Storage Gems

The idea of storing Energy for later in gems (especially the Artifact item: Belt of Beloth the Wise) has been flying around for a while now, so I just wanted to throw a few more conjoining ideas into the pack.

You can buy (5 qualities in tiers) Storage Gems from certain traders (limited supply; VERY limited) and they are a one time use thing, you charge it up and the act of drawing the Energy out of the gem later on breaks/disintergrates it, okay? That makes the BoBtW Artifact and your Rider's Sword so important and more rare than just carrying a pocketful of glowing gems that last forever.

Now depending on the quality of the stone, you can only deposit a certain amount of Energy into it and the cheapest ones will VERY slowly dissipate a percentage of the energy you put in, because of cracks, chips, flaws, etc.; all the others keep all the energy it's only the lowest level ones that have the drawback. This once again proves the Belt and Sword more valuable as their gems are of Uniquely fine quality and have no storage limit (?).


However I had an idea, since I don't like the whole "You-Can't-Do-That" situation, I've decided that you CAN infuse a gem with more energy than it can safely hold, there won't just be a cut-off point instead it will weaponise the gem and one of two things can then happen depending on the gem quality, the 2nd and 3rd quality level, bleed that excess Energy off (as well as the rest of the Energy it could normally keep) in a harmful way to whoever is carrying it; which makes it re-useable at higher levels (when you have more energy to infuse gems with) as a "Poison-Apple" method of assasination.


Or, in the 4th and 5th quality gems if you store more Energy than the gems can hold, it won't bleed that energy away; as their aren't any flaws for it to escape through, which makes the gem an unstable 'grenade-of-sorts' that can either:

A: Blow up at a random time usually killing (or at lowest knocking back) the holder and their surrounding creatures (get rid of these little blighters fast or pickpocket an enemy and wait for him to wander into a large group).

B: Be thrown like a grenade (using the ranged interface) where the jarring of impact will cause it to explode for a certain amount of damage; I'll be making a formula for "the amount of energy in the gem = the amount of damage done".

(And if it's possible)
C: A master crafter (blacksmith maybe?) can set the gem in a vibration-sensitive metal casing, that triggers the gem to explode when the vibrations become to much; essentially it becomes a mine.


Also it would be nice to make the Unique Gem embedded in the hilt of your Rider's Sword able to power the sword's catch-on-fire ability by itself, done quite easily by converting the Energy storage properties of the gem into Energy/Charge (from skyrim enchanting) that is slowly used up, so that you can deliver fiery blows without having a constant drain on your own Energy pool.

instead of a grenade how about you equip it and when you attack with it you hold it in the air and it explodes blasting all enemys back like the final dragon priest mask does when you die. also maybe eldunari attack that way? just imagine in a quest were you get kidnapped by a bandit:
"hey thats a nice gem you've got there, i think ill take that off your hands, to...look after it for you"
"boss? why is it glowing?"
"what do you mean-, hey it is glowing!, what are you doing? stop that right now!"
eldunari explodes catapulting the bandit captain across the room where he hits the wall and breaks his back and stunning everyone else.

While i think the "grenade" idea sounds really fun, i can't really seem to figure out if i like it or not :/ Something just seems a little off about it..

Bear in mind all of this is rambling lol, if people don't like the grenade idea it's scrapped, the only attachment and strong feelings I have for this idea is that the storage gems should be levelled and not eternal, everything else is up for scrapping if public opinion decides.

And... I'm unsure of Eldunari tbh, I think they deserve a bit more respect than as a high-powered explosive, also don't forget most Eldunari still contain the mind of it's original Dragon and I don't think they'd take kindly to being used as a one-time-use weapon against measly bandits.

...A thief stole some and hid them across Alagaesia to be taken later when he wasn't hunted, but he died and there they remain... I'm not sure?

Maybe they could be discovered/found in the world from time to time and could be used as "Lessons" of-sorts for your Dragon giving new abilities or a large skill increase, because Dragons will have to have their own perk and skill tree as well as the player, which should be entertaining to introduce.

"bleed that excess Energy off (as well as the rest of the Energy it could normally keep) in a harmful way"

i don't like this... how could the gem convert the energy to be harmful? Energy itself is just.. energy, fuel. magican could alter that energy being harmful, but that it spontaneously happens.
i say meh..

Also, if there so rare, why use them as one off weapons?

i didn't mean that the eldunari would be weapons i meant that the dragons inside would use that as a form of defence

We could make grenades with potions or something.

Energy storing should be something only the player should be able to do in my opinion, but since the player will be a battlemage an energy greenade sounds like a cool idea

First, the grenade idea seams cool because as we've all read about vroengard and the radioactive energy which makes the overfilled gems being able to cause damage make sense. It could be a negative "buff" or what you will.... ha I made a Shakespeare reference, my English teacher would be so proud lol . Maybe named "Energy Poisoning" or "Crystal Energy Discharging"?