Glimmer

Skargosi Stardust / Shine / Glass

The blood-shot eyes of the drifter opened with an intensity as if he were looking upon a lover, quickly closing shut as he wiped his nose, snorting the last of his supply of Glimmer. He would have to get more, but how? There was naught in his pockets save for a few copper pieces, not nearly enough for what the dealer was asking. Looking across the moonlit square, his eyes locked onto an old merchant closing up shop. His pockets would be full of the money he'd have made today. Maybe, just maybe... Only once...

Glimmer is a rare, expensive and magical drug found within many cities in and around Albion. Nearly all societies are pervaded by it, consuming all those who get addicted to it. Ever since the Comet fell it has been mined and shipped from the Eye and other craters by those who are powered by Greed. To try and curb its use, the Church of Illumination has built the Fortress Caer Hayne on the Eye and outlawed mining there. Mining continues on smaller craters in Skargos.
It is unknown who the first man was to try the substance, but its uses are multitude. It can be crushed into a fine powder and eaten or snorted, burnt on a hot fire and inhaled or even brewed into potions. What remains interesting about the substance is that the process of ingestion informs the type of elated feeling transferred onto the user. Those who eat it and those who inhale it receive a different experience.
But what gives Glimmer its true shine is its use as a base in Arcane Magic. No Human or Dwarf can cast arcane spells without Glimmer, making it naturally alluring to those who crave knowledge, power, or both. Prolonged use is detrimental, and often fatal, more details are found below.

Properties

Material Characteristics

Glimmer in its natural form looks like square crystals growing in fractal patterns next to bright blue rivers of pure magic. The crystals range in colour from a dark blue to a neon bright blue that shines with a light of its own. The brighter the Glimmer, the better the high according to many.
Glimmer is most often sold as a fine powder in glass vials, to be ingested how the user wishes. The fine powder is achieved by crushing the crystals brought back which can take many days. Glimmer as a substance is unstable and igniting it with sparks or flame has disastrous consequences. As such, careful strokes are needed when crushing a Glimmer crystal.

Physical & Chemical Properties

Glimmer is highly flammable, explosively so. It is not rare to hear about street workshops run by inexperienced dealers and suppliers that go up in flames. Explosion may be triggered by sparks, flames or even sunlight if left for long enough.

Geology & Geography

Glimmer is only found in the Eye where the majority of the Comet fell. Smaller but significant amounts can also be found in the smaller craters that dot Skargos. Street mystics and crazed Glimmer fanatics speak of an entire crystal forest made of pure Glimmer on Skargos, and some sailors have corroborated this.

Origin & Source

Scholars and sages are at a loss of what Glimmer exactly is, but it is without a doubt connected to magic. No other rocks, metals or crystals of any kind have induced this type of effect - though many addicts that ran out have tried.
Some suspect Glimmer to be put into this world by design, to tempt mortals away from a good life and the path of righteousness and order. However, none can say for sure. Glimmer may remain a mystery for years to come, and until the truth about it is found it will continue to thrive as a black market good.

Life & Expiration

After harvesting, Glimmer begins to lose its bright blue shine within a month. This is difficult to detect over short period of times, but eventually Glimmer is reduced to a dark blue crystal, barely showing a hint of light. This process is accelerated when the crystal is crushed, so crushed Glimmer is usually sold quickly.

History & Usage

Discovery

It is not known when the first Glimmer was discovered, but it is likely that one of the first expeditions into the Alvus Sea after the Cataclysm found it in one of the craters. Its abuse, however, was first documented in Qa'Adaq (Aes), where several other drug issues were already apparent, and still are. The experience of Glimmer as a drug spread quickly, as Aes is one of the trade capitals of the world, with many a foreign sailor looking to pass the time with any means possible.

Everyday use

Glimmer is ingested in many different fashions, all of which provide a different experience for the user. Below are listed the most common ways of ingestion and their effects as well as hazards.

Snorting

The most common way of taking the drug, snorting is easy, quick, and relatively painless.
Effects include:

Short (5-15 min) term boost of concentration, but without the ability to reliably retain information. Some users report being able to perform simple tasks more quickly, but have trouble with more complex ones.

Users feel euphoric, energetic, mentally alert, as well as sensitive to sight, sound and touch.

Side Effects include:

Nosebleed and impotence (short term)

Paranoia, depression, schizophrenia, as well as heart problems (long term)

Swallowing

The next-most common type of ingestion, swallowing Glimmer leaves a bitter aftertaste often wanted to be avoided by users.
Effects include:

Medium (Half - one hour) term boost to the general energy of the user. Often used at festivals or carnevals and can induce excessive dancing or moving of the body.

Creates a general closeness and can be considered an aphrodisiac.

Side Effects include:

Nausea, blurry vision, sweating (short term)

Irritability, impulsiveness, decreased appetite (long term)

Inhaling

Often enjoyed in private, inhaling glimmer is rarer than other methods since the crystal has to be sold as thin sheets to be boiled instead of fine powder that is ripe for exploding.
Effects include:

Long (1-3 hours) term high that hits sharply but mellows out over time. Many users use Glimmer in this way to replace the effects of alcohol.

Creates a general feeling of relaxation as well as the appearance of bright colours

Side Effects include:

Memory loss, difficulty concentrating (short term)

Amnesia, Hallucinations, Depression (long term)

Brewing

The least common type of using Glimmer, some alchemists have nevertheless been able to use the substance to brew powerful potions. These potions vary wildly, but are often advertised as being particularly potent if taken before battle or exercise.
Effects include:

Pain suppression

Increased energy and general constitution

Side Effects include

Bright blue eyes (varies, short term)

Nausea, general organ failure (long term)

It needs to be noted that depending on the brewing process, ingredients used and variations in alchemy these effects may vary wildly between regions.

Hazards

Beyond the side effects listed above, Glimmer has many, final effects to it which are not very well known nor understood. A harmless long-term side effect of Glimmer ingestion is the changing of one's eye colour to a bright shifting blue. If a person consumes too much Glimmer at once however- or does so consistently over a long period of time - they are devoured by it. 
Reports of a shadow detaching itself from the host's body and dragging the soul with it seem to be unfounded. Nevertheless, the Inquisition has noted bloated bodies with crystal overgrowth after consuming Glimmer in excess. On more than one occasion, such a body has exploded in a violent shower of guts and sharp mineral pieces, resulting in a mess at best or death at worst.

Distribution

Law & Regulation

Magic itself is outlawed due to it being believed to have been the cause of the Comet in retaliation of the Elves' arrogance and magic use. Glimmer, on the other hand, is much more regional in its laws and bylaws. The Southern Desert Princes regularly ship Glimmer into Albion through Enetia, who have made a point of cutting into the profit of the trade. Both parties have become rich off of this arrangement.
Pellas, on the other hand, has outlawed it entirely, under the pain of death. The same goes for Aranesse, though citizens are rarely afforded the death penalty there, only outsiders. Lesser punishments are found in Marne and Southmarch. An odd example is Styrias, where the substance itself will be confiscated if found on one's person, though not technically illegal. Many believe it to do with the secret college of mages that is whispered to have been founded there.

Type

Ore/Mineral

Rarity

Common

Odor

Bitter

Taste

Bittersweet

Color

Dark - bright blue

Common State

Crystalised