Manite

The Tears of the Fountain

Deep beneath the surface of Trea, where the roots of mountains drink from underground streams and the earth itself pulses with ancient power, lies one of the world's most precious substances. The Altarin call it manitium, though common folk know it simply as Manite - a crystalline metal of the most brilliant sky-blue, shot through with veins of pure light that seem to move and dance within its structure.

Manitium is more than mere mineral; it is the physical manifestation of the Fountain of Mana's influence upon the world. Where the divine energy flows most strongly through Trea's depths, rock and crystal slowly transform, becoming conduits for the very essence of creation. In regions blessed with high ambient Mana - the Hallowed Plains with their eternal twilight glow, the Crystal Caverns where light bends and refracts in impossible ways - deposits of manitium grow like magnificent underground gardens.

Mining this sacred metal requires both courage and skill, for the depths where it dwells are treacherous beyond measure. Altarin sorcerers descend into these hollows armed with disintegration spells, their eyes trained to spot the telltale glint of blue fire that signals a rich vein. Each piece extracted carries within it a fragment of the Fountain's power, raw potential waiting to be shaped and directed.

When refined through ancient alchemical processes known only to the greatest Altarin artificers, raw manitium transforms into Nites - coins of such concentrated magical power that they serve as both currency and catalyst for miracles. These gleaming tokens are the lifeblood of Altarin civilization, traded in bustling markets and hoarded in treasure vaults, each one containing enough energy to fuel spells that could reshape the very fabric of reality.

The true wonder of Manite lies not in its rarity, but in its responsiveness to intent and will. In the hands of a skilled practitioner, these coins become keys to unlock the deepest mysteries of creation itself.