Crystallines

## Common Knowledge

The residents of Penskruingman have heard of crystalline beings living deep underground.

## Biology

Crystallines are an inorganic form of life made of living crystals. They live exclusively in the caverns beneath Pennskruingmann, and subsist on light and minerals found in stone and soil. Their primary methods of communication are through refracting light from one Crystalline to another, and by emitting chime-like tones at various pitches.

Crystallines are nearly indestructible due to the incredible hardness of the crystals their bodies are made of, though can be shattered through incredible force focused at the right point. If they so choose, a Crystalline may reshape itself so that some parts of its body are weaker than others (though this is uncommon).

Crystallines do not have souls, and are unaffected by Soul Magic. Instead, their consciousness resides within the crystals that compose their body. Crystallines grow larger and more intelligent as they age.

Crystallines reproduce by breaking off chunks of themselves, which immediately become their own Crystalline. They may choose to do this slowly, cutting off “limbs” one at a time, or all at once by shattering themselves and allowing themselves to die so their shards may grow into new Crystallines. Crystallines grow extremely slowly, and are, for all intents and purposes, immortal. Even if a Crystalline is shattered, the fragmented pieces of its body and consciousness will eventually grow into new crystallines.

## Culture/Religion

Crystallines have no known religion.

Crystallines live in large caverns, and create buildings from stone, quartz, or even other Crystallines. These buildings often look like spires, stalactites, or stalagmites that emerge from any single surface of a cave. Crystallines prefer to build downwards, deeper into the planet, rather than outwards, and generally expand only when necessary.

Most Crystallines, after many millenia, decide to be shattered such that their shards can become many new Crystallines. It is accepted as part of their culture, though is not forced upon them. The Eldest Crystalline generally does not do this, so it can continue to share its wisdom among those around it.

Crystallines, partly due to the communication barrier and partly due to their differing biology, fundamentally lack any understanding of how “conventional” life works (e.g., creatures that are not crystallines, usually ones with a soul). While not openly hostile towards such beings, genuine attempts to care for mortal beings have led to misunderstandings at best and atrocities at worst.

For example, the earliest mortal beings the Crystallines interacted with were the Kobolds, who had arrived on their island home. In their attempts to help the Kobolds adapt to their new home, many Crystallines reformed themselves into habitats (“zoos” as the Kobolds would come to call them) where Kobolds could live and be cared for. Kobolds were invited (sometimes forcefully) into such buildings, prohibited from leaving, and were subjected to strict treatment that the Crystallines saw no problem with. This included poisoning disobedient residents, feeding them synthesized, artificial slime (technically nutritious, definitely almost inedible) or even the remains of their deceased brethren. These incidents led the Kobolds to consider the Crystallines a hostile group, and they were driven out of their cities and deeper underground.

Crystalline culture trends away from violence, usually opting to retreat and simply outlast a conflict or hostile enemy group rather than engage them directly.

## History

The earliest Crystallines emerged deep in Temporis’s crust in roughly 30,000,000 B.B..

The Crystallines were the original inhabitants of the Penskruingman Archipeligo. When the Kobolds emigrated to the island from Orelisle in 3531 A.B., they briefly coexisted. During this time, the Crystallines misunderstood the nature of organic life, and had imprisoned many Kobolds in inhospitable conditions without realizing this would be interpreted as a hostile action and without realizing this would kill them. As a result, the Kobolds declared war, and the Crystallines moved underground. In the millennia that followed tensions cooled somewhat as both parties left each other alone and respected the others’ territory.

In 10,018, the Crystallines were encountered by the Binturian Party, during which time a Crystalline child was given to one of the party members in the form of a sword. To date, this Crystalline is the only known Crystalline not currently living in the caverns below Pennskruingman.

## Known Locations

Crystallines are only known to be found in the caverns below Penskruingman.

## Notable Individuals

The Elder is the oldest Crystalline having been alive for approximately 16 thousand years. The Elder represents the wisdom of the past generations who allowed themselves to be shattered in order for the new generation to be born.

## Further Information

* The Archipelago
* The Binturian Party
* Kobold
* Magic
* Penskruingman
* Soul