Novaborn Lore | Shards

Healing Shards

A miracle of our time, healing shards need simply to be cooked in herbs to infuse healing properties into the elements around it. The shards are not damaged or destroyed in the process and can be recooked with new herbs after some time to recharge.

Healing shards can be tuned to radiate healing effects to areas surrounding it to improve the natural healing of people nearby, especially novaborn.

Energy Shards

A useful and deadly power, energy shards can be used to power ship engines or provide a home with energy needed for light and heat. However, energy shards can also be tuned to produce the explosive energy blasts or concentrated energy bullets expelled from sword-gun weaponry.

Most energy shards are typically in one of two states; fully powered or recharging. Once energy is spent, the shard switches states and cannot be used again until fully charged.

Some energy shards have been found to still be usable while charging, but these are incredibly rare and valuable.

Light Shards

Light shards are the most common and commonly used shard. It is found everywhere, from the grandest halls to the simplest bedroom. These crystals light our world and beyond. Without even needing to recharge, they can go on shining indefinitely, unless tuned to shine brighter than found in nature.

The energy shards atop our homes allow them to recharge faster and shine brighter. However, so long as they are near a planet with a Nova, they will continually recharge, as is the case with all shards. They come in many different shapes and colors and can be tuned to different colors, lumens, and focused into tight beams.

Heat Shards

Heat is another commonly found shard type. It is commonly used in cooking, heating homes, and forging metals. These are thought to work similarly to how a novaborn creates heat and fire from their body.

Often red and orange in color, heat shards can be tuned to many different temperatures as controlled by a novaborn. However, it will need to recharge after a while depending on the temperature it reached and its overall size. With the presence of an energy shard, heat shards can produce an almost constant heating effect.

Gravity Shard

Gravity shards allow for gravity in weightless environments. Although larger shards can spread out their influence over a much wider area, it is has been so far impossible to make the shards increase gravity strength past natural planetary standards. Unlike other shards, gravity shards do not need energy to function, however their ability to be tuned is very limited.

Atmosphere Shard

Atmosphere shards creates an invisible bubble that contains oxygen and recycles air. Often formed around entire ships allowing its crew to exit the ship and walk around on the upper deck or tie themselves to the ship while making external repairs. Similarly, novaborn have a natural ability to survive in space for short periods of time.

However, the atmosphere shard cannot last forever without an energy shard. A ship must return to a habitable planet to recharge its energy shard.

Entwining Shards

First discovered from the relics of the Lantieb, entwining shards were used as compasses pointing to the novas in other systems. They lock onto another shard or nova’s point in space and direct the object along a path towards it. Most in use today are synced to the original Lantieb shards found in ruins of those ancient people.

When rarely found in nature, entwining shards behave differently. They latch onto any other shards nearby indiscriminately and are pulled towards them, similar to a magnet. They can then be tuned to no longer lose strength with distance and to entwine with specific sources. 

Levitation Shards

Levitation shards cause an anti-gravity effect that, once attached and tuned to an object, allows said object to float in the air. These are very useful in the construction of large heavy buildings, where the weight of which would normally cause it to topple. Additionally, vehicles such as floating carriages, trains, and even small hand pushed trolleys can be levitated. However, levitation shards would be rather useless in space without the use of gravity shards.

Levitation shards can be tuned to lift the greatest of weights, but the heavier the object, the more energy required for the levitation shard to function.

You see them in use with the tables and trolleys at the party, as well as the floating carriages, and the shard stall on Mad Market Dash. If something floats, there’s a levitation shard or two at work!

Aura Shards

Aura shards protect against the destructive power of energy shards. They can also partially deflect hard blows from melee weapons. It is thought to be similar to the natural aura or shield that instinctively forms around novaborn. The size and strength of the aura can be tuned by a novaborn for various needs.

They come in different colors, most often being orange and blue.

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