Primer on Crystallium

A Primer: Crystallium

Crystallium or Materia, is a crystalline substance compromising of a form of exotic matter, this emits a form of electromagnetic radiation, generally called a null space field. Electrical currents were observed to direct the field and directly etching circuits on the surface of materia can influence the effects.

Materia influences reality on the quantum level, it can temporarily or permanently rewrite how elements or forces react with each other, or within a space time location.

Where does it come from?

There are two known forms of Crystallium, Native or N-Type and Moon or M-Type.

Contary to popular belief, the meteorite impact which led to the discovery of Crystallium did not actually compromise of native Crystallium itself, but M-Type. This small highly reactive piece of M-Type materia kickstarted the Crystallium research as it was amazingly easy and powerful to direct. It also reacts with Native materia, waking it from the previous dormant state. M-Type however does not however, grow inorganically as native crystallium does and is beyond Green materia in it's mutagenic effects. Blight zones are theorised to compromise of M-Type Cores.

N-Type is the materia used in nearly all applications on the Planet. There is a semi-liquid crystallium layer in the planet's crust from which veins of Crystallium thrust upwards during tectonic events, usually in the form of Crystal cores of a particular type. These events have increased since 1908, increasing access to Materia but also threatening to cause natural disasters.

Crystal Cores The prize for Crystallium mining operations is obtaining a Crystallium Crystal Core. Unlike Materia veins, Crystal Cores are a renewable source of materia, gradually growing when placed in special power plants which speed up the natural growth.

Why Only Now?

Although touched on briefly, it is a fact that Crystallium was only discovered In 1908, despite the fact it had been present all along. Before reacting with the M-Type Crystallium, N-Type Materia was inactive, it was known as Xuartz stone. Thankfully, Crystallium was discovered before industrial drilling technology took off, otherwise the effects of using Xuartz stone as a extremely hard form of crystal, could have been disastrous.

What is Mist?

When you shatter the careful structure of Crystallium, the exotic matter disintegrates completely into a gaseous cold form known as Mist. It will spread until it reaches an equilibrium distribution. It will interfer considerably in what is termed 'static reality', paranormal events, distortions of physics, creation of monsters, mutation of flora and fauna will occur. It is theorised Mist Zones can pierce the veil of reality, allowing in creatures or physics from alternate universes.

What Are Beasts/Monsters?

Native life on the Planet compromises of humanity, moogles, chocobo etc. Out of these, humanity is the closest to what we would term beasts, as humanity are capable of safely interacting with Crystallium due to unknown mechanism as a result of a X chromosome mutation shared with some of the baser creatures of the planet. If you expose a moogle to green materia, it will die or become a uncontrollable monster. Humans have much higher resistance and can tolerate a certain amount of mutation.

Most beasts are nothing more than natural evolution, chocobo are large birds, which share significant ancestry with their theropod dinosaur cousins.

Exposing beasts to Crystallium however, will unlock abilities and in many cases, turn them into something closer to monsters. The exposure to the null space field, will usually morph their biological structures in ways that allow abilities that could never naturally evolve. Some beasts will display the ability to use primitive forms of magic, as they will develop small Crystallium cysts.

Beasts generally become monsters when they become uncontrollable, the distinction is more semantic than actual. Though M-Type Materia's effect on biological creatures is far more potent and in some ways, more alien. Blight zone monsters are significantly more dangerous than most Crystallium beasts made by man.