Chaos glass

Philip walked carefully through The Layer of Anomalies, observing, and calculating in his head. It was getting late and he was getting tired. At the same time, one wrong move, one mistake in his calculations, and he could stray off of the safe paths formed inside the anomalies.
At some point, his calculations led him through something that looked like a crater. He barely stepped inside when he heard a crunching sound underneath his feet. Looking down, he noticed pieces of green glass. The chaos glass. His ticket to some rest.

While most anomalies considered "new" by people either changed their location or their size, once in a while a completely new anomaly is born in The Pit. It can happen anywhere, sometimes it comes with a smell or a weird feeling under the skin, and sometimes it is completely spontaneous. Sometimes it happens without a sound and sometimes creates a booming explosion. No matter the way it happens, there's always a way to know that a new anomaly was just born.
Pieces of green glass scattered all around the location where the anomaly just showed up.

Harvesting chaos glass

Trying to pick up the glass meant more calculations. A single wrong move and the gravity anomaly around him would crush him before he could blink. But he managed to find the few pieces that wouldn't affect the safe place he stood in too much. He was almost ready to rest.

The anomaly glass is safe to handle with bare hands, however, it doesn't mean that it is safe to harvest it. The glass possesses powerful properties which affect the structure of the anomalies in its proximity and so trying to move it affects the safe pathways inside of them. Before people knew that, harvesting it often ended with them moving the anomalies on themselves, and their quick, sometimes painful deaths.
Harvesting the glass that isn't surrounded by the anomalies anymore is completely safe.

Affecting anomalies

Any pattern made out of more than 2 pieces of chaos glass starts to affect the internal structures of anomalies. With the right knowledge and calculations, one could create a pattern that would always open a safe tunnel leading through any anomaly they encounter. This property is often used in anomaly compasses, small circular devices made out of metal rings, strings, and pieces of chaos glass that form small constellations that can be freely moved by turning the rings.

Philip took his treasure and started calculating again. As he moved the pieces of chaos glass, he could almost feel the anomaly shifting around and above him when his hair stood up on his neck. But after what felt like an eternity, his work was done. Right now, there was an invisible safe bubble surrounding him in a 2-meter radius. Even if the anomaly above him moved, he would still be safe. He pulled out his rations and sleeping bag out of his backpack.

Other names:
Anomaly glass, ano-glass, smith's sparks

Rarity

Very rare, appears only when a new anomaly shows up. Impossible to replicate synthetically.

Odor

Similar to air after the storm.

Taste

Slightly salty, licking it feels like licking a battery.

Color

Dark green, with patterns inside that reflect the power of the anomaly it was born inside.

Melting / Freezing Point

The only way to melt it is by putting it in a heat anomaly.

Related Locations

• The Pit

Anomaly detector

While chaos glass affects the anomalies the same is true for the other side. In proximity to the anomalous area, the glass starts to vibrate a little and becomes warm. When put with something that amplifies the vibrations, one can easily create a detector capable of warning people from anomalies.