Scry Cards

How to get information there and back again.

Hi!...............
Are you tired of having to send letters back and forth to people you want to communicate with? Do your parcels of important information arrive too late to make a difference? Maybe your long-distance girlfriend isn't quite ready to commit to you? Well, we've got great news for you! Introducing the new Scry Cards! A brand-new way of communicating like you've never seen before!
"How does it work," I can hear you ask! By harnessing the powers of magic and crystals, you can now record messages into our state-of-the-art communication cards! All you need to do is activate the crystal by pressing your thumb to the designated blue circle. Once you activate it, all that's left is to record what you'd like to say into the crystal. If you want to make sure that it sounds right, graze your thumb over the blue circle twice in order to repeat what you've just said. All you should hear is your beautiful voice, and if not, well then you received a defective unit and you're qualified to get your money back!
Our Scry Cards come with amazing security features in order to make sure that your important information doesn't make it out into the streets, either! Encode the device with the military ID or thumbprint of the person you're sending your card to in order to ensure that no one can crack the device but that person! Even program it to self-destruct upon unsuccessful decryption for the utmost security in your personal matters!
As of right now, only military personnel, medical professionals and political members can order, but we're in the midst of litigation in order to make sure that even you, yes you! You simpleton! Can get your hands on the most amazing piece of technology in Draconia since we invented Calcite power sources! Until then, enjoy the wait until the public release of the Scry Cards! Once you have them in your hands, you'll never want to let them go!

-Public service commercial to inform about the creation of Scry Cards

I can't believe I actually just transcribed a fucking commercial for the entry in the Draconia Encyclopedia page for these damned things...

— Leovold

Discovery

Scry Cards were created in 3001 EoD by pure coincidence. A group of miners in the Calcite Pass that were hard at work harvesting ores were trapped inside of the pass after a cave-in sealed off their only exit. After being trapped for three days, they began to lose hope that they would be rescued. It was looking more and more like their foreman had forgotten they were assigned in the tunnel and would be left to rot.
One of the Calcite crystals they had found was drained of its power and normally would be useless. But when one of the miners pulled out a piece of parchment that had some divination magic inscribed into it, the crystal fused into it. Anything the miners said was recorded into the parchment, then repeated with perfect accuracy. While it was an interesting discovery, it wasn't going to save them... then one of them blurted out the foreman's name, wishing they could relay a message to him.
The parchment shot through the wall of rubble, becoming incorporeal for a moment as it passed through solid rock. There was confusion amongst the miners, wondering what just happened. One hour later, they heard the sounds of digging equipment, shouts and commands being barked on the other side. The scroll had somehow found the foreman and informed him of the miner's situation, resulting in their rescue.

Usage

Scry Cards are used primarily for communication of vital information amongst the military and political offices. Military users utilize them to relay almost all orders, transfers, ordinances, even mundane ones, just due to the simplicity of using them, rather than the old-fashioned mail service. The speed at which Scry Cards can be delivered or find their recipients results in faster implementation of orders or mobilization of armies if needed.
Politicians mostly use the cards for the purpose of discussing possible litigations or upcoming debate sessions. The cleverer ones will use heavily secured cards to relay messages concerning their black-market dealings.
Doctors use the cards in order to keep in contact with patients. The quicker delivery allows them to provide the best care for their patients while also allowing them to stay within the comfort of their own homes. During times of conflict the cards are also useful for delivering urgent requests for supply restocks on the front lines.

Production

After the miners were rescued, they informed the foreman how the parchment had animated. This information was then sent to the Council, who immediately began having magically gifted individuals research the topic. Divination magic of any kind was found to produce the same effect, though higher-powered instances would create more potent outcomes.
Any users who specialized in divination were now employed by the Council to work in factories to produce the pieces of parchment in the shape of small cards inspired by poker cards. The cards would be infused with divination spells ranging from mind-reading to outright future sight, all for the purpose of being forged into a way of couriering messages. The final step would be powering them with drained Calcite crystals.
Security features were later added by further shaping the divination spells placed into the cards. One of these features was the ID recognition system. If the receiver's military ID number or signature was available, that could be encoded into the spell. The card would only relay its messages if the proper signature was placed onto the crystal embedded in the card.

An example of a Scry Card

Activating a Card by StaticStar1 via Midjourney

Nicknames

S.C.'s, Cards

Designations

SCS-##XX (Scry-Card-System-Number-Number-Letter-Letter)

Motto

For your privacy and sanity!

Creation Date

3001 EoD

Access & Availability

Currently, Scry Cards are only available to high-ranking personnel in the military, members of the Draconic Council, medical professionals and esteemed merchants.