Gaining power is a concept that fascinates most, and there are a few ways Crystali can achieve this.

Sygils, sometimes referred to as marks, can help focus magic and make it more powerful. They can either develop naturally through training and experience (like developing an art style that is very striking and specific), or they can be meditated upon intentionally to achieve specific results. (practising a certain style to get good at it)

No mater the method, use of a mark always indicates a skilled individual and is not the most common sight.

Learning an existing mark will take a similar amount of time as creating a new one. They are very personal and spiritual tools, so you'd only really want to put in the time to learn an existing one if its effects are something highly specifically desired.

Sygils are not made in a traditional sense where they are drawn on paper, but rather a projection that is the result of intense meditation. Their visual representation is rarely set on paper, most commonly they will be seen as part of casting a spell.

When trying to use a Sygil, if the user is not capable the spell will fail. In rare cases, trying to 'brute force' use them can result in loss of control. This can lead to injury and in rare cases, death.

One can achieve a huge variety of effects using marks, but the element of the magic will always match the one the user was born with. Achieving a hybrid of 2 elements, with the dominant one being the base one, is possible but very rare.

Users who do not have access to a Sygil may make use of the Nophran array. This spell circle has been passed down for generations as a tool to help magic users attain higher levels of power in a safe and balanced way.

Crystali can enhance their magic with spell circles and Sygils up to a certain degree, but the most powerful way of achieving more magic is to use an exalted focus.

Exalted focuses work by essentially stealing a Crystali’s connection with Nophra. This requires harvesting their crystals while they are still alive, since that connection breaks upon death. Breaking enough of a Crystali’s crystals to make a focus will kill them, so these weapons always have a bloody backstory and are highly illegal and shunned throughout all of Nophra.

To make one, a skilled focus smith will carefully forge a weapon or accessory and enchant it so that it acts as a bridge between the user and the harvested crystals. The results are a weapon or accessory that allows the wielder to access an extra flow of magic, which can greatly amplify their abilities.

Overuse of these weapons can cause a rebound-type effect. Learning the limits of using them is always a gamble, and is done through feel alone. It's easy to become transfixed on this newly gained power and most will suffer for it.

consequences include:

• Shattering their magic channels
• Blindness
• magic 'burns' that usually cover entire limbs
• A cutoff or significant weakening of magic flow, from overwhelming and damaging it.
• Other mutation-esque issues.
• Death

These effects are very obvious and visible and will result in being shunned. They are unmistakable for diseases or other disabilities.

Unlike with marks, using a focus grants the user access to the element of the crystals used in the weapon.

Typically, Exalted Focuses are crafted as weapons as this seems to be the quickest way for someone to connect with powerful offensive magic. These can vary in appearance a lot, and some have more crystals on them than others.

There is also the possibility of crafting smaller focuses, such as ones worn as earrings or other accessories. they can also be embedded into armor. Using one small chunk of crystal isn't enough to provide the user with a good amount of extra magic, so these smaller focuses usually come in sets.

Crystali can choose to chip small pieces of their crystals off. This is very risky business though, if they get too much of a big chunk it can severely injure or kill them. These chips are usually too small and don't tap into a Crystali's core magic flow to provide the same effects a focus would. Regardless, they are highly valued for their beauty and cultural/emotional significance.

Crystals can be re-forged into new weapons, or broken into smaller pieces to create a different look. As long as all of them are used together by one Crystali, they'll retain their original magic flow.

Crystals harvested from a dead individual can still maintain their beauty so long as the magic within them is not drained/used up. they can be used to make jewellery and other decorative things for looks.

Only the most skilled of weapon smiths are able to incorporate crystals into their work and create these focuses. Most will not take commissions for them and will be very secretive about it. You only learn of them through word of mouth. Although they're very aware creating these weapons is forbidden, the temptation to prove their skill is always there for some. It is very much a black market thing.