Rune Cartridge

"No, no, don't you dare! DON'T YOU DARE! I SWEAR, IF YOU BREAK THAT I WILL TURN YOU INTO A HA- DAMMIT! Now I have to clean up your gods damned mess."

— Unknown and unknown cat

The Catalyst

Forged in the Golden Depths out of the purest brass and inscribed with delicate intricacy before being infused with pure magical potential and sealed behind glass, rune cartridges are one of the few ways to be able to store unadulterated magic for future use. When filled, swirls of bright energy pulse around the core of the cartridge, tracing pathways across it, sliding through the runes carved to contain it.
Despite their solid crafting and ability to contain pure magic, rune cartridges are not an indelicate object once completed. Because their casing includes glass, it is very susceptible to breakage. The results of a break can differ depending on the craftsmanship and the amount of magic stored, however only rarely does it occur with the energy contained simply dissipating.

The Encasement

Though the original inventor of rune cartridges is unknown, the blueprints for creating such a construct were found buried under tomes and boxes of random detritus in an until recently in-use home in the Depths. Since their recovery, many craftsmen of the Depths have tried their hand at creating their own rune cartridges. Some of them were met with great success, others were met with a fiery end, and one particularly intriguing incident ended with them becoming a potted plant.
Some people have claimed the potted plant was there previously, however the apprentice who was there at the time of the incident, and who now has splendidly purple hair, is adamant that their master is now the plant.

by Theiket (via MidJourney)