The Salting Effect

Overview

The Salting Effect refers to both the physical transformation and the magical properties of crystalline salts left behind after the Architect’s global disarmament of nuclear weapons during the Announcement Event. These salts, scattered across former nuclear sites and arsenals, have become one of the world’s most mysterious and consequential magical phenomena.

Origin

• Event: On March 15, 2025, the Architect rendered all nuclear weapons inert, transmuting their radioactive materials into non-toxic, crystalline salts.
• Physical Properties: The salts are translucent, faintly luminescent under moonlight.
• Nickname: Commonly called “Architect’s Salt” or “Null Salts.”

Magical Properties

Magic Nullification

• Primary Effect:
  The salts create a localized anti-magic field. Within their radius, magical effects are dampened, spells fizzle, and magical artifacts lose potency.
• Strength & Range:
• The effect is strongest at the salt’s core and diminishes with distance.
• Large, unbroken clusters can suppress even powerful magic in up to a 100 meter radius, while small fragments have a much weaker effect.

Rarity and Conservation

• Finite Resource:
  The total amount of salt is fixed, tied to the quantity of nuclear material erased. No new salts can be created by known means.
• Distribution:
  Most large deposits are controlled by governments, militaries, or powerful organizations, with smaller samples smuggled or traded on black markets.

Side Effects

• Residual Luminescence:
  The salts glow faintly under moonlight, a property that cannot be replicated by magic or technology. Though magical attempts have come closest, the effects are always temporary.
• Physical Safety:
  Unlike their radioactive precursors, the salts are chemically inert and non-toxic to humans and animals.

Societal and Political Impact

Strategic Importance

• Security:
  Salts are used to protect critical infrastructure, prisons, and government buildings from magical attack.
• Arms Race:
  Nations and organizations compete to acquire and control salt deposits, echoing the nuclear arms race of the previous era.
• Black Market:
  Small quantities of salt are highly valuable, traded covertly and sometimes used in assassination or sabotage.

Cultural Perception

• Symbolism:
  The salts are seen as both a blessing and a curse-a reminder of the Architect’s intervention and a tool for limiting magical escalation.
• Superstition:
  Some believe the salts are “cursed” or carry the Architect’s judgment, while others see them as holy relics.

Scientific and Magical Research

Study and Experimentation

• Magical Theory:
  Scholars debate whether the salts absorb, scatter, or “ground” magical energy, and whether their effect can be replicated or reversed.
• Technological Uses:
  Attempts to synthesize or artificially enhance the salts’ properties have so far failed.

Unsolved Mysteries

• Long-Term Effects:
  Some researchers suspect that prolonged exposure to large salt deposits may have subtle, long-term effects on local magic or even human psychology.
• Potential for Renewal:
  Theoretical research explores whether salts need to be “recharged” or if their nullifying effect will eventually fade.

Notable Incidents

• The Jakarta Incident:
  An attempted large-scale magical attack on a city was thwarted when an underground salt cache nullified the spell, but also caused a citywide blackout of all magic for days.
• The Salt Heist:
  A notorious black market operation smuggled several kilograms of salt from a military depot, leading to a crackdown and new international treaties on salt security.

"The world traded one deterrent for another."

- Mara Elgin, First Observant