Malverand hearts are crystal artifacts that preserve a wearer's essence signature and use essence to repair the body. They were developed in ancient Malverand to protect its guardians. The Heart of Oblivion implanted in Eira is one of these devices.
Function and restoration
A heart is a small crystal shaped like a heart implanted in the chest. Supplying essence and pressing the crystal into the body can activate it, after which it heals the wound. Active hearts can glow beneath the skin, pulse and send visible lines of essence through the body.
The heart stores its wearer's essence signature, embedded with their existence. It can remain after the body is destroyed and draw essence to restore its owner. Astrid recovered Eremion's crystal heart from the Morindel vaults and brought it to Blackcrag. Within her glass apparatus it began drawing in essence, then reformed Eremion's body. He explained that a researcher and his team had created the hearts long ago.
Limits
Regeneration can be overwhelmed. Thalion battered Thamrielle repeatedly until her heart failed to repair her injuries. Its healing also depends on available essence: Jareth's heart did not cure his atraxi illness, which he attributed to insufficient essence. Isaac healed him instead.
Heart of Oblivion
Deylin placed the Heart of Oblivion deep in the Land of Darkness on the old mage's instructions, for Eira to find. When the spiral shard nearly killed her, Silas and Zal'therak activated the dormant heart and implanted it in her chest, supplying their combined essence to restore her.
The heart countered the shard's erosion of her body by drawing on its essence. When Eira severed her marked hand and lost the shard's life and darkness powers, the heart barely sealed the wound. It did not restore the hand.
Malverand hearts are crystal artifacts that preserve a wearer's essence signature and use essence to repair the body. Made mostly of diamond and shaped like small hearts, they were created by the inventor Arcanis in ancient Malverand. The Heart of Oblivion implanted in Eira is one of these devices.
Function and costs
A heart can function alongside a biological heart or in its place. Its stored instructions allow it to regenerate injuries and reconstruct lost tissue. Active hearts may glow beneath the skin, pulse and send visible lines of essence through the body.
Implantation requires essence and physical force. Michael activated the first successful heart by channeling essence into it and pressing it against his chest. The crystal forced through bone and flesh before fastening itself inside; its healing then sealed the wound.
Regeneration draws on essence rather than providing unlimited power. Michael's magic weakened after implantation, and healing a small scratch left him bedridden. He recovered strength by learning to restrain his reliance on the device. Arcanis warned that a user with insufficient essence could be drained entirely and absorbed. Even Eira still needed food and water to avoid suffering.
Restoration and limits
A heart can survive the destruction of its wearer's body and become the basis for restoration. It stores the wearer's essence signature, embedded with their existence. Astrid recovered Eremion's heart from the Morindel vaults and brought it to Blackcrag. As it drew in essence within her glass apparatus, Eremion's body reformed. Raphael learned from Arcanis how to revive Eliona from her surviving heart, then taught her the process; she later restored him in return.
Continuous attacks can outpace regeneration. Thalion battered Thamrielle repeatedly until her heart failed to repair her injuries. Low essence also limits its effectiveness: Jareth's heart did not heal his atraxi illness, which he attributed to insufficient essence. Isaac healed him instead.
Creation and use
Arcanis developed the hearts to sustain Malverand's leading mages. After Michael's test, Barachiel restricted their use to the guardians, fearing unforeseen consequences. They stopped aging but lost magical strength to the hearts' demands. The devices also contributed to the empire's research into divine healing.
The Vireen expedition received hearts alongside god cores. Arcanis insisted that both were necessary to power the gates. He also placed the opening instructions for the Malverand vault in the hearts; Eira used hers to gain entry.
Barachiel and Arcanis both left crystalline hearts behind when their bodies dissolved on Vireen. Eira kept them and later implanted them in two dead atraxi, combining healing and a spell to restore their heartbeat with essence channeled into the hearts. The revived men became Belanor and Jareth. Eira expected their former memories to be lost after their long death, and Belanor's reconstruction left him partly human in form.
Heart of Oblivion
Deylin placed the Heart of Oblivion deep in the Land of Darkness on the old mage's instructions, for Eira to find. When the spiral shard nearly killed her, Silas and Zal'therak activated the dormant heart and implanted it in her chest, supplying their combined essence to restore her.
