- Classification
- Mu, Nu
The crystal known since ancient times as the Videns Autem Magia, is a rare kind of gemstone similar to clear topaz. The crystal itself has the unique property generating a physical response to the presence of patterned magical or psionic energy passing near to the gem. It is unknown exactly how the crystal does this, though some of its crystal structure and absorption signature when exposed to conventional energy is similar to that of the Solar Crystal, though with a much weaker signature.
Physical Properties
The gem has a mhos hardness of 9.5 due to its extremely tight crystal structure but can still be cut and shaped. Vident Obscura actively seeks and even mines these gemstones in order to fabricate methods of detecting magical energy. The stones can be placed in jewelry - as they have for centuries - or even be the central detector inside a technological device which reads their energy output relative to a base level in order to function as a sort-of magic geiger counter. The type and amount of EM radiation emitted depends heavily on the shape, structure, size, and impurities of the stone, each stone is unique.
Practical Use
In its raw state the gemstone often has phosphorus which glows when exposed to the EM radiation given off by the crystal itself. Thus the stones tend to gain a soft glow in a variety of colors (depending on the stone and impurities there in) when exposed to magical or psionic energy. This energy must be actively in use and patterned to be detected in this way, latent energy does not produce the same effect.
Detecting Wells and Lines
The ambient magical energy in an area causes some reaction, though not as much as a focused and patterned emission of magical energy does. This latent energy is then adapted to by the stone and thus if exposed to the same level of latent energy for a long period of time the stone would produce a weaker and weaker indication of that energy. This does, however, allow a stone to be used to detect ley lines and wells of energy, so long as it is kept away from one for long enough. The reactions would be slight and require sensitive equipment (or people) to detect.
In Devices
As a central component of technological devices that detect magical energy the crystal can be implanted in a device. Specifically any device which can be calibrated to a detect a change in the stone's environmental response could be used to measure and express that measurement in finite terms to a person, even if that person cannot feel magical energy themselves. This is, of course, a far more sophisticated method of detection than the stone is used for historically.
Vident Obscura
The organization Vident Obscura uses the stones in this way, though some agents use jewelry pieces, charms, or raw stones to do the same thing. Devices with sensors for Obscura Agents have a standard alteration that they contain a stone and are calibrated, this is also true for XIA's, which upon request can be retrofit with a gemstone for this purpose.
In Jewelry
By far the most common historical use of this stone is in a piece of jewelry. Some jewelry becomes heated when exposed to magic while others glow in a variety of colors. Some jewelry vibrates at a high frequency when exposed, though these are exceedingly rare as it required the crafter of the piece to know precisely how to accomplish the job. Historical texts document that people could be trained to know their particular piece and how it reacts to in turn be incredibly precise in the information they could perceive with it.
Rarity of the Gem
The crystal, in its raw state, produces only small amounts of conventional electromagnetic radiation when exposed to magical and psionic energy and thus can quite often be mistaken for clear topaz or even quartz. The gem is, however, very rare and is generally heavier for its size then either of the previously mentioned materials since the crystal is considerably more dense. It tends to be cloudy with occlusions which contain phosphorus in varying degrees which can glow when exploded to the EM radiation of the gem.
Other Names
The stone is often called a Viden's Stone or Viden's Crystal for short, though this is not because of the similartities with the name of Vident Obscura but rather because Videns (and Vident) are derivatives of a word that means to find in Latin. Most often, however, colloquially the term "Videns" is spoken and written in texts as if it is the stone of a person named Viden.