Crystal Affliction

Details

Difficulty/Rarity Level: ★★☆☆☆ (easy, common)

Physical Traits:

• Crystal formations will start appearing on the Creature's body shortly after birth, beginning with small clusters in certain areas.
  • The crystalline structures will progressively grow and spread over time.
  • Formations are concentrated around areas tied to their magical abilities and senses, such as their head, spine, chest, paws/hands, and tail.
• Their eyes have a kaleidoscopic appearance, with shifting, prismatic rings of color radiating out from the pupils when they use their magic.
• The crystals refract light in dazzling displays, shimmering with rainbow hues.

Mental Traits:

• Creatures with this Affliction tend to be nervous and skittish at first, prone to paranoia and distrust. Patience and care is required to earn their trust.
• They are deeply intuitive but may struggle to interpret or communicate their visions clearly. Building a vocabulary and understanding is key.
• Music, sound, and vibration can have a strong soothing and focusing effect on their minds. Toning, humming, singing, and sound healing facilitates bonding.
• They thrive in natural environments with minimal artificial lights and sounds. Too much sensory overload causes anxiety.

Primary Source: Creatures with this Affliction must consume Crystal Shards to stabilize their Affliction; the shards are often the shape of a gold bar and can be naturally found wherever crystals grow naturally. Creatures can also absorb ambient shards by spending time in close proximity to crystals.

Strengths:

• Clairvoyance: Companions with this affliction have heightened intuition and can sometimes glimpse into the future through their dreams.
• Harmonization: They have a natural ability to harmonize with other energy fields, allowing for easier bonding and connection with others.
• Beauty: Their unique appearances can be mesmerizing to behold, potentially allowing them to dazzle and hypnotize others.

Weaknesses:

• Fragility: Their crystalline bodies can make them more physically fragile compared to other Companions.
• Light Sensitivity: Due to their translucent bodies, they are highly sensitive to bright lights and may find it difficult to move in extremely bright environments.
• Energy Dependency: They rely heavily on their food sources to maintain their energy levels, and can become weak if unable to feed appropriately.

Bonding Process Suggestion

Out of character, you will need to purchase your character's Companions from the Marketplace. In character, this is a possible method a character might use to bond with a Crystal Afflicted Companion; it is not mandatory to follow this exact process though, so if you have another idea please feel free!

Initial Contact:

• Locate a Crystal Afflicted Companions wandering alone in a natural environment away from bright lights and loud noise.
• Approach slowly and calmly, speaking in a soft, soothing voice. Sudden movements may startle them.
• Allow the Companion to investigate you and pick up your scent. Moving slowly, offer a small gift of crystals or shiny objects.
• If they accept the gift, sit nearby and meditate. Avoid direct eye contact initially.

Building Trust:

• Visit the Astrofel daily, repeating the initial contact routine. Bring small food gifts to encourage positive association.
• After some time, the Astrofel will come closer and allow you to gently stroke them. Focus on areas around crystal clusters to soothe them.
• Meditate with a focus on aligning your vibration with the Astrofel. Syncing energy is key for bonding.

Deepening the Bond:

• Engage in meditation together. This synchronization establishes the telepathic link.
• The Astrofel will eventually communicate through images, emotions, and short phrases.
• Once the Astrofel fully trusts you, they will share a crystal from their body as a bonding gift, allowing you to finalize the bond.
  • These crystals are often worked into jewelry, which the Ognoshu wears to show the connection to their Astrofel.

Capabilities & Differences

Most Astrofel with this Affliction will follow the progression path outlined below, however, as long as you stay within the bounds of your Astrofel 's current level and purchased talents, we allow for some flexibility in interpretation. The capabilities and difficulties are those that all Afflicted of the appropriate level may have access to -- not every Astrofel will be extremely proficient in every Capability, and not every Astrofel will be affected as badly, or in the same way, by a Difficulty.

Participating in the progression system is completely optional. If you prefer your Astrofel remain at Level 0, that is perfectly fine. The levels serve as a guide for unlocking new experiences, not a requirement.

Level 0 [0 Shards]

Capabilities

• Glimmers of Clairvoyance: Astrofel at this level may experience fleeting moments of heightened intuition or foresight, although these instances are quite rare and often uncontrolled.
• Basic Crystal Manipulation: Astrofel can perform rudimentary manipulation of crystals, including slight alterations in color or temperature, giving them a very basic control over crystal-related materials.
• Affinity with Crystal Environments: Astrofel find themselves more comfortable and calm in environments rich with crystals, drawing a sense of peace and belonging from being near sources of their primary nourishment.

