Prismem

History & Usage

Discovery

Humans first discovered prismem while mining for metalic ores in in a mountain range near the outskirts of the capital. A group of miners broke through one wall to discover what looked like a wall of glowing crystal. Upon trying to mine out some of the crystal, they opened a path for a thick magma to seep out. While the magma flow was thick and slow, it seemed to seek out nearby people and move toward them rather than following a natural flow.

Once the mining crews retreated far enough, the magma stopped seeking poeple out and began to settle. Where the magma slowly settled into the rocky mine floor, more of the crystals formed at the edges of the magma. The surface area of the magma that was exposed to the air never formed this crystalline sheath, suggestin gthat it was an interaction with the stone that created it.

Later mining crews cleared out around the breach and discovered that the crysal material formed a casing of sorts around a flow of magma. Continued mining in the mountain showed that there was a network of these magma veins encased in this crystal material.

Everyday use

There are three main uses of prismem:

1. Illumination

   The mountain mines are carved out with large underground caverns lit by prismem and magma veins. Mine artists carve out around them to use the veins as a brilliant natural light source.
   


2. Directing Magma Flows
   While mine artists create the large caverns central to any mining project, they also use prismem to guide the magma flows in new ways. Loose rock and gravel is thrown on exposed flows to close them off with a layer of prismem. New veins are also created by carving out a large tube of stone connected to a natural vein, and then hollowing it to allow for the magma to flow through and react with the stone tube.
   
   Contrary to common belief, this is how many of the great forges were built. New veins of magma were created based on the planning and layout of the forge cavern. While many people believe that mine artists simply follow the veins to find the best forge room, few have any interest in the time and inevitable failures of such an approach.
   


3. Amplification
   The natural amplification of the prismem is useful in many ways beyond simple illumination. Much like the light that the crystals can trap and reflect, prismem can amplify heat and electricity in the same way. Many technological developments have been driven by small tubes or pods of prismem shaped to concentrate ad direct these energies.

by Kydra_Hunter using MidjourneyAI