Crystyl

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Crystyls were extra-planar crystalline entities in the I.C.E. Age, typically 10 to 20 feet individually, with the ability to exist in multiple places or even planes of existence simultaneously. While they were extremely intelligent and tremendous sources of information, they lacked the interest or motivations typical of intelligent lifeforms. It was only possible to communicate with them with mental spells, and they would not otherwise be inclined to speak with anything. When threatened they would club the victim or stab it with their shards, and would shift itself elsewhere or another plane entirely.

They were thought to be distantly related in some way to earth elementals. Though they could communicate with mental magic, they had no ability to cast such spells themselves. Crystyls would ordinarily move very slowly if at all, and had no need to eat or sleep. Their homeworld, if any, was unknown. Those in The Broken Lands were presumably made artificially, and may be reincarnated by the dome. It is impossible to control the crystyls with magic. However, this paradox is also present with other entities in the Broken Lands, and the implication is that Uthex used them for his extra-planar research.

Behind The Scenes

The crystal forest on the jagged plain of The Broken Lands is implicitly a large cluster of crystyl entities. These were in the same category of "other standard" extra-planar creatures in the source material used for the other works of Uthex Kathiasas. Similar to the magru, hoard, and giant fog beetles, crystyls were notorious for infesting random planes or simultaneously existing in multiple worlds. The crystyls could not be summoned or controlled. However, they enjoyed adding gemstones to themselves as they were each unique in appearance, and would willingly trade information for gems.