Difficulties

• Uncontrolled Crystal Growth: Astrofel may involuntarily cause crystals to grow in unwanted places, potentially causing damage to their surroundings or even to themselves.
• Increased Fragility: At this initial level, the Astrofel's physical constitution might be slightly weaker compared to others, making them more susceptible to injuries.
• Difficulty in Harnessing Power: Astrofel often find it challenging to consciously access and use their powers, leading to a lack of reliability in their abilities.
• Sensory Overload: Being in proximity to large quantities of crystals or highly energized crystal zones might overwhelm their senses, causing discomfort or temporary sensory impairments.
• Compulsive Crystal Seeking: Astrofel might find themselves compulsively seeking out crystals, sometimes putting themselves in dangerous situations in their pursuit.
• Unstable Emotions: Due to the uncontrolled influx of energies from the crystals, Astrofel may experience mood swings and have difficulty maintaining a stable emotional state.

Level I [50 Shards]

Capabilities

• Emerging Crystal Resonance: At this level, Astrofel begin to have a deeper connection with crystals, allowing them a faint but growing ability to resonate with the energies contained within various crystals, discerning basic properties or histories stored within them.
• Glimmers of Clairvoyance: The fleeting moments of heightened intuition or foresight continue to be a part of the Astrofel's experience, gradually becoming a bit more frequent as they grow in their understanding of their Affliction.
• Basic Crystal Manipulation: Their ability to perform rudimentary manipulations of crystals develops further, allowing for slightly more control and precision in altering color and temperature of the crystal-related materials.
• Affinity with Crystal Environments: Their affinity with crystal environments deepens, potentially beginning to aid slightly in their healing and recovery processes when they are in environments rich with crystals.

Difficulties

• Uncontrolled Crystal Growth: The challenge of uncontrolled crystal growth remains a significant hurdle, with Astrofel perhaps causing more intricate and expansive crystal growths involuntarily, leading to intricate but potentially hazardous environments.
• Increased Fragility: The Astrofel continue to grapple with a weaker physical constitution, requiring them to be cautious and to often seek protection and support from their bonded Ognoshu.
• Difficulty in Harnessing Power: Despite their growing understanding, consciously accessing and using their powers remains largely unreliable, with their abilities sometimes activating unpredictably, creating both wondrous and chaotic results.
• Sensory Overload: The difficulty with sensory overload remains, possibly intensified at times as their connection to the crystal energies deepens, leading to more frequent experiences of discomfort or sensory impairments.
• Compulsive Crystal Seeking: This level sees the Astrofel still often driven by a near-compulsive need to seek out crystals, possibly developing a bit of a hoarding tendency as they are reluctant to part with any crystals they find.
• Unstable Emotions: The influx of energies continues to cause emotional instability, with Astrofel experiencing swings between joy and despair, confidence and doubt, driven by the chaotic energies they are learning to navigate.

Level II [150 Shards]

Capabilities

• Crystal Resonance Amplification: At this stage, Astrofel are beginning to amplify the resonance with crystals, gaining the ability to derive more detailed information from them and having a more nuanced communication with the energies stored within crystals.
• Enhanced Clairvoyance: The moments of clairvoyance become more substantial, allowing Astrofel to have slightly longer foresights and a better understanding of their intuitive flashes, though it might still be a bit fragmented.
• Intermediate Crystal Manipulation: Astrofel's manipulation abilities enhance, enabling them to create small crystal structures and even mend broken crystal objects to a certain extent.
• Crystal Environment Adaptability: Their affinity with crystal environments reaches a level where they not only feel at peace but also can derive nourishment from being in such locales, absorbing ambient crystal energy to sustain themselves.

Difficulties

• Unpredictable Crystal Growth: Although the uncontrolled crystal growth is beginning to temper, it can still occur unpredictably, sometimes leading to astonishing yet unintentional creations that are a reflection of their emotional state.
• Physical Vulnerabilities: The Astrofel remain physically vulnerable; there is a slight improvement in their resilience, though they still need to navigate the world with caution to avoid harm.
• Power Control Fluctuations: While they are gaining a firmer grasp on their abilities, Astrofel still face fluctuations in their control, leading to moments of frustration as their powers sometimes have a mind of their own.
• Sensitive to Crystal Energies: Their deepening connection to crystal energies means that Astrofel become highly sensitive to the fluctuations in the energies around them, which can be both a blessing and a curse as it allows for greater understanding but also more susceptibility to overload.
• Emotional Swings: The Astrofel continue to experience emotional swings, but they begin to have a slightly better understanding of their emotions, and a budding ability to regain equilibrium quicker than before.

