Category:Psionospheric Crystals
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
"The known history of the Psionospheric Crystals has been long wrought with the lies of uneducated hypotheses. The only things that can be said are certain are the hearsays delivered by the crystals to their hosts, which we still can't be sure aren't lies. Serious scientists dodge the subject after repeated attempts to quantify them and their origins, while magicians and so-called Arcanists give us lofty conjecture in place of real answers. It is fairly sure nobody knows what they are, but we know they're intelligent and we can be pretty sure they have their own agendas. -- Incandescent of The Herald, Vanguard's public relations division.
Contents |
"Established Characteristics of a Psionospheric Crystal"
by Professor J. Thompson Smith of MAGI.
The tested psionospheric crystal is a rose colored spindle three inches in length and weighing 4 ounces. It has minimal light refraction and appears to be unaltered by tools, despite maintaining a perfect edge similar to that of a jewel cut. It has 17 distinct facets, with both ends terminating at a sharp point.
Mineralogical/Chemical Analysis
| Chemical Formula: | Ca2Al3(Si?4)3(?H) = Ca2AlAl2(Si?4)(Si2?7)?(?H) |
| Composition: | Molecular Weight = 454.36 gm Composition is very similar to that of Clinozoisite, and can be easily mistaken for it when casually observing. Heavy concentrations of Calcium, Hydrogen and Oxygen. Weak concentrations of Aluminum and Silicon. Contains an unknown element that would normally in similar crystals be made up of Oxygen molecules. |
| Empirical Formula: | Ca2Al3(Si?4)3(?H) |
| Environment: | Not naturally occuring, most findings are in metamorphic strata. Crystal classified as a "psionomorphic mineral" |
| IMA Status: | Proposed IMA |
| Locality: | Eastern coastal regions of the United States of America, Canada, and the coastal regions of Western Europe. |
| Name Origin: | Named for "magical" properties of initial specimen found. |
| Synonym: | PSC 1890 |
Initial Scientific Hypothesis
"At this time it is not possible with current technology to properly analyze the substances involved in the formation of a Psionospheric Crystal. But it is possible through experimentation to discover some of its origins. For example, when subjected to high quantities of radiation, the mineral does not take on any of the properties one would normally expect of a quartz or other high silicon crystal. The material does not become smokey in coloration but maintains its high shine, lustrous edges and defined crystal structure. It suffers no degradation even under high quantities of gamma radiation or attempts to cut the material with a laser graded well beyond Titanium on the cutting scale. Unlike other discovered minerals with the latter property, it also does not reflect the laser light but instead appears to absorb it and -- I hesitate to admit -- appears to metabolize the light and grow almost imperceptibly in size. The tested sample was subjected to laser contact for fourteen hours and the total measurable difference at the end was +0.04 milligrams."
"During tests in conjunction between the Mineralogy Lab of Steel Canyon University and the Galaxy City MAGI installation, it was discovered that the crystals are far less resistant than they should be to both electromagnetic resonance imaging and direct electrical contact. Enough of a difference where the crystal put off a clearly audible hissing sound when direct AC voltage was applied to it at both ends. The sound when analyzed against an audio recording database most closely resembled that of a fresh lobster being lowered into boiling water, further analysis will be necessary to determine if this was the sound of oxygen escaping from the crystal in a similar manner."
"Further analysis is suggested with the best potential data being from examination under electron microscope."
Initial Arcane Hypothesis
"With the inclusion of assistance from council member Azuria, it was possible to perform a similar analysis to the scientific one through means totally unverifiable by science. With this in mind, I suggest the following be taken with a grain of salt as I cannot entirely support the position of so-called 'magic' in a scientific study, even one conducted on behalf of an organization as illustrious as MAGI."
"Under IAA (Illumine-Aetheric Analysis), the crystal threw seven separately colored shadows against a prism chart to indicate a position directly between that of a sentient artifact and the entrapped soul of a human being. According to Azuria, this implies the intelligence level of refined and sentient creatures normally restricted to those with both a capacity to learn and feel remorse. This would place the Psionospheric Crystals on the list of those creatures sentient enough to be tried for war crimes by the UN and to claim asylum if requested of a government with asylum laws."
"Protocol 6 Lantzheim Spectralogy was used to continuously loop psychically generated light through the numerous surfaces of the crystal by bouncing the beams off of separate intricately placed mirrors setup on a 360° armature around it. After two hours of intense saturation with the generated light, the crystal's refraction began to weaken and slowly grow dimmer. Azuria suggested that it might be possible the crystal had to consciously choose to let the energies pass through its facets and over time, it was in fact tiring due to exertion. A very curious reaction for a crystal form. By the end of the third hour, the lights were beginning to refract within the crystal and stopped exiting it entirely. It gathered a charge and we were forced to stop for fear of psychically fracturing it."
"Attempts to psychically intrude the crystal to make contact were largely non-harmful to the crystal or the tester involved (in this case MAGI Psychic Megan Foreshade) but resulted in the tester entering a peaceful catatonic state for 6 hours. Upon exiting catatonia, the tester described the experience as being trapped in a maze of winding organic corridors representing the inside of the crystals higher mind, with constantly shifting walls and partially transparent surfaces to all sides. After a short examination by Azuria to clarify and reduce the tester's experience into a more quantifiable description, the tester revealed that several of the hours of catatonia had her facing her own internal fears and attitudes that caused personal strife. In effect, the crystal defended itself by throwing the imperfections of the intruding personality back at them either to ward them off or act as a defense against contact by anyone it deems unworthy. For a complete transcription of the tester's descriptions, reference MAGI archives file MF06326."
"After twelve hours of total testing and analysis, the conclusion is that the crystals are in fact living sentient creatures and should be treated thusly. Under order of the MAGI council testing is to cease until contact can be made with the crystal's occupant."
The Crowley Shaw Diaries
The Diary of Crowley Shaw was unearthed at archaeological dig #FL16 in the area of Overbrook marked as Reservoir on re-construction maps. It was discovered along with an active Psionospheric Crystal and several scientific apparatuses dating back to approximately 1890 by Dr. Delilah Stein in her search for lost Hero bases. According to the earliest-most reports of Doc Delilah, the cavity the objects were found in appeared to have been created and filled by human means well over a hundred years prior to their unearthing. Not having an area of specialty with these sorts of artifacts, Doc Delilah forwarded the materials to MAGI for safe keeping and study.
Excerpt from the Diary of Crowley Shaw
OOC: So you want to play a bound 'spheric, huh?
It's an interesting thing, playing with another player's concept as your own. It brings up curious and very nervous questions involving intellectual property and very often, makes people worry about "doing something" with the concept that might damage it or raise the ire of its creator.
With the crystals, this isn't the case. In short for OOC purposes, the crystals are the souls of beings from another dimension that forced their way into our Paragon's reality through the layers in between. In the course of this, they burned away much of their personality in travel as pure energy and arrived just in time to be bagged and tagged as physical crystals once inside the universal subconscious around the Earth. Falling like meteors from space around a thousand years ago--its hard to be sure exactly when as they're immortal and don't think in concepts like time--and embedding themselves in rock and earth, they show up on digs and are largely considered worthless. Or at least were until the first psychics tried to play with them and found out, much to their horror, they are much much more.
The crystals have no alignment, and only in a very rare case would they possess someone. But under the right circumstances they could be harnessed, or a deal might be struck with them under very abnormal circumstances.
Pages in category "Psionospheric Crystals"
The following 2 pages are in this category, out of 2 total.
