Crystals

[emeraldfool]

indeed you are so right mysteries is what we need more of.. still we need to know our bounds whitin the mysteries

Exactly. It's okay to say "The Dark Crystal is a mystery to the residents of Yliakum", but you can't assume that it is a mystery when nothing at all has been said about it other than that it exists...

[zanzibar]

indeed you are so right mysteries is what we need more of.. still we need to know our bounds whitin the mysteries

I mean there are unanswered questions that we will have not only as characters, but as players as well.  We will not know everything about the PS world and I think that's a good thing.  Without the unknown, there would be no sense of wonder.

[bilbous]

Well one of the three npc's in the DR talks about the dark crystal and how they are studying its power. I didn't get much more than that from the three but that much was fairly easy to get. I should really make myself a list of all the words which get a response from any npc when asked "about ____." It kind of seems like work, however. I am sure more will be revealed in good time and there may be more than any player has yet unearthed. Do you think the devs responsible for the dialog have a tool to determine which speeches have been made and which have not been accessed? It wouldn't surprise me and if they do not they really should. Myself I am going to assume there will be more crystals found and indeed become a crystal hunter. Didn't that used to be one of the tips of the day way back when?

[Suvok]

Also, if each Way had its own Crystal, like Azure Way is the Azure Crystal/Sun and the Dark Way and the Dark Crystal....What about the Crystal Way, would it be the Crystal Crystal?

[emeraldfool]

Also, if each Way had its own Crystal, like Azure Way is the Azure Crystal/Sun and the Dark Way and the Dark Crystal....What about the Crystal Way, would it be the Crystal Crystal?

That's what I said. The Crystal Way refers to the Azure Sun, which is a crystal. I think.

It makes sense, because the Azure Sun has nothing to do with air or illusions (Azure Way) - it's a crystal of perpetual light, and probably - if it's like the sun - is the source of all life in Yliakum (except for perhaps the Kran, being silicon-based). Meaning it relates more to the Crystal Way anyway.

Of course, there could be a difference between the Azure Sun and the Azure Crystal...

[Nikodemus]

The Azure Sun originates all 6 ways. Without it, using their magic would be far harder.

[emeraldfool]

The Azure Sun originates all 6 ways. Without it, using their magic would be far harder.

That's what I heard. But are you sure? Where'd you hear that?

[Nikodemus]

Its 3 years old knowledge, or so. Might be it is on PS official site.
At this point i ca give nothing except my word.

Also, about the dark crystal in the DR. It is the 2m tall crystal in the DR citadel. I'm pretty sure it was once produced, or acquired and it is just source of energy. Maybe its giant glyph? It may be as well dark way channeling thing.

[bilbous]

It really makes little difference at this point what we think. I personally would expect that if there was some relation between the Ways and these crystalline artifacts that Crystal Way would be represented by a clear crystal like diamond or quartz.

I do not think speculation undermines the mystery surrounding the topic because there is as much chance of being incorrect as being correct, probably more. This would tend to add to the mystery not detract from it. As far as what information may be in the game or on the website, I would not put it past the developers to throw in some in context misdirection should they decide that how the populous thinks the world works is not how it really works. I actually think this would be entirely appropriate though I do not know how likely it is.

[Aznakh]

An Octarch can't be removed, nevertheless in some cases the Octarch was assassinated because it was too cruel, inept, dishonest, etc... One of the most famous cases is the one of Fertedian Dalko, Octarch of the 4th level, that was tied to a hypnotized Megaras and sent straight towards the Crystal.

_{Quote from http://www.planeshift.it/government.html}

Waiting for the day when the other peoples would come, he forged magical power into many shapes, suitable to be used by the mortals to help them to survive underground: he created the Glyphs.

Talad and Laanx realized the nature of the crystal and wanted to create a prosperous dominion with people to worship them.

Therefore, they used their powers to enlarge the niche and created the huge cave comprised of eight levels.

_{Quotes from http://www.planeshift.it/history.html}

The first quote would suggest that the "Crystal" radiates some kind of destructive energy ... or at least destructive to mere mortals. I presume that in this case the "Crystal" refers to the azure sun.
However according to the background it is the energy of the Azure sun which allowed the creation of Yliakum and is the source of all life in it.
So what we can conclude from this is that the magical powers originate from the azure sun and since the glyphs were a gift from Talad and are magical power forged into different shapes, that those shapes diverted into the different magical paths.
But then again this is just a line of deduction based on the official info we have access to today. 

[bilbous]

Waiting for the day when the other peoples would come, he forged magical power into many shapes, suitable to be used by the mortals to help them to survive underground: he created the Glyphs.

To my mind this does not preclude the possibility that he created the other crystals as "repeaters" for specific types of magic thus it may be that with sufficient knowledge of dark magic things are possible near the dark crystal that are possible nowhere else except near the Azure Sun. This is of course purest supposition and may never have any basis in game reality. Of course nothing would prevent a philosophically minded character from supposing such a thing however wrong it may be.

[eldoth_terevan]

I think this makes total sense. However, if the affects become increasingly more and more deadly as one gets towards the Azure Sun, then I would expect any of the prime crystals to have detrimental effects, possibly involving health, psychological and perhaps wild-magic types of effects as one was exposed to the raw power of the source. Sounds like a rich RP possibility.

[bilbous]

This would be possible but not necessarily readily apparent, or it might be that because the Dark Crystal is in the DR it would be an exception to the rule as you are already technically dead, although that would not prevent the wild magic type of effect. It may also be as I suggested elsewhere that the lore that has come down to us from the ages is false and only what the Gods want us to believe.