Elderglass

The Lifeblood of Alboric

No natural material has shaped the history of Alboric—and the continent of Midwin—more profoundly than Elderglass. These crystalline shards, native to Alboric, are the most coveted and traded goods from the continent, their influence spanning from the earliest settlements to the imperial conquests. When crushed, Elderglass imbues its user with extraordinary strength and speed. Those born with the gift of magic find their abilities magnified tenfold through its use, while a rare few without innate magic may awaken latent powers after prolonged exposure.   Elderglass is the subject of intense study, with new applications constantly emerging—from potent alchemical potions to, more recently, as a source of energy to power machinery.  

Harvesting the Shards

Though Elderglass can be found throughout Alboric, it is most commonly unearthed in the arid wastes of Ardune Sai. It is common enough that fortunate farmers sometimes discover shards while tending their fields, and travelers may find fragments washed ashore along riverbanks. Curiously, large caches are often uncovered within ancient ruins and forgotten dungeons, suggesting that the civilization which once ruled Alboric held great mastery over Elderglass. Many suspect this mastery may have played a part in their eventual downfall.   The greatest concentrations of Elderglass lie within the sister continent known only as The Barrens—a desolate realm shrouded in ash and shadow, where twisted beasts afflicted by the dreaded Elderblight prowl. Numerous attempts have been made to devise effective methods of extracting Elderglass from this perilous land, most notably by the The Weiss Trading Company. They have established trading posts along the Edgelands, recruiting any adventurer brave—or desperate—enough to face The Barrens’ horrors. Yet with every effort, resistance grows fiercer, as if the very land itself seeks to guard its crystalline treasures.  

Elderblight

Elderblight—more commonly known among the folk as Glassrot—is a dire affliction borne of prolonged exposure to Elderglass. Though not all who wield or come into contact with the crystal suffer its curse, extensive research conducted by the venerable The Helioluna High Mage Academy reveals that those born with the gift of magic possess a far lower susceptibility to its ravages.   Elderblight manifests in many dreadful forms, yet its most frequent symptom is madness—a creeping unraveling of the mind that drives the afflicted to frenzy or despair. Others afflicted begin to physically deteriorate, wasting away as if their very flesh is fracturing like brittle glass. A hallmark sign of the condition is the eerie glow of the afflicted’s eyes, which take on a sickly luminescence reminiscent of Elderglass itself—though this spectral hue varies widely, from pale azure to a ghostly violet.   In advanced stages, Elderblight can transmute the sufferer into something far beyond mortal death; tales tell of victims rising as unholy revenants, their bodies twisted by the curse into monstrous forms. Such cursed beings are often feared and shunned, for many retain unnatural strength and speed, making them formidable and terrifying foes.   The menace of Elderblight has long been a shadow upon those who seek to harness Elderglass, a grim reminder that the crystal’s gifts come at a steep and often fatal price.