¶ Avian Crystals
![[IMG]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/426475766176546816/432342025216458753/PowerCrystal.png)
A crucial part of Avos technology, Avian Power Crystals are the most used form of power and one of the most versatile tools available to the Avian species. An isotopic cousin of Erchius Crystals which have seemingly only ever been discovered in the Avos system and its neighboring star systems, mysteriously cutting off entirely out of a radius of 75 light-years from Avos. Due to a unique chemical and crystal lattice structure, Avian Power Crystals are capable of holding a charge of electrical energy, usually at a rate of 25 Watt-hours per 5cm3 of crystal. These crystals can be charged either through induction of an electrical current, or through prolonged exposure to UV Radiation, such as the radiation which can be found in solar rays; however, this method is much slower and is rarely used now due to its inefficiency.
¶ History
Discovered by ancient Avian civilizations during their late stone age, Power Crystals were originally heavily misunderstood. Mostly used in ritual settings, the crystals were often shaped into rudimentary tools such as sacrificial knives and jewelry, especially by tribal chieftains, who used the crystals as a claim to the right to rule.
It was during the Bronze Age that Avians as a whole began to understand the use of such crystals. Often told in legends and myths, the story of the fire Crystal-Born flame is taught, similar to Human tales of the invention of the wheel. A crystal left out during a storm was placed near a pile of tinder and other flammable wood; struck by lightning, the crystal was overcharged by the strike, resulting in it discharging its energy to its surroundings, starting a fire from the pile of wood and tinder, the tribe soon began to learn and research its uses for fuel and energy, eventually leading to the discovery of Avian Crystal carving.
¶ Crystal Carving
Crystal carving was a discovery that revolutionized the uses of crystals, allowing for them to be miraculously specialized for a myriad of uses. Crystal carving can affect the way that a crystal can emit its stored potential energy, as well as allowing for it to double as a circuit, and when done on a fine enough level as microstructures coupled with gold leafing and small bits of silicon, can facilitate some of the functions of computational hardware, including RAM, processing, and of course, power sources. However, data storage still has to be done on a separate device. These techniques, in Avian colonies with large amounts of Flightless, are accredited to the unknown 'sunborn' visitors which bestowed the Avian species as a whole with a myriad of technology, an event widely referred to as the "Ascension" of the Avians from prehistory to a road leading to modernity.
This tale is looked at with scrutiny often by historians, though some similarities have been noted between the style and pattern of microstructures on Avian Crystals carved by accomplished masters and the naturally forming microstructures of Novakid brands which enable pseudo-neurological capacity to take place, giving them their sapience and forming their shell. The reasons behind these similarities is unknown. Skilled carvers often train for many years, and it can take decades to become a master of the craft. Though simplistic carving such as in lamps and heaters has been able to be mass produced, intricate carvings such as those that are used in computational crystal cores must be made by a trained master, and as such as expensive and hard to come by if one doesn't know a master carver or a carver's guild.
¶ Collection and Use
While the great majority of Crystals are mined by the Avos government, limited knowledge of synthesis and lab-made growth of Avian Crystals has spread to sectors such as the Fringe, and sometimes can be found on black markets, but this is extremely rare. Known carving patterns allow for the use of Avian Crystals as light sources which exude a reddish pink glow, heat sources often used in radiators and when specialized; cooking, and computational hardware. On Avos, Power Crystals are largely used instead of batteries and other power cells, powering everything from personal devices to homes, and even ships if a large enough crystal is used.
¶ Other
Due to Avian aesthetics surrounding objects which slightly hover,suspended and never making contact with the ground, avian crystals are often held in place with Zero Point Energy or other means of fixing them in place with hover technology, as such, most electrical appliances in use are wireless in nature, transmitting their electrical charge through the air. The largest crystal currently in use is a massive 5126kg crystal. Adorning the peak of the main Flightless temple on the Avos homeworld, it is specifically positioned to be at the center of most astronomical events, the sun and moon passing directly overhead every solstice due to its placement on the equator. It provides power to the entirety of the center of the Avian capital city, and is considered the crown jewel of the Avian species, a sacred artifact.