Crystali Lifecycle

Crystali do not need to reproduce the same way humans do. This means any couple, group or single Crystali can have offspring. There is no need for their gender or relationship type to come into play.

To have a child entails performing a ritual at a life spring. There are 4 of these dotted across Nophra in various regions. The ritual will not work unless the intentions are pure and true from all parties involved. Offspring and their parent(s) are tied to one another spiritually upon birth. The instinct to protect and nurture must be present in the parents for the ritual to work, and they are reinforced upon its success.

A child's element will usually be closely related to one of their parents', but to gain a seemingly random one is not unheard of.

Draconic Crystali

Dragons typically do not need to use these springs, as they normally reside in places coursing with their own breed of magic, far away from Crystali settlements. This is one of the reasons their offspring can be so unique, aside from being half dragon. While they don't need to visit the springs, some still choose to for a variety of reasons.

Life Springs

There are 4 life springs dotted around Nophra, one for each base element. (Water, Fire, Air, Earth) There is somewhat of an elemental influence depending on which spring the ritual is performed at, but it does not mean the child will always be of the spring's element.

These springs are highly spiritual places. The people of nearby villages will maintain them and their shrines.

They are sometimes visited for personal reasons outside of wanting a child, with many coming to pray or meditate there. Crystali of an element that matches the spring they are at will often return feeling especially rejuvenated after spending time there.

There are no springs for Light and Dark elements.

The springs are located in the following places:

• Water - Kairos
• Fire - Meraki
• Air - Dasos
• Earth - Elysian

Lifespan

On their own, Mystic Crystali live to be around 500 years old. There are ways to extend their lifespan, some more nefarious than others.

Common Crystali have shorter lifespans, mostly capping off at 200 - 300 years of age. Like Mystic Crystali, Common Crystali can have their lifespans extended using magic.

As they age, their bodies become more fragile and injury prone. Their horns become more brittle and their ability to channel magic through them diminishes. The color of the aura slowly becomes less saturated and dull. Eventually, no amount of supplemental magic can keep them alive.

Death

A few things can cause Crystali to die.

If more than ~30% of their crystals are shattered or otherwise removed, they will die. Even the thinnest and daintiest of crystals are surprisingly tough, so this is usually done quite intentionally.

Aside from being able to wield magic, they are soft beings. They are not magically immortal in any way and will die from any grave injury that they cannot physically heal from.