Voidglass
Between Time and Space
Alright, remember: be careful when you are mining this stuff, one wrong swing an-Welp, that's the 3rd one that ignored my warnings this week. Great.Voidglass is a crystal mineral that appears all across the Cosmic Hourglass. Capable of tearing rifts between worlds through the Void itself, it is essential for a lot of interdimensional travel.
Properties
Characteristics & Properties
Voidglass gets its namesake from the sheet-like crystals it appears as. It does not reflect any light, absorbing most of it and giving it a pitch-black appearance.
When the crystal vibrates, it hooks itself into the fabric of reality and starts pulling at it. With enough force, it can tear a rift straight into the Void, even if only for a moment.
It also proofs to be heatproof, dissipating any heat it comes in contact with. Though from experimentation, this also activates its ability to tear open rifts.
Geology & Geography
Voidglass grows anywhere where interdimensional activity is prevalent. The growths vary on the frequency and intensity of the rifts, as larger crystals appear in areas where such portals are common. Given enough time, entire cave networks full of Voidglass can manifest.
Every known dimension can have Voidglass emerge, even the Void itself. Though for the mineral to appear, it can take years of active rifts for clusters before even start forming.
Expiration
Over time, the crystals lose their ability to create rifts. Estimated at around fifty years, they lose their pitch black colours and turn transparent. Though samples that get used more frequently show signs of their capabilities degrading slower.
History & Usage
History
Historical documentation dates the first usage of Voidglass all the way back to Prehistoria. Ancient civilisations utilised natural formations of it to traverse the outer planes before proper spells became widespread. Recovered artefacts even imply a ritualistic element to the progress.
It wasn’t until much later that people began experimenting and improving the research on the mineral. Not until the enlightened age did the first proper portals use the material.
During the age of silence, there was a significant drop of its usage after struggles in Sichelan made access to gateways difficult. Even today, many gateways end up abandoned due to the dangers and troubles such portals bring with them.
Everyday Usage
Most everyday usage finds Voidglass as a simple method to open portals between the different worlds of the Cosmic Hourglass. By opening up a rift in both realms it allows a gateway to exist between both, allowing passage through with relative ease.
A less common utility of Voidglass is as an excellent heat-absorbent material. The issue is this causes it to activate its rift-tearing capabilities once heated.
Hazards & Environmental Impact
'ey boss, where did the mine go?
The biggest threat that Voidglass poses is its ability to tear holes into the Void at any moment. Sensitive to the lightest vibration or heat, a rift can emerge at a moment’s notice.
Mining it alone is a complicated task, as even the hits of a pickaxe might activate the material. Careless usage of it leads to things ending elsewhere, if not lost somewhere between realities.
Even earthquakes prove to make the material in a natural state dangerous to be around. During such disasters, entire areas can end up vanishing into rifts, leading to landmarks and settlements disappearing over night. If lucky, they might re-emerge in a few days or weeks.
That is a pretty cool article, awesome material. Would love to explore more of its usage in day to day technologies if any. Love the idea of a naturally forming material being dangerous in this manner, the idea of natural events triggering it is fascinating.