Why isn't the Black Shroud covered in crystals?

[dragonseth07]

This is something I've been thinking about.

So, all the orange crystals covering the landscape in some zones are corrupted crystals (over-aspected with one element). Okay. There are normal crystal structures dotting the landscape as well. Crystals are condensed aether. The Black Shroud is said to have ridiculously high aether concentrations in it, tying in to the presence of the Elementals. So, why aren't there huge crystal structures in the Shroud? We get them in Mor Dhona, the Burning Wall, etc.

[Hainiryun]

Those particular "corrupted crystals" are actually a product of the Calamity rather than ambient aether concentrations. The entire world is ultimately composed of aether. When the shards of Dalamud fell, the damage they caused to the land resulted in huge bursts of aether being released, which crystalized into those large orange crystal formations.

[MistakeNot]

As I understand it the huge crystal structures are fairly recent and date back to the Cataclysm.
They are not just aether condensed from the surrounding landscape.

[MiraKershaw]

Uh dude, go to south shroud camp tranquil go to the west side of the lake and look out, the entire west shroud was destroyed and just a giant crystal pouring out water

[Shadotterdan]

Also, Aether is life itself in a sense, and I would say the Shroud has the most life in it out of any place.

[Enkidoh]

As others have said, there are crystals in the Black Shroud, the entire West Shroud in fact is virtually crystallized and thus inaccessible (as mentioned you can see it in the distance from Rootslake in the South Shroud and near the Spriggan Dig in the Central Shroud). Speaking of the Spriggan Dig, that area is also still showing the scars of Dalamud's rampage, crystals protrude through the barren rocky soil and broken trees lie scattered and lifeless around the landscape.

Nearby in the North Shroud is also the chunk of Dalamud that fell in the region, which is the location of the Second Coil of Bahamut (and although it's not readily apparent at a distance, masses of corrupted crystal did erupt out of the hulk's broken shell, this is how the player accesses the interior of the hulk during turn 6 of the Second Coil.

And it should go without saying that Urth's Font in the South Shroud is also full of crystals too (not surprising given it was where Odin had been formerly sealed). No, there are definitely crystallized areas in the Black Shroud, you just need to know where to look.

[Khalithar]

If you complete the coil of Bahamut storyline you get a lot of lore about the background of those corrupted crystals. I highly recommend doing it, it's pretty easy now with unsynch and WT.