Sygils can help focus magic and make it more powerful. There is a general spell circle that is used widely throughout nophra that keeps all the elements balanced, but some Crystali choose to make their own ones based on what they want to focus their magic on. These sygils can be very personal and won't work for someone else the same way it works for their creator unless lots of training is involved.

To make a Sygil is an art that takes years to master. Most will be using the regular cast circle if they want to amplify their magic as it is still very effective and considered safer since it's balanced and won't invite any chaos.

Crystali can enhance their magic with spell circles and runes up to a certain degree, but the most powerful way of achieving more magic is to use an exalted focus. Exalted focuses are weapons made of Crystali crystals. They're a very taboo thing to be involved with because the crystals still need to have magic flowing through them when harvested, which means extracting them while their host is still alive. Dead crystals can theoretically also be used for this, but their magic source would be finite.

These weapons came into existence because a group of Lesser Crystali scholars were desperate to be able to feel the magic of Nophra the way True Crystali do. They got greedy in their thirst for power and created these weapons at the cost of many lives.

Using them usually results in catastrophe. Unless the user is skilled and experienced and able to control the magic they bring, they will be consumed or severely injured by it. The risk only seems worth the reward when you're at rock bottom.

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 visible and will result in being shunned.

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 them or even cause death. These chips are usually too small and don't tap into a Crystali's core magic to provide the same effects a focus would. Regadless, they are highly valued for their beauty and cultural/emotional significance.

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.