From SCross

What are they?

Materia is solidified Gaia-Energy, also known as Magic. Gathered from the lifestream and given a particular focus, materia generally allows its user access to both a reservoir of magical enery, and a focus through which to use it to a specific effect. Materia was most widely used in the Seventh age, when ambient magic was so low that the people could not use magic without its help. In more magic rich times, such as the current one, materia is regarded more as a curiosity and a rare trinket.

Materia can grow and evolve. Being a gathering of gaia-energy, it becomes more powerful by gathering more such energy. This energy is only available in its pure form at rare times. The most common of these times, exploited by the heroes of the seventh age, is death. At the time of death, a living beings soul liberates itself from its mortal shell in a burst of energy, then flees to the life stream. At the moment of seperation, the soul is vulnerable. Any materia exposed to this energy, usually by being mounted in the weapons and armors of the murdering party, will absorb portions of the soul, leaving it wounded and fragmented.

How do you find them?

In this day and age, materia is rare. Most dissolved when the ambient gaia-energies became so great that they popped and rejoined with the lifestream over time, slowly dissolving over the millenia. What are left are usually buried in insulating lead and/or granite. Some rare few have advanced beyond inanimate collections of energy, gaining intellects, usually dark and twisted. Self-aware of their spiritual vampirism, they seek out murderous and violent individuals that will feed them properly. If they can get themselves embedded in a legendary weapon of some sort, all the better to draw the proper individual to bring them into battle.

How does magicite relate?

Though most are not aware, magicite and materia are much the same thing. The primary difference is in the creation process. Magicite contains the imprinted soul and personality of an esper. The esper's soul is, effectively, consumed entirely, the first sacrifice to the materia, providing it with its basic purpose and way of thought. Magicite is the least likely to become tainted and dark of thought in coming millenia, unless it was already of dark leanings before death.

Return to Magic.

See also Blood and Iron Materia.