Level III [250 Shards]

Capabilities

• Advanced Clairvoyance: Astrofel at this level can have glimpses of future events with improved clarity, though interpreting these visions correctly still requires a nuanced understanding and experience.
• Crystalline Shield: Astrofel develop the capability to form a protective barrier made of crystal to defend themselves and others. This shield is still developing and may have limits to its durability.
• Crystal Harmonization: Astrofel now can harmonize with crystal environments, not just adapting to them but also healing and nurturing the crystals around them, fostering growth and balance in their surroundings.
• Expertise in Crystal Crafting: Astrofel’s manipulation abilities mature, and they become capable artisans in crafting intricate objects and structures from crystals, using their imaginations to mold and shape crystal matter into wonderful creations.

Difficulties

• Vulnerability to Resonance Overload: Despite their growth, Astrofel can become overly harmonized with crystal environments, leading to a form of resonance overload, where they find it hard to detach from the crystal’s influence, which can be both mentally and physically draining.
• Demanding Clairvoyance: The expanding clairvoyant abilities can be demanding, at times pulling Astrofel into visions involuntarily, which can be jarring and interrupt their daily activities.
• Resource Management: As their capabilities grow, Astrofel find that they need to manage their energy resources more effectively, as using their powers can be draining and requires a consistent source of nourishment through crystal shards.
• Occasional Emotional Imbalance: While Astrofel have learned to manage their emotional states to a large extent, they still face moments of emotional imbalance, especially during periods of high stress or when exposed to negative energies.

Level IV [350 Shards]

Capabilities

• Mature Clairvoyance: Astrofel have honed their clairvoyant skills to the point where they can actively seek out visions of specific events or individuals, offering a rich tapestry of potential insights and foreknowledge that can guide their actions and decisions.
• Crystalline Healing: Astrofel can now harness the healing powers of crystals to mend injuries and alleviate illnesses, not only in themselves but in others as well, making them a valuable ally in times of crisis.
• Crystal Sanctuary Creation: Astrofel gain the profound ability to create sanctuaries using crystal constructs, providing a safe and harmonious space where they can rejuvenate and find tranquility.
• Telepathic Communication through Crystals: Astrofel at this level can communicate telepathically through large crystal networks, sending messages and sharing knowledge across vast distances.

Difficulties

• High Energy Consumption: As their capabilities expand, Astrofel find that their energy consumption increases as well. Maintaining a balanced diet of crystal shards becomes paramount to sustain their powers.
• Potential for Clairvoyant Fatigue: Delving deep into the streams of potential futures can be mentally exhausting, leading to a state of clairvoyant fatigue where Astrofel might need to retreat and recover.
• Sensitive to Disruptions: Astrofel become more sensitive to disruptions in crystal environments, and sudden changes or disturbances can be distressing for them, prompting a need for stabilization and healing in their surroundings.
• Complexity in Control: As their powers mature, controlling them becomes more complex, requiring a greater degree of focus and mastery to utilize their capabilities to their fullest extent.

Level V [450 Shards]

Capabilities

• Advanced Crystal Architecture: Astrofel can now create intricate structures and tools from crystals with a mere thought. These creations are not only beautiful but can have various functional uses, showcasing the depth of their understanding and control over crystal energies.
• Profound Clairvoyant Insights: Their foresight reaches new heights, allowing them to have deep insights that can span across time and space. They can offer guidance and wisdom that is based on a complex web of potential futures, helping to navigate the most pressing challenges with a vision that is both broad and deep.
• Crystal Harmonization: Astrofel can harmonize with crystal formations to a degree where they can resonate with the energy fields of others, offering healing, calming, and balancing effects to those in their vicinity.
• Guided Crystal Growth: They can now guide the growth of crystal formations with a detailed vision, fostering environments that are both aesthetically pleasing and harmoniously aligned with the natural energies of the world.

Difficulties

• Vulnerability to Crystal Dissonance: While they have a deep connection with crystals, it also means they are sensitive to areas where crystals are in a state of dissonance or chaos, feeling a kind of 'pain' that is more acute than at previous levels.
• High Maintenance of Crystal Sanctuaries: The beautiful sanctuaries they create require maintenance, and ensuring their stability and harmony can be a continuous task that demands their attention and care.
• Emotional Echoes: Their deep connection with crystals might sometimes cause them to experience emotional echoes from the past energies the crystals have absorbed, which can be both a blessing and a curse.

