Power crystals

Marshal's Refuge Cave in Un'Goro Crater.

Power crystals are bright crystals in one of several vibrant colors which can be found throughout the Un'Goro Crater and Sholazar Basin. Their ubiquity, unique appearance, and mysterious nature make them an iconic feature of Un'Goro. Only the ones in Un'Goro can be generally picked up as items, except for particular Sholazar quests.

These crystals primarily serve as ingredients for three Crystal Pylons around the sides of Un'Goro Crater, which consume the crystals to produce consumable items. They stack to 100, cannot be sold to vendors, but can be mailed, auctioned, and traded.

Un'Goro Crater

 [Blue Power Crystal]

 [Green Power Crystal]

 [Yellow Power Crystal]

 [Red Power Crystal]

Four colors of power crystal can be found in Un'Goro Crater, each generally appearing in one quadrant of the circular area.

•  [Blue Power Crystal] - southeast (Marshlands)
•  [Green Power Crystal] - northeast (Roiling Gardens)
•  [Red Power Crystal] - southwest (Terror Run)
•  [Yellow Power Crystal] - northwest (Screaming Reaches)

J.D. Collie studies the power crystals from Marshal's Stand, and previously, Marshal's Refuge.  [15-30] Crystals of Power requires turning in 7 of each color of crystal to further her research. The crystal pylons of Un'Goro are somehow connected to them and, with proper research and control, can be made to consume the power crystals to produce helpful items. The crystals seem to have some general magical power that can be utilized by craftsmen as well.

Crystal pylons

Three crystal pylons sit on steep rises on the eastern, northern, and western edges of Un'Goro Crater. They look identical to each other, with finely crafted stone pedestals holding large blue crystals (unclear if these are meant to be the same material as  [Blue Power Crystal]).

Quests in the Crater require eventually visiting each crystal pylon, leading to a final quest sequence which unlocks the pylons' power to transform crystals into consumable items. Prior to the Cataclysm, J.D. Collie provided a  [Crystal Pylon User's Manual] as a reward for  [53] Making Sense of It, granting access to the pylons' functions. After the eastern Shaper's Terrace was revealed in the Cataclysm, the questline now leads there instead, ending with  [15-30] Ever Watching From Above. This quest does not mention or relate to the power crystals or pylons, but still unlocks them (and is required even for characters who had access pre-Cataclysm). Collie's user manual is no longer available, although she will give some tips about pylon usage through gossip dialogue once "Ever Watching" is completed.

Each crystal pylon can produce two different consumable items (six at a time) by consuming different combinations of power crystals. Each uses a different crystal color as "primary" fuel, with both of its recipes requiring 8 of that color, then each recipe needing 6 of a different "secondary" color.

Eastern Crystal Pylon

 [Crystal Force]

• Buffs versatility, formerly spirit, for 30 minutes. Counts as a Battle Elixir.
• Cost: 8x  [Blue Power Crystal], 6x  [Green Power Crystal].

 [Crystal Spire]

• Places a [Thorns]-style shield on the target for 10 minutes.
• Cost: 8x  [Blue Power Crystal], 6x  [Yellow Power Crystal].

Northern Crystal Pylon

 [Crystal Charge]

• Deals damage in a small radius.
• Cost: 8x  [Yellow Power Crystal], 6x  [Red Power Crystal].

 [Crystal Restore]

• Heals a target over a 15-second period.
• Cost: 8x  [Yellow Power Crystal], 6x  [Green Power Crystal].

Western Crystal Pylon

 [Crystal Ward]

• Buffs armor for 30 minutes. Counts as a Guardian Elixir.
• Cost: 8x  [Red Power Crystal], 6x  [Green Power Crystal]

 [Crystal Yield]

• Debuffs an enemy's armor for 2 minutes.
• Cost: 8x  [Red Power Crystal], 6x  [Blue Power Crystal]

• 

  Eastern Crystal Pylon
• 

  Northern Crystal Pylon
• 

  Western Crystal Pylon

The Power Crystals of Un'Goro

This section contains information from the Warcraft RPG which is considered non-canon.

Excerpt from "The Power Crystals of Un'Goro" by J.D. Collie

Amid the rocks and rich soil of the crater floor can be found all manner of colorful crystals, each as fragile as glass. Held to a light, they seem to flicker and glow like flames... They seem to have no useful purpose, or so I believed at first, until I found the first Crystal Pylon. Located in the east, guarded by the pterrodax, this humming pillar holds the same sort of runes found on the Stone Guardians as well as the hovering pylons that guard the entrance to the crater. All my attempts to decipher this ancient tongue have met with failure. And yet — the pictographs clearly show power crystals being used for something. A ritual, a spell, I do not yet know...

