Weather Forecaster

The ercaenum is a physical force like any other, albeit with some quirks of its own that make it stand out. But because it is like any other force, it accordingly reacts to existing planetary conditions. You see, ercaenum is much like air - it moves around, pushed by wind. And it just so happens that it is also attracted to places with a high electrical charge in the atmosphere. Like when a storm cloud is brewing and that ice up there is generating that electrical charge that then can turn into lightning. And knowing this, if you have something sensitive to the density of ercaenum in the air around you, you can somewhat predict severe weather. That's the gist of how the forecaster works. Prof. Illyane der Arxen explaining the mechanism behind the machine

Mechanics & Inner Workings

The primary element that allows the forecaster to work is aduvalmer, a substance that reacts to arcanum's presence in the air. As the presence increases, the material starts to shine brighter, lighting up consecutively thicker glass panels. Depending on how many panels are lit up, the forecast can be determined. There are usually 5 panels on a standard forecaster, but with the weather station models this number can go up to as much as 20.

Significance

They are a commonplace item but with great significance, especially to farmers. It helps them determine whether the coming days are good for harvest or will there be severe weather that could put the harvesters in danger. The smaller more compact versions of the forecaster are also very convenient and important for travellers and mountain hikers.

Drawing of a mix of a weather forecaster (upper rounded part) with a clock (lower box)

Item type

Mechanical

Rarity

A small and simple weather forecaster can be bought by almost anyone, although they are not always so reliable and have a short range of detection. The ones used for official forecasts are considerably larger machines that actively monitor and register the density. These are in possession of weather stations and are specially manufactured strictly for them, not available for public markets.