Aether Crystal

The Crystal That Creates Buoyancy

Aether Crystals are special crystalline minerals formed by tectonic activity when the continent was torn apart. They possess a property of repelling gravity, which is the fundamental reason The Canopy Isles float in the sky.

Unrefined Aether Crystals glow faintly blue and generate buoyancy. As refinement level increases, they develop enhanced buoyancy, applications in light-based communication, and even higher-order functions that affect the perception of time. The highest-purity Aether Crystal — the "Apex Crystal" — is said to temporarily expand the user's consciousness and allow perception of distant events.

The Symmetric Mystery of the Inverse Stone

Aether Crystals are abundant in the strata of The Canopy Isles, but they also occur rarely in the depths of The Root Realm. Root Realm Aether Crystals are called "Inverse Stones" — rather than buoyancy directed upward, they possess a force that draws downward into the earth. This symmetry has puzzled scholars of both civilizations for generations.

Before The Great Fall, Aether Crystals were merely curiosities. During the First Equilibrium Collapse, the vast aether energy stored in the earth's crust was released all at once, awakening the buoyant properties that had lain dormant in those crystals. The crystals' buoyancy may itself be a phenomenon created by The Great Fall.

The Shadow of Mining Restrictions and Vested Interests

In The Canopy Isles, Aether Crystal mining is a heavily regulated industry. Unauthorized mining is a serious crime called "stone theft," and mining volumes must be recorded and reported. Yet the Aether Refiners' Guild secretly exceeds extraction limits, and its conflict of interest with the Great Fall Research Institute runs deep. For the Guild, the scarcity of Aether Crystals is an opportunity to increase the value of their refinement technology.

Rumors persist that the Mycelium Symbiont Tribe is secretly researching The Root Realm's Inverse Stones. The claim is that Inverse Stone's pulling force can interfere with parts of the Memory of the Earth, selectively amplifying or erasing specific memories. Some see this suspicion as one reason the Root Realm Federation refuses to share information.

The Counterfeit Problem Plaguing Rakuen

In Rakuen's markets, low-grade Aether Crystals fraudulently sold as higher refinement grades are a growing problem. Despite Canopy Council-certified appraisers being on hand, allegations of bribed fraudulent appraisals never cease.