The heart countered the shard's erosion of her body by drawing on its essence. When Eira severed her marked hand and lost the shard's life and darkness powers, the heart barely sealed the wound. It did not restore the hand.
Hrzai had received the heart from Sariel, later known as Silas, and kept it for the champion she hoped would appear.
Malverand hearts are crystal artifacts that preserve a wearer's essence signature and use essence to repair the body. Made mostly of diamond and shaped like small hearts, they were created by the inventor Arcanis in ancient Malverand. The Heart of Oblivion implanted in Eira is one of these devices.
Function and costs
A heart can function alongside a biological heart or in its place. Its stored instructions allow it to regenerate injuries and reconstruct lost tissue. Active hearts may glow beneath the skin, pulse and send visible lines of essence through the body.
Implantation requires essence and physical force. Michael activated the first successful heart by channeling essence into it and pressing it against his chest. The crystal forced through bone and flesh before fastening itself inside; its healing then sealed the wound.
Regeneration draws on essence rather than providing unlimited power. Michael's magic weakened after implantation, and healing a small scratch left him bedridden. He recovered strength by learning to restrain his reliance on the device. Arcanis warned that a user with insufficient essence could be drained entirely and absorbed. Even Eira still needed food and water to avoid suffering.
Restoration and limits
A heart can survive the destruction of its wearer's body and become the basis for restoration. It stores the wearer's essence signature, embedded with their existence. Astrid recovered Eremion's heart from the Morindel vaults and brought it to Blackcrag. As it drew in essence within her glass apparatus, Eremion's body reformed. Raphael learned from Arcanis how to revive Eliona from her surviving heart, then taught her the process; she later restored him in return.
Continuous attacks can outpace regeneration. Thalion battered Thamrielle repeatedly until her heart failed to repair her injuries. Low essence also limits its effectiveness: Jareth's heart did not heal his atraxi illness, which he attributed to insufficient essence. Isaac healed him instead.
Greater power does not always ensure restoration. At the Nexus Research Center, Eliona could not revive Isaac: his heart remained dormant despite her greater power and a faint trace of essence within it.
Creation and use
Arcanis developed the hearts to sustain Malverand's leading mages. After Michael's test, Barachiel restricted their use to the guardians, fearing unforeseen consequences. They stopped aging but lost magical strength to the hearts' demands. The devices also contributed to the empire's research into divine healing.
The Vireen expedition received hearts alongside god cores. Arcanis insisted that both were necessary to power the gates. He also placed the opening instructions for the Malverand vault in the hearts; Eira used hers to gain entry.
Barachiel and Arcanis both left crystalline hearts behind when their bodies dissolved on Vireen. Eira kept them and later implanted them in two dead atraxi, combining healing and a spell to restore their heartbeat with essence channeled into the hearts. The revived men became Belanor and Jareth. Eira expected their former memories to be lost after their long death, and Belanor's reconstruction left him partly human in form.
Hearts can be transferred between bodies. At Cyndarel, Alistair recovered Raphael's heart and forced it into his own chest while taking Aldar's spiral shard. Eliona later gave her heart to Maric before he descended underground with Myrelia. Thalena implanted a heart in Kaelion despite his resistance. At the Valrindor Council, Nero brought Brynor's and Maric's surviving hearts to the meeting.
Heart of Oblivion
Deylin placed the Heart of Oblivion deep in the Land of Darkness on the old mage's instructions, for Eira to find. When the spiral shard nearly killed her, Silas and Zal'therak activated the dormant heart and implanted it in her chest, supplying their combined essence to restore her.
The heart countered the shard's erosion of her body by drawing on its essence. When Eira severed her marked hand and lost the shard's life and darkness powers, the heart barely sealed the wound. It did not restore the hand.
Hrzai had received the heart from Sariel, later known as Silas, and kept it for the champion she hoped would appear. Over centuries in Eira's body, it changed and became integrated into her, though it remained distinct from her ordinary heart.
Thalena's account
In Thalena's Shores of Eternity, surviving hearts did not guarantee their owners' return. Kaelion's heart was recovered with his sun core from Xoh’Tenol, but attempts to revive him failed, as had attempts with other hearts. Thalena considered whether their owners did not wish to return.