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Smoky gray crystals
https://paradigmconcepts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=1606		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  toodeep [ Sat Jan 17, 2015 10:21 am ]
Post subject:  Smoky gray crystals
So in the last campaign, in the module "the sacrifice of generations," the adventurers found some smoky gray crystals that didn't appear to have any powers, but were made from the remains of an ancient crystalline race by Illiir (reportedly). Illiir reportedly said, "‘Know that my heart is heavy, but this must be done for OURchildren to have a chance of surviving beyond the time of Oblivion and utter Silence. The essence of your children will serve to protect mine," so it would seem that he at least thought these were important. :)

Did these ever feature again in the campaign, or possession of them become important? It is implied (but not said outright) that upon examination dwarves could probably learn to make them (so we're not limited to the one chest full of crystals Illiir left behind). Are there dwarves who know how to make these?
Author:  val Holryn [ Sun Jan 18, 2015 2:48 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Smoky gray crystals
My recollection is that they did not play a role in the final year of the campaign. Though many people expected them to. I have no idea if it is possible to make more. Since no one knows what death field effect they negate...I would tend to guess no.

I know the heroes usually each kept one and a very few were gifted to various secret societies. But the large quantity of crystals in the chest has presumably been turned in to Darius and the rebellion ... and from them on to unknown parties. Perhaps we will see them again.
Author:  Deviknyte [ Sat Feb 28, 2015 6:36 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Smoky gray crystals
My theory on this is that they are protecting Arcanis from the Silence. They gave off a faith death ward effect in the old campaign, and I believe that when Illiir killed off the Kha'faree and grinded their bodies up somewhere along the lines they became enchanted with the minor death ward and they were spread around to ward off Oblivion and Entropy. This buys Illiir time to figure out how to beat it.
Author:  Eric Hughes [ Sat Feb 28, 2015 7:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Smoky gray crystals
Deviknyte wrote:
. This buys Illiir time to figure out how to beat it.


This assumes that Illiir lived long enough to benefit from the time alotted. :-)
Author:  val Holryn [ Sat Feb 28, 2015 8:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Smoky gray crystals
Deviknyte wrote:
My theory on this is that they are protecting Arcanis from the Silence. They gave off a faith death ward effect in the old campaign, and I believe that when Illiir killed off the Kha'faree and grinded their bodies up somewhere along the lines they became enchanted with the minor death ward and they were spread around to ward off Oblivion and Entropy. This buys Illiir time to figure out how to beat it.


Interesting idea - not something I had considered before. But the fact the Gray Crystals were sitting in the Underworld of Neroth and Beltline instead of the Material Plane of Arcanis undermines that idea (at least so I think). I still lean that they're artifacts whose time is still to come. Either way hopefully we'll see them resurface. Eventually.
Author:  toodeep [ Sat Feb 28, 2015 10:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Smoky gray crystals
Considering that they could be worn and reacted to psionic characters, it seemed more like a personal defense of a spiritual/mental kind than any kind of area effect. My big question is whether dwarves can make more. It was implied that they could, but not spelled out exactly. If the only source of these crystals is the box that was found, than I expect these would be hard to find. But if dwarves can take what was implied to be fairly common crystals and use a known method of crafting (soul shard) on them to make more, than they should be fairly readily available for purchase to those interested in them.
Author:  PCIHenry [ Sat Feb 28, 2015 10:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Smoky gray crystals
Hello,

toodeep wrote:
But if dwarves can take what was implied to be fairly common crystals and use a known method of crafting (soul shard) on them to make more, than they should be fairly readily available for purchase to those interested in them.


No, that's not what the was implied.

The dwarves MAY be able to cut the crystals in the correct way to shape them to do whatever it is they were designed to do.

But I assure you - those are NOT ordinary crystals.
Author:  Nierite [ Sun Mar 01, 2015 3:25 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Smoky gray crystals
Wasn't it stated that the Khi'faree 'smoky crystals' were similar to Dwarven Soul Shards? Could the essense needed to protect his children be a reference to the Dwarves eventually needing these crystals to house their own soul, enslaving an entire race of beings to protect mankind? We know Illiir could plan ahead, as Henry said he let one of the Khi'faree gods go to become the Lord of Shadow because he was needed so that Cadic could kill him to become the lord of Shadow later on? When the Gods came back in time, they knew what they had to do to gain power, so they 'set up' the best possible tools to do the job based on what they already knew needed to be done.

Or it could just be the crack I've been smoking. . .
Author:  toodeep [ Sun Mar 01, 2015 8:37 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Smoky gray crystals
PCIHenry wrote:
Hello,

toodeep wrote:
But if dwarves can take what was implied to be fairly common crystals and use a known method of crafting (soul shard) on them to make more, than they should be fairly readily available for purchase to those interested in them.


No, that's not what the was implied.

The dwarves MAY be able to cut the crystals in the correct way to shape them to do whatever it is they were designed to do.

But I assure you - those are NOT ordinary crystals.


Thanks for the response Henry! I thought they might be a fairly common crystal (or really, that Khi'faree corpse crystal isn't that uncommon once you know what to look for) because it said in the module (pg 24) "If a dwarf is present he/she may study the crystals and conclude that the dwarves have often found such crystals all throughout their mines. They don’t seem inherently valuable and crack easily, so they are discarded or ignored for the most part."

Coupled with the information that, "If a dwarf examines the gems he will remark that the technique developed to cut the dwarven Soul Shards is the same one used to cut these crystals." It appeared in text that it might be possible for dwarves might be able to craft these as well.

I take it that is incorrect?
Author:  Deviknyte [ Sun Mar 01, 2015 2:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Smoky gray crystals
val Holryn wrote:
Interesting idea - not something I had considered before. But the fact the Gray Crystals were sitting in the Underworld of Neroth and Beltline instead of the Material Plane of Arcanis undermines that idea (at least so I think). I still lean that they're artifacts whose time is still to come. Either way hopefully we'll see them resurface. Eventually.
But they are in the Material plane. At the end of the mod the dwarven nations tell you they find them all the time when they are digging around regular Arcanis.
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