Veil-Sight Device

Those that have studied the mysteries the world observe many phenomena that can not easily be explained by known mechanisms or laws of nature. Many believe that there are elements at work that are beyond the perception of those that lack the magical sense or technological tools to see it. Those that do are said to be "peering through the Veil". For all except the most gifted in terms of Magic, developing one's Veil-Sight takes year if not decades to begin to see into the unseen world. However, there is an alternative: Veil-Sight Devices.

These are tools developed by past technologically advanced civilizations that have managed to survive into the modern age either undamaged or in a good enough state that the most learned scholars have been able to restore some functionality. Some take the form of lenses that can reveal unseen elements when peered through, others are devices that react to the presence of otherwise undetectable stimuli, and a handful can interact directly with the nervous system or spirit of an individual to bridge the divide between the the seen and unseen.

Despite not requiring years of training to use, these devices are still not an options for most as they are typically closely guarded by those that recovered them, or at least the ones that took it from those that recovered them. There are a handful known to be in the hands of certain adventurers as well as large organizations, but the majority are known to belong to the nation of Cogys where they are utilized by their academic and social elite.

Utility

Not all Veil-Sight devices are equal and there are several different methods and techniques for seeing the unseen, so nearly every device will work differently. Additionally, if the device interacts with the mind or spirit of the individual, the effect will be different for every user. However, the overall function of the devices are to allow the user to detect elements or stimuli in their surroundings they would otherwise not be able to detect.

Manufacturing

There is enough similarity between many of the Veil-Sight devices to suggest that there were several manufacturers or at least designers of the devices.

Social Impact

Individuals that possess Veil-Sight devices not only have access to more information that the average individual due to the utility of the devices, they also have access to power and resources that allow them to maintain them.

Access & Availability

Veil-Sight devices usually start out in the hands of those that know how to repair them, then are handed off to those with the money to buy then or the skills to steal them and also the power or secrecy to keep them from being stolen.

Complexity

Technology-based Veil-Sight devices are incredibly complex. Those that manage to repair them are more lucky than anything else as the inner working of these devices are still well beyond the technological knowledge of even the greatest minds of the Age of Reclamation.

Devices that partially or fully utilize Magic are much more understood by scholarly mages, but they are much rarer, take years to create, and usually have to be customized to the individual.

Discovery

While it is believed that some individuals possess Veil-Sight devices that were passed down from their original users before the First Firefall, most of them were recovered early on in the Age of Reclamation in some of the better preserved ruins. Most of these were not functional and considered of little value until individuals skilled with repairing and reverse-engineering technology got a hold of them and began to unlock their secrets.