Magic

This is a pale blue crystalline lifeform that landed on Terrania during the meteor shower of the year of the Star Rain, over 5,000 years ago. Several large clusters of the alien crystal fell in the lakes of the Breannin Mountains of Antilia, whereas the rest of the microscopic-sized crystals spread throughout the Perennial Ocean and the rivers and lakes of the Davian continent. These crystals are round, always form in spherical shapes, and can be likened in function to fungi or bacteria. They remain dormant in water and pass through the bodies of flora and fauna without causing any harm. 

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When they find a suitable human host, they begin to accumulate in their bloodstream, living in symbiosis as they grow a walnut-sized cluster in their chest. This provides the human with access to its power source when they reach puberty and the crystal symbiote helps the human develop a supernatural ability that slowly grows with time until they reach adulthood. 

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The phenomenon of symbiosis is extremely rare, occurring in only 1 in 2,000 humans in Antilia, 1 in 4,000 in Almoretzia, and 1 in 13,000 in the Malrennan Empire. Humans that develop this symbiotic relationship with the Aqua Incaris are called by different terms and treated differently, depending on culture and religion. 

 

These supernatural abilities develop, in part, based on an environmental need and genetic predisposition. For example, a human symbiont that has a parent with the ability to control water or lives in an environment where they interact with large bodies of water on a regular basis is more likely to develop the ability to control water themselves. 

 

The powers are separated into three categories: low-level, mid-level, and high-level. 

 

Low-level powers are the most common, constitute 89% of occurrences, and are physically oriented. Enhanced abilities include greatly increased speed, strength, and hyper-acute senses. 

 

Mid-level abilities occur less frequently at 10% and are generally mind-based. Some examples of mid-level abilities include telepathy, telekinesis, mind-bending, healing, and certain types of control over biological functions.

 

High-level powers are the rarest, developed by only 1% of human hosts. They are based on controlling one of the six elements—air, water, fire, earth, electricity, and metal.  

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It remains a mystery how these powers function, but numerous theories exist. One theory described by Antilian scientists is that they are accessed through a portal to another dimension that the Aqua Incaris opens and the human host acts as a vessel that channels that energy. What is certain is that the use of these powers taxes the human host. The side effects can be severe and in some cases lethal when used in excess. 

 

There are a small number of Aqua Incaris crystal formations that were found in the Breannin Lakes of Antilia which are large enough to see with the naked eye. The largest is the size of a cantaloupe and the smallest is the size of a quail egg. Human hosts of the Aqua Incaris are able to tune their own crystalline symbionts to them, which increases their supernatural abilities tenfold or more. This requires skin-to-skin contact with the crystals, so a couple of them have been made into pendants to be worn around the neck. The tuning process causes fever, severe headaches, and comes with a low risk of death from the body overheating.

 

All Aqua Incaris crystals found in the Breannin Lakes are property of the royal family of Antilia.