Crystalised mana and it's importance in the Fifth Age.

With the large scale destruction of the Leylines, Crystalised mana is in higher demmand than ever, since this is now the only way to cast large spells that use lots of mana; before, the presence of leylines allowed for that before. During the 4th age, all across the known world many typed of ekperiments were conducted. More on them later. Before the destruction of leylines, Crystalised Mana stored around 15-20% of all available mana. Other sources were the leylines and mana that is scattered throughout the continent. Now, after the destruction of the leylines it accounts for around 80% of all mana in the land. Many a scientist and mage have devoted much of their time finding a way to make crystalised mana a renweable resource without the help of leylines. Now the most groundbreaking innovations for magekind occured. The first of these came the realisation that there is a relam other than their own from which mana comes. This was a discovery made and prooved in the early 4th age, by an old mage named Darrius. While seeking out a central source from which all the leylines hail from, he traveled across the many seas following along the route where there is more mana. His ship along with the crew soon found a huge intersection of leylines. Once they drew closer to the epicenter, they came too close to a whirlpool. Darrius is the only known survivor from that incident, and he apparently saw at the bottom of the whirlpool a portal from which mana flowed in abundance. His proof of him having been near it is a jar of liquid mana, mana in it's pure and concentrated form that noone could ever figure out how to make. That is all the proof he needed, though he also noted that by wasting his time and almost drowning trying to get the liquid mana he must have done something wrong; the leylines above him were different. A mortal had interfered with the relam from which mana hails from, and this caused a disturbance throughout the rest of Noliterre, and we all know how that ended. After obtaining this pure, distilled mana Darrius became powerful. Hugely powerful, even. He needed not to rely on leylines or mana crystals, he had something that noone would possibly be able to find in the rest of the world. Though not even mana can save a mage from old age, no matter how skilled. After the mage's death, (Even though it is widely assumed he was poisoned due to him not being that old anyways), the liquid mana was seized by a group of grand mages, and, aided by alchemists and other bright minds of the world, worked all the way to the 5th age with the substance, trying to find a way to use it to make more mana. After much trial and error, by the 5th age a new way to create mana was found. The liquid mana was fused with mana crystals in a very long and complex process, but with a miraculous end result. The liquid mana and crystal, once fused, somehow make a link to the relam of mana. These crystals may turn from light to dark blue, but would never shatter and dissolve. They, after some time, recovered all lost mana completely. This was the miracle everyone had sought; truly infinite mana. The liquid mana was swiftly depleted, and about 1,000 crystals the size of an average human fist were made. The crystals reqired little liquid mana to be created, hence the large amount of these special crystals made. These crystals were combined and broken up all the time, as they now are being sold and bought as a trade good that many have called the most expencive good ever, worth more than real gemstones. It is still a mystery as to how it could be possible to tap directly into this endless pool of mana, but one thing is clear: During the 5th age, after the destruction of the leylines, mages and magic finds a way to persist still.

As long as there is hope, not all is lost.