Glimmer

The blood-shot eyes of the drifter opened with an intensity as if he were looking upon a lover, quickly closing shut as he wiped his nose, snorting the last of his supply of Glimmer. He would have to get more, but how? There was naught in his pockets save for a few pennies, not nearly enough for what the dealer was asking. Looking across the moonlit square, his eyes locked onto an old merchant closing up shop. His pockets would be full of the money he'd have made today. Maybe, just maybe... Only once...

Glimmer is a rare, expensive and magical drug found within many cities around Calcaria. Nearly all societies are pervaded by it, consuming all those who get addicted to it. Ever since the discovery of Glimmer it has been mined and shipped from the craters where it fell by those who are powered by greed. Once the Empire tried to curb its use, and outlawed mining, an event that led to the Mage Wars.
It is unknown who the first man was to try the substance, but its uses are multitude. It can be crushed into a fine powder and eaten or snorted, burnt on a hot fire and inhaled or even brewed into potions. What remains interesting about the substance is that the process of ingestion informs the type of elated feeling transferred onto the user. Those who eat it and those who inhale it receive a different experience.
But what gives Glimmer its true shine is its use as a base in Arcane Magic. Those with no innate arcane casting ability may cast spells through ingesting Glimmer, making it naturally alluring to those who crave knowledge, power, or both. However, prolonged use is detrimental, and often fatal.

Properties

Material Characteristics

Glimmer in its natural form looks like square crystals growing in fractal patterns next to bright blue rivers of pure magic. The crystals range in colour from a dark blue to a neon bright blue that shines with a light of its own. The brighter the Glimmer, the better the high according to many.
Glimmer is most often sold as a fine powder in glass vials, to be ingested how the user wishes. The fine powder is achieved by crushing the crystals brought back which can take many days. Glimmer as a substance is unstable and igniting it with sparks or flame has disastrous consequences. As such, careful strokes are needed when crushing a Glimmer crystal.

Physical & Chemical Properties

Glimmer is highly flammable, explosively so. It is not rare to hear about street workshops run by inexperienced dealers and suppliers that go up in flames. Explosions may be triggered by sparks, flames or even sunlight if left for long enough.

Geology & Geography

Glimmer is only found within the various meteor craters that inhabit most continents. The exception to that rule are the Mooncrest Isles, where no meteor ever fell. More specifically, Glimmer only 'grows' next to the bright blue rivers that inhabit the bottom of these craters, some say being rivers of pure magic. What their true make up consists of is unknown, as anyone who approaches them too closely begins to melt. Street mystics and crazed Glimmer fanatics speak of an entire crystal forest made of pure Glimmer on Ezura, and some sailors have corroborated this.
In any case, harvesting Glimmer is a dangerous business. Not only are the rivers themselves death traps, strange and wonderful beings inhabit the regions in and around the craters. Many a 'harvester' has spoke of daemons. Whatever these creatures may be, they are clearly attracted to the rivers themselves.

Origin & Source

The origin of Glimmer is mysterious, to say the least. Its crystals grow along the banks of what have been described as rivers of pure magic, though such claims have yet to be verified. Scholars and sages are at a loss of what Glimmer exactly is, but it is without a doubt connected to magic. No other rocks, metals or crystals of any kind have induced this type of effect - though many addicts that ran out have tried.
Some suspect Glimmer to be put on the material plane by design, to tempt mortals away from a good life and the path of righteousness and order. However, none can say for sure. Glimmer may remain a mystery for years to come, and until the truth about it is found it will continue to thrive as a black market good.

Life & Expiration

After harvesting, Glimmer begins to lose its bright blue shine within a month. This is difficult to detect over short period of times, but eventually Glimmer is reduced to a dark blue crystal, barely showing a hint of light. This process is accelerated when the crystal is crushed, so crushed Glimmer is usually sold quickly.

History & Usage

Discovery

It is not known when the first crater Glimmer was discovered. Its abuse, however, was first documented in Enetia, where several other drug issues were already apparent, and still are. The experience of Glimmer as a drug spread quickly, as Enetia is one of the trade capitals of the world, with many a foreign sailor looking to pass the time with any means possible.

Everyday use

Glimmer is ingested in many different fashions, all of which provide a different experience for the user. Below are listed the most common ways of ingestion and their effects as well as hazards.
Snorting

The most common way of taking the drug, snorting is easy, quick, and relatively painless.
Effects include:

• Short (5-15 min) term boost of concentration, but without the ability to reliably retain information. Some users report being able to perform simple tasks more quickly, but have trouble with more complex ones.
• Users feel euphoric, energetic, mentally alert, as well as sensitive to sight, sound and touch.

