over the cut and the glow should deepen and redden as it absorbs the magi’s blood. The transference of the magi’s blood to the Heartstone is quick and painless, but there is a faint weakening to the magi’s life force. The magi will have a scar over their chest for their efforts but the Heartstone will be uniquely their own and can be used as needed.

The Skycrystal (or God’s Tear) creation will be discussed next as it is the median of the three iterations. Skycrystals have an important and unique import in establishing and maintaining the focus of divine will. No blessed temple, no empowered shrine, no menhir of stones exists and projects the power of the gods without having a Skycrystal of some sort on the premises.

The priest in question must first be of good standing with their deity or be pacted with their infernal agent. They must then find a stone that is untouched and has not been imbued. A Ceremony to invest and imbue the stone must be performed next with the exacting needs and requirements of the priest’s god’s needs and standards.

Incense and candles should be lit and maintained during this next stage. The priest then anoints themselves with holy water and meditates over the Skycrystal, cradling it in their cupped hands without clothing, perfume, soaps, or jewelry to separate them from the world for a period no less than 24 hours. During such time they must remain still and at ease; partaking neither food nor water, relying only on their senses and discipline to keep them grounded. They may fall into torpor and sleep during this time and it is up to their apprentices to gently return them to a seated position. The moistening of lips and tongue is allowed with a damp cloth only, and the apprentices are also allowed to remove any bodily waste that might occur during this time.

If they have been successful, the crystal should begin to emit a faint keening as well as an ambient glow similar to that of a lantern or beacon. At this point the priests should have their apprentice hand them a blade that has been sharpened no less than 101 strokes of a whetstone so that its edge is sharp. The priest then takes the knife with their off hand, holding the crystal in their on hand, and then cuts their skin on their wrist long ways no less than 3” in length.

The crystal is then placed over the cut and the glow should deepen and change color in accordance to the priest’s deity or infernal agent as it absorbs the priest’s blood. The transference of the priest’s blood to the Skycrystal is quick but not painless. Also, there is a weakening to the priest’s life force upon the completion as the priest has acted as a conduit for their deity or infernal agent.

There are occasions where a priest does not have the lifeforce to finish such a transference, at that time it is known that five (5) followers of the priest’s deity or infernal agent can take the cuts (it must be instead done by the priest’s hand – not their apprentice) one after the other in a space of no less than 10 minutes to empower the Skycrystal. The weakening of their respective life forces is to be expected.

And finally there are some known occasions where a priest does not have sufficient followers to furnish such a transference. At that time is it known that one hundred (100) persons can be made to take the cuts (again, it must be done by the priest’s hand – not their apprentice or followers), one after the other in a space of no less than 2 hours to empower the Skycrystal. The weakening of their respective life forces is to be expected.

The Manastone or Magegem will be discussed last as it is the most taxing of the three iterations. A manastone is used to empower an item that has been crafted and ensorcelled in such a way to give the illusion of life. Clockwork items, golems and the likes are often the beneficence of such a stone. It is primarily for the crafting of those items where the illusion of life is needed, but not the complexity of free will, thought, or emotions. For those items, typically a summoned or conjured elemental or extra-planar being is needed.

The magi in question must find a stone that is untouched and has not been imbued. The stone must be washed clean in a combination of unfiltered rain water, vinegar, and carbonic acid – each in 3:2:1 harmonic parts.

They must then meditate over the manastone, cradling it in their cupped hands without clothing, perfume, soaps, or jewelry to separate them from the world for a period no less than 6 hours. During such time they must remain still and at ease; partaking neither food nor water, relying only on their senses and discipline to keep them grounded.

If they have been successful, the crystal should begin to emit a faint moaning as well as an ambient glow similar to that of a candle. As a manastone is supposed to give the illusion of life to a construct, so must it be empowered. With the Laws of Sympathy and the Rites of Three – the magi must have acquired three potential sacrifices to empower the manastone and have then nearby and at the ready.

At this point the mage should have their apprentice hand them a blade that has been sharpened no less than 101 strokes of a whetstone so that its edge is sharp. The magus then takes the knife with their off hand, holding the crystal in their on hand. To fully empower the manastone the magi or their apprentice(s) should then stab deeply into the sacrifice’s heart and the stone trust into the weltering flow of blood for a full minute until it has expired. If the heart of the sacrifice is unable to be reached for whatever reason, a similar fatal cut across the throat will suffice as well.

The magi should then do the same to the second and the third sacrifice within a 10 minute period of time. Upon completion the magi will feel a faint weakening of his life force but the manastone is now fully empowered and ready for whatever needs or installation the magi requires.

If the magus is unable to survive the weakening of their life force, it is possible to have their apprentice perform the transference of the manastone between the sacrifices. However, the Rites of Three still applies and the apprentice will suffer a three-times weakening of the life force at the end of the transference.