Level VI [550 Shards]

Capabilities

• Crystal Sage Wisdom: Astrofel can access ancient knowledge stored in crystal formations, drawing upon the collective wisdom accumulated over centuries to guide their decisions and advise others with deep insight and foresight.
• Masterful Crystal Manipulation: Astrofel at this level have near complete mastery over their crystal manipulation abilities, able to craft intricate artifacts and even living crystal entities that can assist them in various tasks.
• Crystalline Sanctuary Creation: They can create vast sanctuaries, places of peace and healing, with networks of crystal structures that resonate with harmonious energies, offering refuge and rejuvenation to all who enter.
• Harmony with All Crystals: Astrofel at this level can harmonize with all types of crystals, extracting the beneficial energies and mitigating the negative ones, allowing for a deeply nurturing and enriching relationship with the crystalline entities in their environment.

Difficulties

• Overshadowing Presence: Ancient, corrupted, or extremely powerful crystals may overpower an Astrofel's sense of self for a period of time; forcible severing of the bond can sometimes be required.
• Sensitive to Energy Disruptions: Being so finely tuned to the energy grids, Astrofel can become highly sensitive to disruptions in the natural flows of energy, requiring them to take steps to restore balance and harmony in their environments.
• High Energy Demands: Maintaining a high level of capability requires a substantial amount of energy, meaning Astrofel must ensure a consistent source of nourishment from high-quality crystal shards to sustain their vibrant energies.

Level VII [650 Shards]

Capabilities

• Crystalline Conduit: Astrofel can channel vast reservoirs of energy through their crystalline networks, acting as conduits for immense power that can be harnessed for grand feats of creation, healing, and protection.
• Grand Architect of Crystalline Structures: Astrofel can shape entire landscapes, conjuring magnificent crystalline palaces and sanctuaries that resonate with profound, harmonious energies, a testament to their artistic and visionary pinnacle.
• Crystal Entity Communication: Astrofel can communicate and even form alliances with ancient crystal entities, beings of immense wisdom and power, creating a symbiotic relationship that enriches both parties involved.
• Harmonious Resonance: Astrofel can resonate with the natural frequencies of the world, bringing harmony and balance wherever they go, healing lands and fostering growth and well-being in their surroundings.

Difficulties

• Energy Reverberations: With such a high degree of mastery, Astrofel might face issues with energy reverberations, where the energy they channel can sometimes rebound, necessitating careful management of their power dynamics.
• Deep Connections, Deep Responsibilities: The deep connections they forge with crystal entities and the environments come with a high degree of responsibility, requiring them to be stewards of ancient wisdom and protectors of crystalline realms.
• The Burden of Wisdom: Possessing such a vast reservoir of knowledge and wisdom can sometimes be a burden, as Astrofel are privy to truths that are complex and multifaceted, requiring nuanced understanding and wise governance.

Level VIII [750+ Shards]

Beyond level VII, Crystal Afflicted Astrofel may select ONE of the following specializations:

• Crystalline Seer: Astrofel with this specialization have unparalleled foresight abilities, able to glimpse potential futures and guide their communities with great wisdom and foresight.
• Crystal Harmonizer: These Astrofel can attune themselves to the resonances of various crystals to such a degree that they can foster harmony and well-being on a large scale, healing lands, and ensuring bountiful harvests.
• Crystal Shaper Master: A master of creation, able to shape and grow crystalline structures at will, fostering magnificent crystal gardens, artworks, or even habitable structures with intricate details showcasing unprecedented artistry.
• Crystal Entity Ambassador: Serving as a diplomat and communicator between crystal entities and others, fostering deep connections and mutual understanding between different realms of existence.
• Crystalline Shield Guardian: Protectors who can conjure formidable crystalline barriers and shields, safeguarding their kin and lands from threats with nearly impregnable defenses.
• Crystal Resonance Healer: Healers of unparalleled skill, capable of harmonizing with the crystalline nature of beings to facilitate deep healing and rejuvenation, even in the most dire of circumstances.
• Crystal Frequency Tuner: Astrofel capable of tuning into different frequencies, potentially manipulating emotions, enhancing growth, and fostering positive environments through their deep understanding of vibrational frequencies.
• Crystalline Wisdom Keeper: Guardians of ancient knowledge and secrets, these Astrofel serve as living libraries, a reservoir of the deep wisdom and histories of the crystalline worlds.
• Crystal Harmony Conductor: In this specialization, Astrofel become masters of orchestrating complex symphonies of light and sound using crystalline formations. They can create mesmerizing displays that can convey complex emotions, stories, or even ancient lore, all through the beautiful harmonies they produce with the crystals.
• Crystal Dreamweaver: Astrofel with this specialization have the rare ability to craft intricate dreams and visions through their bond with the crystalline world. They can guide others in dream journeys, offering healing, insight, or even a simply beautiful and serene dream experience, crafted from their deep understanding and mastery of the crystalline energies.