Gemma

Gemma is the crystalline mineral at the heart of porting technology. It is mined throughout Zenith and in its raw state is unusable by humans; once cut, refined and charged it becomes the Link that an Evoker uses to capture and carry a creo. The mineral also lends its name to the elemental gemma sold in shops and to Prime Gemma, the premium currency of both games. Alphites have developed ways to use gemma in its raw form, a talent still lost on humans.

Properties

Unrefined gemma resembles opal or other uncut gemstones. Refining aligns its crystalline structure, which allows the stone to store vast amounts of energy, and every refined gemma ends up with a crystalline pattern unique to it. That pattern acts as a key, allowing the stone to form a "link" with a single creo.

Gemma is graded by the quality of the mineral, and higher grades are the more desirable because they yield more powerful Links. The stone is also porous, which is what allows items to be administered to a creo held inside it.

Mining

In its unrefined state, gemma resembles opal or other uncut gemstones and is nearly useless for linking until processed. However, mining operations are not without controversy. Some Gemma mines are located in conflict zones, and others are known to heavily rely on child labor, raising serious ethical concerns about the sourcing of the material.

Gemma has various grades related to the quality of the mineral. Higher grades are more desirable as they allow for more powerful links to be created from them.

Processing and charging

After extraction the gemma must be cut and refined so its crystalline structure aligns and it can hold energy. The refined stone then has to be charged, and this must happen shortly after processing. If too much time passes, the gemma loses its ability to store energy effectively and is no longer suitable for use in a Link.

Uses

Links

A refined gemma fitted with a small trigger is called a Link. Activating it releases a concentrated ball of energy at a target creo, and if the stored energy overcomes the creo's latent energy the capture succeeds: the creo's energy signature settles into the crystalline lattice, and the Link can then open a portal to a parallel dimension to transport it. A failed capture disperses the stored energy and leaves the Link inert, and research into recharging spent Links is ongoing.

Humans cannot be linked; the energy produces only a tingling sensation on contact with skin. Several companies make different types of Link by altering the refining process or infusing the gemma with other substances, tailoring them to different creo. The Rouh Link, assembled in EvoCreo from the Rouh Gemma Piece and the Rouh Gemma Partial, is an ancient link of this kind.

Administering items

To use an item on a linked creo, an Evoker pours the substance over the gemma holding it. The porous stone absorbs the substance and ports it through to the creo, where its effect takes hold. Only substances engineered to be absorbed and transmitted this way will soak in; anything else poured on a gemma is repelled.

Elemental gemma

Elemental gemma are crystals imbued with the energy of a single element. Using one raises a creo's affinity to that element by 20 points, which can be enough to bring on certain evolutions. All of them are common general items costing 20.

Gemma	Element	Games
Air Gemma	Air	EvoCreo, EvoCreo 2
Dark Gemma	Dark	EvoCreo, EvoCreo 2
Earth Gemma	Earth	EvoCreo, EvoCreo 2
Electric Gemma	Electric	EvoCreo, EvoCreo 2
Fire Gemma	Fire	EvoCreo, EvoCreo 2
Light Gemma	Light	EvoCreo, EvoCreo 2
Nature Gemma	Nature	EvoCreo, EvoCreo 2
Normal Gemma	Normal	EvoCreo 2
Water Gemma	Water	EvoCreo, EvoCreo 2

Prime Gemma

Prime Gemma, described in game as a luminous red gem, is the premium currency of EvoCreo and EvoCreo 2. It is bought with real money rather than earned in ordinary play and buys what the shops do not stock, though a limited amount can also be found in the world in the first game.

Gemma among the Alphites

Gemma magic is one of the specialities of the Azurites, who trade gemma crystals for resources and guard the portal to the Earth dimension with a castle whose magic defenses are powered by gemma. Their royal line is verified by gemma resonance: a piece of gemma handed down from the first king sits on the throne and glows for whoever is the true ruler.

The tablets of the Great Migration record that the portal the Alphites built in exile was charged by crystals, and that thieves stole them before it could open, though the tablets do not name the mineral.