Side Effects include:

• Nosebleed and impotence (short term)
• Paranoia, depression, schizophrenia, as well as heart problems (long term)

Swallowing

The next-most common type of ingestion, swallowing Glimmer leaves a bitter aftertaste often wanted to be avoided by users.
Effects include:

• Medium (Half - one hour) term boost to the general energy of the user. Often used at festivals or carnevals and can induce excessive dancing or moving of the body.
• Creates a general closeness and can be considered an aphrodisiac.

Side Effects include:

• Nausea, blurry vision, sweating (short term)
• Irritability, impulsiveness, decreased appetite (long term)

Inhaling
Often enjoyed in private, inhaling glimmer is rarer than other methods since the crystal has to be sold as thin sheets to be boiled instead of fine powder that is ripe for exploding.
Effects include:

• Long (1-3 hours) term high that hits sharply but mellows out over time. Many users use Glimmer in this way to replace the effects of alcohol.
• Creates a general feeling of relaxation as well as the appearance of bright colours

Side Effects include:

• Memory loss, difficulty concentrating (short term)
• Amnesia, Hallucinations, Depression (long term)

Brewing
The least common type of using Glimmer, some alchemists have nevertheless been able to use the substance to brew powerful potions. These potions vary wildly, but are often advertised as being particularly potent if taken before battle or exercise.
Effects include:

• Pain suppression
• Increased energy and general constitution

Side Effects include

• Bright blue eyes (varies, short term)
• Nausea, general organ failure (long term)
• It needs to be noted that depending on the brewing process, ingredients used and variations in alchemy these effects may vary wildly between regions.

Cultural Significance and Usage

The Storm Crows are known to ingest Glimmer before going into battle, usually as a potion. They are the one of the few known orginisations that actively encourages its members to take Glimmer, beyond the usual rabble of gangs and delinquents.
Beyond that, Glimmer is also used as an explosive. It is the only known material with such explosive power. Some states and kingdoms have successfully used Glimmer in warfare, but its limited supply and cost has made it an unreliable

Hazards

Beyond the side effects listed above, Glimmer has many, final effects to it which are not very well known nor understood. A harmless long-term side effect of Glimmer ingestion is the changing of one's eye colour to a bright shifting blue. If a person consumes too much Glimmer at once however- or does so consistently over a long period of time - they are devoured by it. Reports of a shadow detaching itself from the host's body and dragging the soul with it seem to be unfounded. Nevertheless, authorities have noted bloated bodies with crystal overgrowth after consuming Glimmer in excess. On more than one occasion, such a body has exploded in a violent shower of guts and sharp mineral pieces, resulting in a mess at best or death at worst.

Distribution

Trade & Market

Glimmer is commonly sold within the largest cities on Calcaria. It is an expensive drug, the most expensive to be exact, and only few can regularly afford buying it. The cities of Vilverin, Enetia, and Xento are particularly affected, but the Glimmer trade is active in most capital cities and larger towns across the world.
A vial of pure Glimmer will set you back anywhere between 10-25 gold pieces, depending on supply and demand which change drastically every week. Glimmer has obvious logistical hurdles that must be overcome with sword and shield rather than with scythe and hoe. Supply routes can be interrupted by many things, including the monsters which live in the craters where Glimmer is gathered, law enforcement, or even rival gangs. Nevertheless, the exotic compound is worth more than lives to many.
Its exotic nature and difficulty in gathering, coupled with a high price, makes it alluring to sell fake Glimmer. Scams reach from anything such as selling real powdered crystal to more complex scams involving illusion magic, though extremely rare. Many users double check they are buying real Glimmer by rubbing a single crystal onto their gums, which can induce a sort of numbing effect. If the numbing does not occur, the Glimmer is usually fake.

Storage

Glimmer crystals and powder need to be stored at room temperature or risk being a fire hazard. Beyond that, Glimmer has been observed to lose its inner light faster when exposed to higher temperatures, and less so the colder its environment. Hence suppliers try to find the most innovative and least expensive ways to keep Glimmer as cool as possible, including dark basements, storing it in cool water or even ice magic.

Law & Regulation

The use of Glimmer is regional in its laws and bylaws, though most kingdoms and states do not tolerate it. The Desert Princes of the Sandswept Coast regularly ship Glimmer into Albion, through Enetia, who have made a point of cutting into the profit of the trade. Both parties have become rich off of this arrangement.
The Margraviate of Achaea, on the other hand, has outlawed it entirely, under the pain of death. The same goes for Vilverin, though citizens are rarely afforded the death penalty there, only outsiders. Lesser punishments are found in Alba. An odd example is Livon, where the substance itself will be confiscated if found on one's person, though not technically illegal. Many believe it to do with the secret college of mages that is whispered to have been founded there.

Type

Ore/Mineral

Value

10 - 25 Marks per vial

Rarity

Rare

Odor

Citrus

Taste

Acidic with a hint of sweetness

Color

Dark - bright blue

Common State

Solid (Crystal)