Dungeon Crystal

Dungeon Crystals are magical crystalline entities that are found at the bottom of active dungeons, the destruction of which causes the dungeon to become dormant for a period of time until another crystal is created.

Creation

Nobody is entirely sure how dungeon crystals come to be, or indeed what separates an active crystal from an inactive one, the fragments of a shattered crystal having radically different properties from an active whole crystal, and an active crystal being nigh-impossible to examine the nature of by magical or physical means, due to being highly absorbent of both magical energies and life force at close ranges, causing the crystal and the dungeon to swell and change.

It is known however that upon the creation of a crystal, the dungeon it is within begins to expand and change at a rate dependent on proximity to civilization and the amount of treasure or valuable artifacts within, and that the properties of the crystal change as the dungeon becomes deeper and more complex.

Destruction

To destroy a crystal one must simply shatter it. The challenges and dangers of doing this however are numerous.

Physical Density

The older a crystal is, the harder it is to physically damage, and while a particularly persistent assailant can damage even an ancient crystal over time, the chances of them succumbing to the crystal's life force draining effects or the monsters that roam such dungeons before the crystal breaks, means that only experienced Dungeon Hunters have successfully routed such a crystal.

Magical Defences

Certain types of crystal have a degree of magical fortification above that which renders them immune to conventional magic, in some cases being a barrier that absorbs blows, in others an energy discharging and striking whenever living beings draw near. All crystals may cause Aluis in beings of little will, and more powerful crystals will even affect otherwise peaceful or civil beings, driving them insane.

Monster Summoning

Dungeons are, as a whole, nexuses of monster activity, which increases in number and strength the closer one is to a dungeon's crystal. As such, an assault against one is often a matter of one team enduring or repelling monster attacks while another challenges the crystal itself.

Dungeon Collapse

When a crystal is destroyed, the dungeon begins to collapse. The exact manner of the collapse varies, from whole tunnels and rooms ceasing to exist to them being buried in rock and dirt, causing mayhem on the surface. One consistent result however is the entrance from the surface being destroyed, trapping those who destroyed the crystal far below, unless they have with them an experienced wizard or a scroll of teleportation prepared by one beforehand.

Crystal Types

Crystals can be classified by size, shape, and colour, each revealing properties about the crystal.

Colour

The colour of a crystal often indicates the nature of the dungeon, as well as any additional effects of exposure to the crystal.

Colour	Dungeon Nature	Effects
Red		Causes Aluis in all who are in the vicinity of the dungeon. The most powerful crystals can even affect the surface miles above.
Green		Example
Blue		Example
Yellow		Example
Orange		Example
Violet		Example
Indigo		Example
Black	Very poorly lit, with rough stone walls which catch the eye when a sputtering flame flickers against them. The ground can also be treacherous, causing those traveling through to stumble and fall if they are not very aware of their surroundings.	Causes those in the vicinity of the dungeon to at first feel uneasy, with increasingly vivid hallucinations of perceived threats and fears as they delve deeper. In the most severe cases this can drive the victim insane, or kill him outright.
White	Clean and smooth flagstone walls, often with good lighting as the dungeon deepens. The dungeon appears to get more beautiful the closer one gets to the crystal, although this may be in part due to the crystal's effect altering perception.	Fills all in the vicinity of the dungeon with a sense of peace and robs them of their conviction to continue down the dungeon.
Colourless		Has a wide variety of effects, including potentially those of other crystals. Unpredictable.

Size

A crystal's size is a good indicator of how powerful it is, in terms of resisting attack and in terms of their magical properties.