FF7 - Materia Maddness

Ah, Materia. Crystallized Mako that can give even the lowest person powers beyond their understanding.

Strictly speaking, Materia calls upon the wisdom of the lifestream to manipulate nature into manifesting as the phenomenon of 'magic', although other Materia enhance the user's abilities. Unless one is descended from the Cetra those most holy people, materia is the only way humans can use magic. Some in the scientific community are annoyed at calling this process 'magic' preferring more refined terms such as 'augment assisted metaphyiscal reactions' or other such technical terms. But Magic is a fast and easy way catch all term.

Materia forms naturally at springs and these are highly prized and valued sites for both resources and research. This is a rare occurrence however, taking centuries for the Mako to crystallize into Materia. Thus, the Shinra Electric Power Company scientists have been hard at work, as most materia in use by it's forces and the population at large are artificially produced. However, besides just the damage to the lifestream and the planet as a whole by this rapid Mako siphoning; Artificial Materia poses it's own problems. Or for some, potenial for underhanded deeds.

Actively using a Materia forces a shock to be triggered in the user's mind waves, short handed called Mana or Mind Points, or MP. As a result the user's mind is weakened and frequent Materia use without rest taxes their stamina. Prolong use can caused the subject to become more confused and fatiuged, leaving them open to attacks or others effects. That one intern still thinks he's a chicken, while another went from a rather smart assistant to a vapid bimbo.

Still other Materia can be not fully understood. Either as prototypes or something went wrong during creation; these 'Rogue' Materias can cause strange effects due to their very nature. One researcher turned into a being of fired, while other simply vanished. She's still there, but the lab hasn't found a way to bring her back.

And this isn't even getting into physical or passive material that could be tweaked just enough to cause problems. One lab assistant thought to sell 'Lift up Materia' and while she's several size larger than she was, the lab has yet to pry her out of her room. Let alone the idiot that thought to splice Behemoth DNA into a Physical boost materia.

Between the raids by rebel groups, blackmarket thieves, and even some in the lab letting some out as 'field testing'; who knows when and where one of these Flawed Materias end up.