Skinveil Glass

Physical Description

A Skinveil Glass is a magickal apparatus crafted almost exclusively by the Dahlen necromancers native to Bakison. The device itself is a solid pane of glass roughly two centimeters thick and framed in carved and gilded bone. While the first generation was made to be almost two meters in length, more recent versions have been made smaller, down to the size of a hand mirror for the ability to be wielded in one hand for an individual's use. The glass used to create the device is mundane and sourced locally from the desert of Nioyaathep. The bone will vary; though always harvested from a dead Risen, it is believed that the greater the connection that individual had with magick in their former life, the more powerful the Skinveil Glass will be. The bone is then carved both to fit around the perimeter of the glass and inscribed with an assortment of magickal runes. The frame is then secured with gold or silver wire before being ornamented with further gilding or precious jewels, though this last step is purely artificial to raise aesthetic value for their noble commissioners.

Usage

The apparatus can only be used by an individual trained in arcane magicks, and even then must either be a gifted channeler or taught specifically how to use it. The Skinveil Glass must be held against or in extreme proximity to the individual that is being examined. The more powerful the glass and more advanced the user allows it to be used from further distances, though so far it has not reached more than a few meters. By channeling one's arcane magick into the frame, the Glass allows them to see underneath the skin of the individual they are observing. A deeper channel increases the visual penetration, leading all the way under skin and muscle to the underlying bone. 
Before the invention of the Skinveil Glass, subdermal injuries could only be guessed at without invasive and risky surgery. By allowing healers and surgeons to look underneath the skin, diagnosing has advanced drastically alongside operational success rate. This invention has advanced medicine far beyond original expectations, and has led to other nations commissioning the Dahlen crafters to manufacture these for foreign use as well.

Origin

Skinveil Glass was originally commissioned from the Bakison Priesthood to examine underneath the armor or clothing of temple visitors for weapons or contraband. While the Dahlen mages were able to create more devices for detecting magick, mundane items were slipping through. As necromancy is legal in the city under approval, practitioners of the art developed the device. It was able to pick up on foreign substances hidden inside the body, such as poison or narcotics smuggling, though it's usage was much more quickly focused in for medical purposes instead of security.