The Magic of Myric Shards

In the world of Anuheim, magic flows through all things — whispered in ley lines, anchored in arcane rifts, and stirred awake by those who dare to wield it. While spells can be spoken and shaped by gesture, true magic is rarely stable without a conduit.

For most mages and mystics, that conduit is a crystal: a Myric Shard.

These stones are fragments of the world’s living power.

The Six Magic Types of Anuheim

To understand Myric Shards, you must first understand what they carry.

All magic in Anuheim flows through six primary forces, sometimes called the Threads:

Shadow–Void

Magic of hidden realms, illusions, spirits, and forgotten memory. Practiced by dreamwalkers, necromancers, and void-mages.

Nature–Earth

Rooted in life cycles, stone, plant, and beast. Shamans, druids, and primal rangers harness this type.

Fire–Ember

The magic of destruction, passion, and transformation. Used by firecallers, battle mages, and anarchist cults.

Frost–Ice

Stillness, preservation, and inevitability. Often practiced by those who guard secrets and slow time itself.

Arcane–Mind

Pure ley energy, telekinesis, illusion, and timefolding. The domain of scholars, glyphbinders, and spellwrights.

Light–Holy

Healing, clarity, divine protection, and radiant truth. Found in the chants of temple-singers and paladins alike.

Every Myric Shard aligns with one of these types, some naturally, others through refining.

What Are Myric Shards?

Myric Shards are rare and powerful crystals that grow near ley lines and sometimes near the mysterious arcane rifts that dot the land. Their origin is not fully understood, though scholars debate whether they are crystallized resonance or fragments of something more ancient.

Each shard is attuned to one of the six magic types and serves as a magical conduit. Unlike scrolls or potions, they do not fade or burn out. They do not degrade with use but they can be overloaded.

Overload and the Power Within

When a shard is pushed beyond its natural limits, either by reckless use or external disruption, it can overload. This leads to the violent destruction of the shard and an unpredictable magical effect based on its attunement.

Overloads are rare, but the consequences are never the same.

In one famous incident, a Fire–Ember Myric Gem was shattered in the heart of an ancient forest. The blast killed its wielder and incinerated hundreds of acres.

Yet, a ring of surviving treants just beyond the radius were permanently changed. Their sap ignited, their bodies glowed with flame, and they became living conduits of fire magic.

Some overloads are catastrophic. Others awaken something new.

Types and Classifications

Myric Shards fall into three broad categories:

1. Named Stones

Common enough to receive gemstone-like names, such as Glint Garnets (Fire), Moondust Emeralds (Nature), or Wisp Sapphires (Shadow). These are widely used and traded.

2. Attunement-Classified Shards

Identified by their magical alignment rather than name. Examples include Void-attuned Splinters or Arcane-infused Crystals. Often used in more specialized or experimental tools.

3. Legendary Myric Shards

Ultra-rare, deeply powerful, and completely unique. Each has a proper name — like Thorneye, Emberwake, or Stillhowl. These shards are the stuff of history and myth.

Objects of Power

Myric Shards are embedded into tools and objects used by adventurers, scholars, and spellcasters across Anuheim. These tools focus, refine, or enhance spellwork, turning raw intent into magic.

Common forms include:

• Wands – Slim tools holding a single sliver for focused casting.

• Staves – Larger tools with multiple embedded shards for layered magic.

• Swords and Blades – Forged with a Myric core to carry elemental force.

• Orbs and Tomes – Off-hand relics that enhance control or store spells.

• Jewelry – Rings, amulets, or circlets that attune the body to a specific magic type.

• Armor and Robes – Only the most elite can bear garments laced with shard-thread, offering protection, reactive effects, or passive enchantments.

The Shardwrights

Working with Myric Shards is a craft all its own. Known as Shardwrights, these artisans are part blacksmith, part alchemist, and part rune-weaver. They fuse magic with metal, crystal with intention.

A well-crafted relic requires not just a good shard but harmony between material, user, and magic.

Living Magic

In Anuheim, Myric Shards are found in city markets, forest vaults, ruined temples, and drifting black market caravans. While some are studied in arcanist towers, others are passed down in family lines or lost in the wild.

Some believe these shards are alive. Some whisper they are sleeping fragments of ancient beings. Others simply know this:

“When the spell falters, trust the stone. It will carry what you cannot.”
– Lyrren Valek, Last Mage of the Hollow City

But the true source of the myric shards is mining places of great magical power. Ley lines often point to potential sites while arcane rifts appear to "grow" myric shards in their presence.