Lumina is one of the most coveted and powerful arcane substances known to Ignisar. Though commonly called Moonstone by those who don't know any better, that name is a misnomer that arose during the The Era of Strifes and clung stubbornly to common speech. In truth, Lumina is not stone at all, but crystallized arcana. The Breath given physical form. It hums faintly with an otherworldly resonance, responding instinctively to those whose body and souls are deeply attuned to the Breath. Lumina possesses capabilities that far exceed those of any ordinary magical material. However, it also has a counterpart
Historic Context
Lumina was said to have originated from a colossal meteor that crashed into a grassy savannah in what is now the Sunfire Expanse, during the 500 BTC | The Crater Conflict . The impact created a massive crater and initiated a process called The Desertification which slowly transformed the once-vibrant landscape into a vast, barren wasteland. The Luminary proclaimed the substance to be a divine gift meant for them alone. They harvested it with ruthless efficiency, clashing violently with Human and Dwarven factions who sought even a share.
The Luminary’s dominance, later remembered as an period known as Luminary Supremeacy only fractured interracial alliances but also bled the land itself. As Lumina was stripped from the Sunfire, the savannah withered. Over the decades, this became known as the Desertification, transforming the region into a barren wasteland that endures to this day.
Properties of Lumina
Lumina is more than a catalyst—it is creation itself given substance.
Creation: Even the smallest shard can serve as the “heart” of a forged artifact.
With the use of an ancient Niðavellirian forge, it is possible to create a powerful arcane artifact with ease.Stabilization: Lumina binds unstable enchantments that would tear lesser materials apart. Magic items that are at the point of breaking can be easily stablized with the use of Lumina.
Amplification: Those who carry Lumina find their connection to the Breath magnified. Jewelry and adornments crafted of Lumina enabling magic to flow more freely and with greater potency.
Cleansing Void-taint: Lumina can restore what corruption has stolen or disrupted. Where ordinary magic falters against Void corruption, Lumina is capable of cleansing corruption, re-connecting the soul to the flow of the arcane.
Lumina's Counterpart: Ginnuga, referred to as Voidium or Nullstone
When Lumina's potent arcane energy is fully expended, whether through reckless use or slow decay, the material does not simply vanish. It seemingly dies. In its death, Lumina becomes another, desolate substance: Ginnunga, or rather known in the common tongue as Nullstone. Nullstone is the silent remains of a power that has been extinguished.
Where Lumina was a source, Nullstone is a sink; where Lumina channeled The Breath, Nullstone devours it, creating an unsettling aura for anyone that remains near it for too long. Physically, it is the antithesis of its counterpart. The vibrant, glowing gemstone becomes a dull, light-absorbing husk.
This dead material, however, is not without its uses. Its ability to dampen or negate magical energy makes it a coveted, if unsettling, resource. Ancient dwarven documentation refer that the material was used to jewelry, and its touch is described as ice-cold, a chillingly literal effect of the material's energy-draining nature.
In more sinister hands, Nullstone has been weaponized. During the The Throne War, humanity sought an edge against the Luminary's innate arcane supremacy. They found that edge in the dead, light-devouring Nullstone, or as it is more ominously known in their military circles as Voidium Weaponry. As their literal Void incarnate, this material's unique ability to dampen or entirely negate The breath made it the ultimate equalizer. Humanity, in their relentless arms race against the Luminary, weaponized the material, crafting it into projectiles for assassins' weapons.
Operatives used these silent, magic-killing bolts in attempts to neutralize powerful individuals, turning the essence of nothingness into a tool of war. This use of Voidium represents a grim and desperate strategy, twisting the remnants of a celestial gift into a weapon that strikes at the very source of Luminary power: their connection to The Breath. Operatives have used it in their missions and assassination attempts, firing projectiles made from the material to strike down Luminary or magically gifted individuals, when struck it drains the target of their connection to The Breath for a while, disabling their spell-casting and unique abilities.