Ending (mayor spoilers, obviously)

[Quantus]

I think the faceting would hasten the process of becoming sentient. The unfaceted one Grimm has took much longer to get to it's level than one that had been created at the same time with the faceting tech of the current day and age would. (Completely unfounded opinion but that's what I think would happen)

Im thinking is more about how the Predator crystal is First Generation and "natural" means that it is the original form these things took, possibly something found (maybe even relating to an emergence of Ether and of the Enemy race(s)).  So the Facets arent hastening it exactly, they are (imperfectly) trying to replicate the natural process.   

Basically, based on very little evidence, I think that only Natural Crystals, which by this point in Spire history means only First Gen crystals, gain the full level of sentience/awareness that Predator does, which gives her advantages.  For example, I dont think that a normal ship would have been able to

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be shown what to track and put that glowing dot on the shroud, even with Folly's help.

[Mith]

I wonder if that ability could be extended to track power cores?

[Quantus]

I wonder if that ability could be extended to track power cores?

I expect so, but I get the feeling that it would take a lot of familiarity with the crystals and their arrangement.  She might be able to track Predator at this point, for example, but probably not a ship she'd never been on and/or talked to. 

[aikidoka]

I am hesitant to call this a future of either the DV or Codex Alera.  The best connection that I can see would be that the Vord show up at some point.

I tend to think that the world of Cinder Spires is a far future Earth, with Spire Albion being located somewhere in England, the Olympians being somewhere in Greece, let's say London and Athens as a guess.  Spire Aurora would be somewhere in the Arctic Circle, maybe.

Now is this the same earth that the DV is in?  At this point, who knows?  Maybe the planet is like it is because of the events in the BAT.  Maybe the side effects of being a magic user have once again changed to causing madness in all who attempt it.  Maybe the first gen power crystals are some of the baddies imprisoned in crystal on DR

I don't know if it will ever be explicitly stated, but that is what makes for the best crazy theories.

[Quantus]

I tend to think that the world of Cinder Spires is a far future Earth, with Spire Albion being located somewhere in England, the Olympians being somewhere in Greece, let's say London and Athens as a guess.  Spire Aurora would be somewhere in the Arctic Circle, maybe.

Now is this the same earth that the DV is in?  At this point, who knows?  Maybe the planet is like it is because of the events in the BAT.  Maybe the side effects of being a magic user have once again changed to causing madness in all who attempt it.  Maybe the first gen power crystals are some of the baddies imprisoned in crystal on DR

I don't know if it will ever be explicitly stated, but that is what makes for the best crazy theories.

I'll bite.  If that's the case though, why does it cause madness in /anyone/ who spends time outdoors without goggles?  It's not just etherealists, after all.