Resonance Mineral

The lecturer gestured to the table, where a number of small, bluish crystals lay. "Now then. Who here can tell me what these are? Yes, you."
"Resonators, sir."
"Correct. Continue with their use." The professor paced.
"Resonators serve as a way to store and amplify magical power, sir."
"Not correct, but close. Resonators cannot store magic for long, nor do they meaningfully amplify its effects." The professor pushed his glasses up. "What they do instead, is allow magic to linger. This is an important distinction - the lingering of magic allows for a number of applications. Who here has mastered the projection of light?"
A student raised her hand. "I have, sir."
"Very good." The professor pulled a lever, and the lecture hall darkened as the shutters closed. The student closed her eyes and raised a hand; a soft light emerged from her palm and hovered, illuminating the room in a pale blue.
"How long can you hold this light, Ms....Rayne?"
The girl answered without opening her eyes. "Fifteen minutes, about, sir."
"Very good. Now, I want you to reproject your light, but send it at one of these crystals."
The girl closed her grip around the light, then opened it again. The glow of the light meandered slowly over to the table and settled in one of the crystals. The professor picked it up.
"Student Rayne has projected light into this resonator. It will continue to glow for roughly thirty hours, without sapping her magic reserves." The professor handed the crystal to the girl. "Now, resonators have different levels of effect, based on the type of magic you are attempting to imbue them with, roughly corresponding to the level of Work being applied..."

Properties

Material Characteristics

In unrefined form, a bluish streak of mineral found in veins. It can be refined and molded into hard but brittle pure crystals.

Physical & Chemical Properties

Resonant Minerals have a unique relationship to magic; by projecting magical impetus into a refined Resonant crystal, it will continue to echo the effect for a period of time. This allows for such effects as magical light and sound amplification. Physically, the refined crystals are hard but brittle, easily broken by hammer or by application of force magic.

Geology & Geography

Resonant Minerals are relatively common across Saibh, found as veins in gold and iron mines.

History & Usage

History

Prior to the discovery of magic, Resonant Mineral was known as modrisite. It was discarded as a useless stone, but large amounts of it are now being refined for personal use by wizards and magi, and for industrial use by the Principality.

Discovery

The magical properties of Resonant Crystal was discovered quite by mistake, when an Association wizard accidentally imbued a tailings slag heap with light and lit up an entire mine. The Wizard's Association quickly researched the stone and recommended that the Principality begin mining and refining it in earnest.

Everyday use

Resonant Crystals are commonly used when minor magical effects are required but a wizard cannot be present all the time. Their ability to resonate magic is restricted to what the wizards call 'ambient' magics, magic that has no specific target. As such, the crystals are used as illuminators, sound relays, heat sources and sinks, and water evaporators and condensers. The subject of application of Resonators is an active field of research, and the Engineer's Guild has taken great interest in seeing if resonators can be incorporated into the next generation of Power machinery.

Industrial Use

Experiments have been conducted with resonators interfacing with Power technology, but the only current public application of Resonator crystals in industrial use is their refinement into strands, and the weaving of Resonant Crystal into clothing. This allows for certain clothes to react to magic, a new party favor in the current season. There is a great deal of commercial interest and research into its use for other applications.

Refinement

Resonant Crystal is refined out of its ore through heat; it has a remarkably low melting temperature and can be melted down over a common cookfire. Repeated applications of heat improve the purity of the Crystal, allowing it to hold magic for longer periods.

Distribution

Trade & Market

Refined Resonant Crystal is a relatively common material found in markets and specialty shops; as a material only directly useful to wizards and those that work with them, the amount of trade in it is limited.

Type

Stone

Rarity

Common

Color

A light, streaked blue

Common State

Solid