Crystals

Nexus is a place of magic. For creatures, this manifests as a magic crystal found within themselves. For many creatures, this Crystal is found within the heart. Creatures who do not possess hearts typically find their Crystals inside their head, in their roots, or in another important location.

Crystal Grading
Crystals are divided into numbered Grades for ease of use. Sometimes, these Grades are further broken into Types. A crystal's Grade describes how much magic flows through it.

A Grade 1 Crystal is what is inside most creatures, and is almost useless. It is worth 1 Krystal(The currency of most of the world).

A Grade 2 Crystal is inside most low-level creatures, such as guards, experts, sages, and basic bitch adventurers. They are worth 5 Kr.

A Grade 3 Crystal is found in creatures level 4 and 5. They are worth 10 Kr, and are marginally more useful than Grade 2 crystals.

A Grade 4 Crystal is found in creatures level 6 to 8. They are worth 50 Kr, and are generally considered the most useful in general magic item creation.

Grade 5 Crystals are worth 100 Kr, and are found within creatures level 9 and 10. Grade 5 and higher Crystals are incredibly rare in most places, and while they are only worth a given Krystal value, their rarity can sometimes be leveraged for them to be worth more.

Grade 6 Crystals are worth 500 Kr, and are found within creatures level 11 to 13. These Crystals are used in major magic items, and as such are often traded for closer to 1000 Kr, or even more.

7th Grade Crystals are found in level 14 and level 15 creatures, and are worth 1000 Kr from magic alone. They are so rare that many scholars propose ending the common Grading system at 6, rather than 8. This Grade of Crystal is used in most Legendary item creation, though many items of this power require even more powerful crystals.

Grade 8 is the end of the commonly-used Grading system, due to their rarity and the rarity of more powerful Crystals. Most places have seen perhaps a single crystal of this calibur, and the few that are found are almost always used to craft a Legendary item. They are worth 5000 Kr from magic alone, though the few times they have ever been traded, they have been traded for well above 15000 Kr in lesser crystals or goods.

Crystals above Grade 8 exist in incredibly powerful creatures, and are nearly unique. Many, due to strangeness within the crystals, are actually wholly unique. Their values range wildly, but a pseudo-grade is sometimes given to them.

Internal Usage
Crystals within a living being grant the creature an incredible list of benefits. Even those crystals which have not been honed by any training or experience are invaluable. In Nexus, crystals provide the basis of the 'Health' mechanics of the world by projecting a protective and regenerative aura through the body, making them far more resilient and easily repaired than they would otherwise be.

One's Crystal also augments their body in subtle ways, allowing them to perform many of their many feats of greatness, such as running, jumping, and flying faster than any wholly natural creature ever could.

Lastly, there is a level of risk one may take with their Crystal. With the proper knowledge and a great deal of willpower, a creature may call their crystal's magic directly outward. In DnD, you must spend 1 minute concentrating, and at the end of this minute, your current and maximum hit points are reduced by an amount upto your level(You choose the exact amount). You multiply this amount by your Tier, and the result is the amount of Kr you channel into a Crystal(Which you create if you do not have one to target), Object, or Creature of your choice. You regain 1 hit point at the end of a long rest. This method leads to the creation of the most powerful and personal magic items in Nexus, barring those of the gods and similar beings.

External Usage
A crystal removed from a creature may be harnessed for the raw magic that it is. There are three broad uses for these crystals, use in Personal Empowerment, use in Magic Item Creation, and use in Magic Density Manipulation.

Personal Empowerment
Due to the nature of Experience and magic and shit, a creature is able to devour the magic inside of a Crystal to gain raw Experience.

Magic Item Creation
There are many ways to make a magic item, but the most common method is to harness the energy of a Crystal as a source of power. There is a limitation to this method, which others do not necessarily share; A Crystal of Tier 2 can only bring enough power for a Level 1 spell effect, or similar. A crystal of Tier 5 can only bear the magic of a Level 4 spell effect. A bigger crystal is required for bigger magic, and bigger crystals are quite rare, to say the least. Thus, for larger magical effects, the Crystal Source method is usually the least efficient way.