Craymel

Craymels (晶霊, Shourei^?, "Crystal Spirits") are pseudo-sentient elemental beings in Tales of Eternia, representing the source of magical energy throughout the realm of Eternia.

Function

Craymels reside within all things and have many manifestations. All life contains Water Craymels, and an organism's health can be determined by the number and state of these Craymels. Curiously, however, there are no Water Craymels found in monsters. Historically on the world of Inferia, Craymel scholars debated whether Craymels are living organisms or physical matter. By the time that the game's events begin, they are recognized as being alive, though their intelligence is still in question. In contrast, the people of Celestia view the Craymels to be completely utilitarian in nature, simply treating them as if they are batteries that are required to power most technological devices. They do not even consider any concept of morality when using Craymels, whereas the Inferians place great value on the sanctity of Craymel existence as living creatures, viewing them as extensions of Seyfert's legacy upon the world.

The concentration of the different types of Craymels is different on each world, which explains their different atmospheric conditions. Inferia is exposed more readily to Water, Wind, Fire, and Light Craymels, whereas Celestia is influenced by Earth, Ice, Lightning, and Darkness Craymels. This is why Inferia experiences a much warmer climate under such vibrant sunlight compared to Celestia. While Craymels of all elements are present on both worlds, the impact of one type of element is countered by another type, which causes certain Craymels to become superior in one world while barely noticeable in the other. This has led to each world's separate technological progression, such as the development of submarines and flying machines in Celestia due to the lack of wind used for sails for boats and ships in Inferia.

To make use of the power of Craymels, they are sealed within Craymel Crystals that are suspended within a Craymel Cage, a small, tube-like device that is used as the focus for generating spells called Craymel Artes, activated with incantations spoken in the Melnics language. Craymels have been shown to prefer Orz Crystals over other types of gemstones to facilitate their existence. However, on Inferia, the act of gathering Craymels to be sealed within the crystals demands the utmost respect, and they believe that the cooperation of the Craymels is achieved through repeated prayers of forgiveness.

Undine	Sylph	Efreet	Rem	Gnome	Celsius	Volt	Shadow	Maxwell	Sekundes
Craymel Cage Sprites

On Inferia, those who have the ability to control Craymels and their phenomena are known as Craymel Mages (晶霊術士, Shoureijutsushi^?, "Crystal Spirit Artists"), and anyone with basic training and a Craymel Cage can learn to become one. Mintche University specializes in the study of Craymels, known as Craymelology, and Keele Zeibel was a member of its Light Craymel Department prior to his expulsion from the university. On Celestia, however, the magical aspect of Craymels is not as widely applied, and the same Craymel Cages are merely implanted into machines and weaponry to provide them with a perpetual source of energy. The Craymel Guns that are used as weapons for common individuals often focus on one specific element, usually either Darkness or Lightning based on the Craymels that are used in their Craymel Cages.

The modified Craymel Gun that Max uses as his personal weapon is enlarged to accommodate Craymels of several types, enabling him to activate attacks with a wide variety of elemental properties and effects. Other large devices require large Craymel Cages, such as the Craymel Express and the original theory behind the Craymel Cannon. Those who work with Craymels to develop various technologies based on their use are known as Craymel Engineers, and many of these are simply the modernized equivalent of blacksmiths who consider their craft to be traditional knowledge rather than science.

Greater Craymels

Greater Craymels (大晶霊, Dai Shourei^?, "Big Crystal Spirits") are the most powerful physical manifestations of each element, and they represent the Summon Spirits that exist in other games. Greater Craymels are divided into three tiers: the Primary Craymels who make up the basic elements of a world, the Governing Craymels who unite groups of the Primary Craymels, and the Supreme Craymels who are even more powerful than they. According to Keele, they do not lie. Greater Craymels can only enter a Craymel Cage through use of a device called a "Parasol", but can then be summoned directly as well as enabling other, more basic spells.

The Greater Craymels include:

Undine - the Greater Craymel of Water and one of the Primary Craymels of Inferia.
Sylph - the Greater Craymel of Wind and one of the Primary Craymels of Inferia.
Efreet - the Greater Craymel of Fire and one of the Primary Craymels of Inferia.
Rem - the Greater Craymel of Light and the Governing Craymel of Inferia.
Gnome - the Greater Craymel of Earth and one of the Primary Craymels of Celestia.
Celsius - the Greater Craymel of Ice and one of the Primary Craymels of Celestia.
Volt - the Greater Craymel of Lightning and one of the Primary Craymels of Celestia.
Shadow - the Greater Craymel of Darkness and the Governing Craymel of Celestia.
Maxwell - the Greater Craymel of Elements and one of the Supreme Craymels.
Sekundes - the Greater Craymel of Time and one of the Supreme Craymels.