Tear of Heaven is a mysterious substance, taking the form of viscous dark goo in its purest state.
It can appear on any plane across Aclara, although most of it is found on Meridian, Phixhiris and Jester's plane.
The substance
does not naturally occur; it cannot be produced; it cannot be created; it cannot be destroyed.
The name "Tear of Heaven" was given by the Exalt researchers of the Meridian plane, as its existance was theorized to be linked to the mythological event of
Diacrescehoohe (tr. "The Day the Skies Cried"; the root "-cresce-" referring to the heavens hidden behind the sky).
The material is a source of never-ending discussions among the Exarhi circles; because of this, almost all of the pure samples of Tear of Heaven are held by the
Exarhi University of Magical and Mundane Research.
The very existence of this material is a tightly kept secret because of its powerful and dangerous properties.
Properties
Tear of Heaven is inherently different from any regular material that could be found inside realms.
That is because the substance exists beyond the veil of reality, marking the beginning of theoretical existence.
When it is found on a plane, the deterministic force that holds reality together will force the Tear of Heaven to take a form based on how other living beings perceive it.
If you found some pure Tear of Heaven in a box, you could give the box to a friend, telling them that you put anything else inside - a steel knife, for example. When they open the box, all the Tear of Heaven will have morphed into a steel knife, resembling what they believe a steel knife would look like.
Note that, while morphed, Tear of Heaven will inherit all physical properties of the material it mimicks.
If forgotten or left untouched, morphed Tear of Heaven will regain its power to transform; giving it to your friend again after ten years and saying its a wooden ball, for example, will force the substance to become a wooden ball.
Its morphing ability can be severly hindered through transformations, such as mixing with other pure elements to form an alloy or any other alchemical process.
Tear of Heaven is found at the boundry of planes; it exists naturally in the place between worlds, holding each of them in one piece while separating them from each other.
In order for it to exists, the zone it inhabits must have a low deterministic density.
Places with low entropy and places not influenced by Fate are perfect for keeping Tear of Heaven intact.
The substance can spontaneously appear on planes with very little deterministic density (e.g. a plane that would hold only a few rocky planets and asteroids, a desert realm, a plane made entirely of plasma etc.), which is a sign of planar degradation.
Tear of Heaven can also appear when the boundries of reality are shattered; the rupture, if big enough, can let drops of Tear of Heaven to fall from the sky.
The rupture will mend itself quickly, as the substance repairs the shattered boundry.
History & Usage
The Exarhi community believes that Tear of Heaven is the material behind most, if not all artifacts, especially those that hold spells or functions impossible to recreate.
Many of the scholars that know about the substance theorized that it could be used to reverse engineer complicated spell arrays by forcing it into new artifacts.
By imagining specific abilities, they think they could inscribe those functions upon the newly-created artifact, and then use magical analysis to recreate the array.
However, the Council does not approve of such experiments, deeming them "irresponsibly dangerous".
Tear of Heaven as a material is also a subject of philosophical debate among intellectual Exarhi circles.
Its powers put into question the very nature of reality; some schools of thought declare that everything is made of Tear of Heaven, while others simply treat it as a confirmation of divinity.
Some call into question the notion of objective reality, since the substance can be influenced by subjective perception.
Not much is known about how it came into being, either; was it created by the artisans of Old Medeea, or does it just occure in nature?
And most important of all: if mundane objects can be Tear of Heaven replicas, can the substance replicate living beings as well...?
This chapter is an entry for the Unofficial Challenge
Mystember by elspeth87!
What a powerful material, and with so many potential applications and uses. If it could recreate living beings the possibilities are terrifying!
Only time will tell haha ;)