Novaculite

Novaculite is very hard and dense rock that is very resistant to weathering. It is usually milky white in colour, though different deposits also come in many different shades of grey, and a handful are even black. These deposits tend to exhibit long parallel bands of other colours, containing traces of other minerals. The rock has a weak antimagic effect, which has been put to a number of practical purposes over the centuries.

Properties

Physical & Chemical Properties

Novaculite is a very decorative stone: with enough polishing it can shine like silver, and both its thick bands of white, grey, or black and its remarkably straight bands of red or yellow, it is renowned in the sculpting community for its beauty, being second only to marble while having significantly greater durability.
In addition to these features, it is unusually resistant to magic. Spells that alter stone directly simply do not work on novaculite, and it tends to resist damage from other spells far better than it should be able to. This has led to a variety of experiments both to determine uses for this capability and refine it into a more concentrated form.

Geology & Geography

Novaculite is found in a variety of sedimentary deposits that have been subjected to significant folding and uplift, particularly in the foothills west of the Usha Mountains. These deposits are often fairly easy to find, as Novaculite will withstand weathering that wears away most rocks that typically form with it, leaving distinctive ridges that run parallel to each other.

History & Usage

Everyday use

Today, novaculite is primarily used for decorative purposes, particularly in masonry where the regular bands of colour can be used to trace geometric shapes onto a building. It is also commonly used for comemorative monuments and outdoor statury, as its substantial resistance to weathering and resistance to magical tampering make it superior to marble in such public displays.
Another use, though relatively few people know of it, is in a specialized prison cell called a Mage-Box. These cells are featureless white boxes, walls, ceiling, floor and door all lined with novaculite slabs that resist a Magus's attempts to cast spells. In Kinilan, they are typically used as punishment cells, as Magi are generally well respected and most wardens are of the opinion that it is wiser to treat a Magus well enough that they don't want to risk a dangerous escape attempt rather than to try to completely isolate them and lock down their powers. Most prisons in Kinilan have a handful of these cells.
In ancient times, novaculite was also used for stone tools, particularly arrow and spear heads. The intent was that the antimagic effect of the rock might disrupt an enemy's magical capabilities somewhat, though as this requires a quite small amount of rock, the effect is fairly minimal. It is, however, enough to protect these projectiles from magically called up winds, and the antimagic effect can disrupt a targeted Magus's attempts to maintain an active spell more than a similar projectile using a steel tip. However, the advent of modern armour and the ready availability of steel mean most prefer to use steel tipped arrows and javelins.
Quantities of novaculite are also used from time to time by Magi attempting to concentrate its anti-magical properties into a more portable form, as there would be a number of uses for this. Thus far, however, nobody has managed to determine what part of the rock provides the source of this effect, let alone distill that component into something usable.

Color

White, Grey, or occasionally black, with narrow bands of other colours

Density

2.2-2.5