Quartz
| Quartz | |
|---|---|
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| Materials | |
| Official Name | Quartz |
| Common Nicknames | White Glass, Alnawahijr, Lamonsmal |
| Origin | Aloria |
| Uses | Decoration, Utility |
| Rarity | Common |
| Accessibility | All Classes |
Quartz is a multipurpose, white and oftentimes translucent material that has various practical uses. From decoration to technology, Quartz has long seen use by the various Races of Aloria going back centuries. The most notable in the modern day are the Qadir and the Maraya, whose use of the material is unique for its technological ties. Quartz can generally be found all over Aloria, yet it is often tough to cut due to its flaky composition.
History
Quartz has a very ancient history in Aloria, going back before even the Altalar existed in the world. The first to embrace Quartz were in fact the Meraic. As with their love of crystals, they extensively mined the material both to decorate themselves, and also to help them work their machinery. Eventually, when that civilization fell to the Fourth Void Invasion, the next to rise were the Altalar. They were less enthusiastic about the material, but still sought it out, with a particular emphasis on massive hexagonal crystal formations naturally existing to serve as an example of an individual’s powers for having acquired it. Additionally, the Altalar sought to carve out Quartz to form impressive, detail-rich drinking implements. However, the next to fully and truly appreciate Quartz were the Qadir. Their skills in Clockwork, and their unique connection to Soul Essence saw them mine and produce Quartz on a vast scale in order to supply many of their greatest (or most energy-consuming) machines with White Cores. Finally, as for the Ailor, Quartz provided a form of crude and simple jewelry during much of their early history. Grave goods recovered before the Destruction of Ceardia from Ceardia indicate that such jewelry was relatively common, and in some old burials in areas of Ellador and the Regalian Archipelago the same also appears to be proven true.
In the wake of the Cataclysm, and the gradual emergence of the Maraya, Quartz re-entered their society as an important tie back to the Meraic civilization, while in other societies, it lost its importance. The Altalar abandoned it entirely, and while the Qadir still use it, the destruction of the Sariyd Empire saw them forced to adapt a wide array of other materials to power their devices as they no longer had access to the same material wealth as they had in their great Empire. Similarly, as the Ailor refined and the Regalian Empire emerged, Quartz became relegated to a mercantile good; traded to the distant Qadir for technological aid as well as used to help make white dye for cloth and paints. In 174 AC, the large island of Kelmoria was discovered and rapidly industrialized by the Regalian Empire in order to help mine the Quartz and other minerals found alongside it. However, over a century of mining prosperity came to an end in 303 AC when the island’s volcano erupted, killing thousands and causing a mass retreat from the region. Today, Quartz is often tied to this disaster, though it still goes used in many sectors and by various Races due to its value.
Characteristics
Appearance
Quartz is a form of crystal that appears commonly in the earth in clusters of hexagonal prisms with pointed tips. They are pale, often completely white and vary from opaque to relatively clear. They are highly flakey and brittle, making cutting difficult. The very similar material of Amethyst commonly forms near them and the two are considered to be closely related.
General Uses
Quartz has a wide variety of uses across Aloria, the most common today being the creation of white dye, as well as white paints. Next to this is the substance’s role in technology, as both the Qadir and Maraya make use of Quartz for their machinery, the Maraya in a much more secretive way than the Qadir and their unique White Cores. As for the Maraya, they are almost the only group to still make use of the substance’s original use, as a decorative item either in jewelry or furnishings. Certain Ailor tend to do the same, especially in poor regions, but on the whole the practice is much less pronounced than it once was. However, many Ailor and even some Altalar still support the industry of crystal jug and cup-making.
Abilities
Quartz has no well understood abilities in Aloria. However, it is clear from Meraic and Qadir machinery that the substance can hold a variety of different forms of power, from Soul Essence to whatever powers the technology of the Maia Race.
Trivia
- There is a cheeky saying that comes from many Regalian merchants who deal with markets in the eastern regions of Aloria: “Where there’s Quartz in a market, there’s Qadir.”
- An ancient belief among Etosians was that Quartz was ancient, supercooled ice. As a result, it was often carved into a sphere to be held in an individual's hand to help cool them off.
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