Focus

A **focus** or **focus crystal** (commonly referred to simply as a "**crystal**") is a tool through which Magickers are able to channel their magick in order to put it to practical use. They typically take the form of natural transparent or translucent gemstones; several notable examples include members of the quartz family, such as amethysts, citrines, and rose quartzes, among others.

## Properties

Focuses come in all shapes and sizes, and are hinted to be created by warding a regular gemstone to better attune it to the magickal energy of its user. They can be fashioned into simple jewelry, such as pendants, or set into more elaborate pieces, such as watch fobs and bracelets. Most Magickers prefer to keep their primary focus, usually their bonded crystal, close at hand.

Though they are magickal tools, they are far from indestructible, and can be broken either through physical or magickal means. For instance, Ting Chuu shatters her first crystal by accident while attempting to cast Lantern, and the alarm beacon crystal at Camp Ravenwyng is broken when it falls from the cabinet it rests on.

Some focuses, like many natural gemstones, are inherently flawed. Jason Adrian's bonded quartz and Gavan Rainwater's Herkimer diamond are two such stones. The former contains bands of other elements inside the body of the mineral which interrupt the view into the stone, and the latter contains a small droplet of water which was trapped when it was formed. This can occasionally affect the integrity of the crystal, which can lead to later issues with its performance and cause a certain amount of unreliability.

## Uses

### Lantern

When magick is channeled through a crystal, it can manifest physically in the form of light. While the lantern spell is second-nature to most Magickers, it takes time and patience to learn how to cast. When instructing her students on the practice and use of the spell, Eleanora Andarielle mentions that it is not easy at first, because the caster is essentially learning to kindle fire inside of stone. Some Magickers with an aptitude for fire, namely Henry Squibb, have difficulty controlling the spell at first, and can inadvertently cause it to be too powerful. In his case, attempting to cast Lantern caused his crystal to erupt in flames, which were hot enough to burn him. Most crystals, particularly bonded stones, will respond instantly to an experienced practitioner by lighting up, though the spell can also be cast intentionally.

### Transport

Magickers commonly use their crystals as a form of transportation. They are able to create a gateway in time and space between their location and another by focusing into the stone and envisioning the desired destination. While useful for traveling long distances, crystal transportation is known to have its dangers. For instance, on one occasion Bailey Landau accidentally becomes trapped inside her stone after dropping it, and is unable to directly contact anyone due to being out of sync with the stream of time around her. The passage created between locations through the stone is described as being cold and dark, and even a bit unsettling.

### Defense

Crystals can be used to create shields of light energy, which can protect the user from both physical and magickal attacks. Shield spells take a significant amount of energy to generate and maintain, and most Magickers are incapable of multitasking when using them. They typically take on the color of the stone they are being created with.

### Offense

Crystals can also be used to generate white-hot beams of energy, likened to swords made of pure light. Similar to crystal shields, these energy swords also usually take on the color of the crystal in question. This style of magick wielding is first demonstrated by Jonnard Albrite when he attacks Jason Adrian at Camp Ravenwyng.

### Special Properties

Some bonded crystals have special attributes known only to their users. Jason Adrian's morganite crystal, which once belonged to Gregory the Gray, has an aptitude for persuasion. He noted that people seemed more suggestible when he talked to them while holding onto the crystal. It also contains a magickally imprinted image of its former owner, which Eleanora Andarielle suggests was an enchantment that Gregory placed on the stone before his apparent death.

## Types of Focuses

### Bonded Crystals

A bonded crystal is the first focus that every Magicker begins with. They are warded before being chosen by their eventual partners, and the wards guarantee that the crystal in question will be compatible with the magickal energy of the person utilizing it.

### Master Crystals

When speaking on the difference between bonded crystals and master crystals, Gavan Rainwater likens each to different types of cars. He states that while a bonded stone is similar to a race car, which can only do a few things but does them very well, a master crystal is more akin to an economy car, which might work more slowly, but has far better performance in the long run. In this sense, a master crystal can perform a wide variety of jobs, perhaps even simultaneously, and likely takes less magickal energy to keep up with than a bonded crystal.

### "Talker" Crystals

"Talker" crystals are simple translation devices that allow the user to communicate freely with another person speaking a different language. They are widely used by the Magickers residing in Haven, who needed a way to interpret the Havenite language. They are first mentioned as being created by Gavan Rainwater and Tomaz Crowfeather, but it is unknown if they existed previously, or if the pair was the first to invent them.

### Alarm Beacons

At one time, Camp Ravenwyng had an alarm beacon crystal, which was located in Gavan Rainwater's office. It was mentioned as being a large, transparent topaz, and would alert anyone nearby when reached out to by a Magicker in peril. It was shattered toward the end of The Curse of Arkady, and it is unknown if this was the only crystal of its kind.