The Hierarchy of Mana Objects

With the return of the Crystal Empire, I, Eight Star, thought it prudent to share some information out of one of my informative tomes. Mana Crystals are magical stones, in a way, which have their own form of sentience - not exactly the kind we understand, but they feel emotions in a different way. From the Mana Crystal known as the Crystal Heart to the Mana Gems known as the Elements of Harmony, each different stone is unique.

A mana object is a crystallization of magic through a highly concentrated source. Mana Crystals, the top of the hierarchy, are responsible for the flow of magic within dimensions, and around these grand crystals is where the others will form. After that, the only way they get taken from their parent crystal is from adventurers, magi, those the crystals trust, or other rare events.

Mana Crystal – Top Rank
When the worlds were born, mana crystals manifested within the stone as it was created, feeding off of concentrated energy poured into the birth of the world. They are sentient, and incredibly intelligent, but only speak through telepathy with skilled mages, or through the implantation of visual memories. These memories come as experiences which convey the message to the target.
Each crystal has a specialization, and they create mana for the world by reprocessing the elements they specialize in. The raw element that occurs near the crystal is absorbed, and then processes through them, turning into the energy known as mana. This energy flows through the world then, uninhibited by the shape of the world itself. This energy enters into living beings through the soul, which acts as a conduit. Once inside, a trained person is able to tap into the mana they have within them and focus it into usable magic.

Mana Crystal Shard – Second Rank
Mana shards are heavily concentrated crystallized energy. They are a part of the parent crystal, and continue to reprocess the element, never running out of power as they pump out mana from the element around them. The mana output of the shard only reaches the immediate stream, so shards alone cannot power a world, but can still power a single mage with ease.
Shards do not have a sentience, so there is no means of communication available with one. They can be slotted into numerous items, and they can fuse with physical soul-carrying beings, enhancing their powers greatly.

Mana Gem – Third Rank
Mana Gems are mana stones which go through a compression process either from hundreds of years next to a mana crystal, or by the powers of a very skilled mage. The process awakens a consciousness within the gem. It can communicate telepathically with anyone who is currently in contact with it, or an item that it has been slotted with. Their personalities are generally much more expressive than the mana crystals, and their intelligence is only limited to what they know. Using telepathy, they don’t understand the concept of other languages.
A mana gem is unlike the crystal or shards in that it doesn’t produce mana, but it does feed on it and stores it like a living being. It has the power to do many amazing things with the absorbed mana. It can form relationships with living beings and use “combined abilities” when coupled with someone they trust.

Mana Stones – Fourth Rank
Mana Stones have no sentience, much like the shards, and work more like enchanted magic stones. They’re able to be channeled through for powerful element-based attacks, or used to enhance armor for specific defenses. Using the power of a mana crystal or an especially skilled mage, they can be awakened to become Mana Gems.