Ley Energy Shards
Ley Energy shards are arcane batteries that can be used to power certain magic items. They are the basis of modern arcane technology and are used to power everything from airships to galleys, as well as hundreds of other arcane devices.
Mechanics & Inner Workings
Ley Energy Shards are made of a specific kind of crystal gem. The origin of these gems is unknown. Some claim they are the bones of ancient dragons deities. Others suspect that natural formations of these minerals exists at great depths and are the origin of the leylines that cross the planet. The most prevalent theory held by learned archmages is that these materials are extradimensional in nature, coming from beyond the material plane, perhaps having originally fallen into the world as arcane meteors.
Energy shards can be charged with ley energy using a arcane device operated by a mage or magewright following a specific ritual. The length of time necessary to charge the shard depends upon the strength of the leyline, the quality of the device and the skill of the mage or magewright.
Manufacturing process
Raw shards are mined, primarily in the Quartez Mountains. The raw gems must then be cut and polished. There are several establishments in Toresta that are qualified and capable of producing arcane quality ley energy shards. Shards are produced in standard sizes, typically designated using the Common alphabet, A, B, C , D, E and EE. A shards are small. the size of large marbles, while EE shards, typically used to run galleys and airships are easily 5 feet tall and a foot in diameter.
Polished gems are taken to ley energy farms, which are located on a leyline. There they are plugged into a charging device, a complex arcane artifact that take artificers months, if not years to construct. A long ritual, sometimes in the case of EE shards taking months of time to complete, is done to siphon the ley energy from the leyline into the shard.
Ley energy farms are on of Toresta's major industries, producing shards for domestic use as well as for export.
History
The industrial farming of leylines became possible in 690 ATC. This was the result of work at the Toresta Polyarcane Academy, built on work of its founder the Archmage Amanda Grendrey. The availability of ley energy beyond the close proximity of leylines resulted in a arcane industrial revolution unlike the world had ever seen.
Significance
The near ubiquitness of fairly powerful magic items, available to a large portion of the population, literally changed the world. Toresta's position as the center of this magical industrial revolution, ensured the political importance of the city as well as making it a target.
Creating shards and charging them are beyond the capability of any individual mage or party.
Shards are typically bought for standard prices in Toresta. They can be more expensive in other parts of the world.
Discharged shards can typically be resold to the farms for one percent of its charged cost.
A - 8 gp
B - 50 gp
C - 250 gp
D - 500 gp
E - 1000 gp
EE - 2200 gp
Shards are more rare in other parts of the world. They are commonly available in Toresta, at least in sizes A-D. Larges sizes have specialized military and arcane use and are harder to get, particularly without garnering official notice.
Shards are dug out of the ground using mining equipment, either arcane of mundane. A skillful jeweler can cut and polish a shard if proficient with a jeweler's kit, during a period of time related to the size of the shard.