Although the crystals come in all shapes and sizes, I have classified them in four main colors: red, blue, green and yellow. I've never found anything truly in between these shades, so there are no orange or brown ones, for example. Anyone who isn't color-blind can tell them apart by a glance. What's more, I’m fairly certain the crystals can be employed by the Crystal Pylons. If I could figure out the right pattern — but how? How?

Much later in the text.

I've done it! I found one of the patterns! Or at least I’m pretty sure I have. I need to make another trip to the western Crystal Pylon to see. If this works, the crystals I've collected should coalesce into a single mega-crystal infused with the combined powers of all the shards! I can't wait to report on the results when I get back!

The text ends.

Notes

• It may be significant that there are no silithid hives near the pylons. The only hive in the Crater, the Slithering Scar, is in the south where a southern pylon is mysteriously absent.
• With four colors and three pylons, this creates an asymmetrical arrangement where Green Power Crystals are used as a secondary fuel for one recipe at every pylon, but a primary for none, while all other colors are used in just one recipe outside of their primary pylon.

Historical uses

High-level craftsmen and magic-users have exploited the crystals or their refined products for certain classes of magical items.

Thorium armor

A human male wearing the Thorium armor set.

The subject of this section was removed from World of Warcraft in patch 3.0.2 but is present in Classic.

The Thorium armor set required various power crystals in its construction and provided extra resistance to all magic types. Since patch 3.0.2, it has lost both its resistances and its crystal requirements.

•  [Thorium Belt] (4  [Red Power Crystal])
•  [Thorium Leggings] (4  [Red Power Crystal])
•  [Thorium Armor] (4  [Yellow Power Crystal])
•  [Thorium Helm] (4  [Yellow Power Crystal])
•  [Thorium Boots] (4  [Green Power Crystal])
•  [Thorium Bracers] (4  [Blue Power Crystal])

Quests

The subject of this section was removed from World of Warcraft in patch 4.0.3a but is present in Classic.

Several quests related to powerful magical items required Crystal consumables.

•  [Crystal Restore] was an objective of  [57] Fragments of the Past, aiming to restore the  [Crystal of Zin-Malor].

Three of Mathredis Firestar's quests required Crystal consumables.

• 4x  [Crystal Ward] for  [55] Libram of Tenacity
• 4x  [Crystal Force] for  [55] Libram of Voracity
• 4x  [Crystal Spire] for  [55] Libram of Resilience

These each produced an Arcanum, a high-level item enhancement of a magical nature. Firestar's other two Arcanum quests required consumable items produced in the Blasted Lands instead of the power crystals of Un'Goro.

Northrend

Map of the pillars

Sholazar Basin pillars

This section concerns content related to Wrath of the Lich King.

Sholazar Basin

Atop five towering stone pillars in the Sholazar Basin, crystals grow resembling the ones in the Un'Goro Crater, alongside additional crystal pylons. Their purpose is yet unknown, but the power of the pillars is readily apparent.

List of pillars:

• Glimmering Pillar (white crystals)
• Lifeblood Pillar (red crystals, destroyed)
• Skyreach Pillar (blue crystals)
• Mosslight Pillar (green crystals)
• Suntouched Pillar (yellow crystals)

The Cult of the Damned has been shown responsible for the destruction of the Lifeblood Pillar, and is also active on top of the Glimmering Pillar.

Conservatory of Life

Conservatory of Life

There are three pylons located at the Conservatory of Life inside Ulduar, their purpose is yet unknown. It should be noted that they are unlike the pylons in the Un'Goro Crater which all share the same coloured crystal.

• 

  Yellow pylon near Elder Ironbranch.
• 

  Green pylon near Elder Stonebark.
• 

  Blue pylon near Elder Brightleaf.

Mastery of the Crystals

Container where the crystals are located.

During the quest  [20-30 Daily] Mastery of the Crystals, Lightningcaller Soo-met gets the player to use crystals to defend the gorloc faction, the Oracles. They may be in connection with the Sholazar Basin power crystals. The crystals are gotten out of a chest.

• 

   [Crystal of the Violent Storm]
• 

   [Crystal of the Frozen Grip]
• 

   [Crystal of Unstable Energy]

Trivia

• Pylons are a major plot element in Land of the Lost: devices of unknown origin which open portals through space, time, and dimensions. They are powered and controlled through consoles comprised of patterns of red, green, blue, and yellow crystals.