Technology
Porta Lunae
The porta lunae are standing arches, that when turned on are a two-way portal between the two arches. Only one destination is possible per set of porta lunae arches. They utilize manesten. The evocation word is 'Averta.'
Sacculus
This is a bag that when opened opens up to an underground storage unit. These storage units come in 10'x5'x5', 10'x10'x5', 10'x15'x5', 15'x10'x15' (Length by width by height). These storage centers are dug deeply into the ground, with the storage units dug one on top of another. After being dug out, they are lined completely with water-proof concrete, labeled, and then sealed. The sealing is air-tight to make the contents of the sacculus' storage unit indeterminable by the storage company. It also makes it unsafe to store living things inside the sacculus.
A single bag is connected to each storage unit. The spells, embroidered on the bags, are written so the opening of the bag stretches to whatever size the opening is pulled to. This is so larger objects can be placed in the sacculus. The spell is also written so the owner can pull whatever they want from the storage unit without going into the unit. This is for safety reasons, since the sacculus can only be opened from the sack side, and not the storage unit side.
Sacculus buying is usually a secondary or tertiary market. This means that the storage company sells the bag to wholesale buyers who sell it to merchants who then sell them to the individual buyers or to a traveling merchant. This is done to make it difficult for authorities to track which person owns which storage unit. While this may seem counterintuitive to government interests, the majority of powerful people in the government also don't want their ownership of sacculuses to be tracked, so this method of distribution is supported.
If a bag is lost, the items can still be recovered by presenting the serial number of the bag to the storage company. The storage company will then break into the unit, and examine the contents. Claimants are required to describe the content in detail to claim. A fee of thirty percent of the worth is then applied to the contents of the unit, and the contents are then returned. Another sacculus much be purchased to replace the lost bag.
Sacculuses use manesten to operate. The evocation word is 'Aperta.'
Luxtrabem
The luxtrabem is a laser-etching magical machinery. It is primarily used to etch spells onto charms and clothes. This is because spells cannot be printed and work. They must be hand-written, hand-carved, or hand-etched. The luxtrabem falls under hand-etched, as long as the beam is hand-guided.
The luxtrabems use solstens. They are activated by pressing a foot pedal.
Transitioning Room
A transitioning room is a series of rooms found in a building. They allow the user to walk into one transitioning room and walk out of another transitioning room in the building. Spells for transitioning rooms have a plaque listing options for other transitioning rooms from which the user can exit. Depending on the spell, the user will either touch the option on the list and utter a general evocation word, or utter an evocation word specific to the option they want on the list.
If a building has transitioning rooms, there is typically one transitioning room per floor to allow for travel between floors without using the staircase. However, certain larger buildings might have more than one transitioning room on their floors. This not only facilitates travel between floors but also between different transitioning rooms on the same floor.
Transitioning rooms require manesten to transfer users between transitioning rooms, and solstens to monitor and switch out manesten stones for recharge when necessary.
Stylus
A stylus is a piece of magical technology that shares information from one location to another. They employ two silver boards, one large and in a central location, and the other small and hand-held by an individual user. The smaller board is colloquially referred to as the stylus. Multiple papers can be placed on the central board, and seen by the user on their small board.
Depending on how the spell is written, users can utilize their styluses to write out words. The stylus then pulls up for viewing only the papers on the central board which contain that word. Depending on how the spell is written, the user may also make notes on a specific piece of paper on their stylus. However, those notes will disappear as soon as the stylus switches to another piece of paper for viewing. If the stylus is connected to a printer, the user may press a button on the stylus that will print out that piece of paper. If they put notes on the piece of paper, the printer will print out a copy of that sheet of paper with those specific notes.
Styluses are linked to specific central boards. A person may need multiple styluses to gain access to multiple boards.
More sophisticated stylus spells may have different labels for specific styluses. If this is the case and the stylus has a submission stand silver board in addition to their typical central board, an operator in the central location may submit a piece of paper to pop up on a specific person's stylus screen without the user looking for that paper. A submission stand operates, similarly to a central board, except the operator has rune markers for each of the styluses linked to their system. In order to give a specific stylus view of a piece of paper, they must place the rune associated with that stylus onto the paper that is on the submission stand. A submission stand can contain multiple pages and can give one page to multiple styluses, as well as multiple pages to one stylus. If a stylus has multiple pages linked to it, the stylus can search through the different pages linked to their stylus for the duration that those papers stay on the submission board.
It is to be noted that pages can only appear on styluses for the duration of time that that piece of paper remains on the central board or submission stand. If the paper is removed from the central board or submission stand, it is no longer accessible to the stylus.
Styluses associated with libraries function in a similar but different way. The books in the library will be marked with a silver or copper, runed label that contains their name and author. The sections of the library will also be labeled with a silver or copper plaque. The user can then look up that specific title or author, and the stylus will give them a list of books that are connected with that library that have that title/author. It will let them know which section the book is in, or if the book is not present (checked out).
Styluses are fairly sophisticated pieces of magical technology and require a wizard, or sometimes multiple wizards, to write and install each specific system. There are wizards who specialize in stylus writing and installment. These wizards will put a cover over their spells on the back of styluses made of paper or leather. If the cover is removed, the spell on the stylus will melt. They do this to prevent people from plagiarizing their complex spell-writing styles for their own stylus systems, as well as prevent people from cloning boards to secretly gain access to their systems.
Styluses use both manesten and solsten. The manesten is used to transfer the information from one board to another. The solsten monitors the central board and makes the transferred papers appear on the stylus screen. Styluses must be localized, and only work within a certain distance of the central location. This diameter depends on the way the individual system is set up. Greater power is needed for perimeters that cover longer distances.
Printer
A magical printer is a device that scans and copies pages. It has a silver or copper submission board that the piece of paper is set on. The page is then scanned and a copy is burnt onto a new sheet of paper by laser. It is to be noted that laser-printed copies are less durable than ink copies, and so are not utilized for books and newspapers. Books and newspapers use ink-type-based printing.
Printers use solstens. They are activated by pressing a hand or foot pedal.
Telescanner
A telescanner is a version of a magical printer that prints out copies at a distant printer. It works similarly to a standard magical printer, only it is connected to a manesten to enable transference of the document's image to remote printers.
Telescanners must be connected to other telescanner printers to receive a copy of the paper. When a paper is scanned by a telescanner, all telescanners in that network will print the image (provided they have paper to print on). Individuals might have multiple telescanners to connect with different groups.
The most famous example of a telescanner system is the Altruist warrant board system. All Altruist-controlled cities have their own telescanner that can receive copies of warrants via telescanners. They also receive pages with warrant updates. Cities will often have multiple telescanner systems, not only for the warrant boards but also to send distress requests and to update information on certain monitored individuals.
Telescanners use solstens and manestens. They are activated by pressing a hand or foot pedal.
Flammesten Central Heating System
A central heating system is a system that uses flammestens to heat it and solstens to monitor the flammestens' energy levels. The flammestens are then conveyed by a solsten-powered chain to a coal or wood furnace where they are recharged. Temperatures are preset by the spells to stay within a four-degree (Fahrenheit) range, and cannot be altered.
Solstens for the monitors and chain conveyors are typically placed on top of the structure for optimal recharge. The power is then conveyed by copper or silver wire to the individual showers/rooms, chains, and furnaces connected to the system.
Flammesten heating systems can be used to heat the air in buildings, however, this is relatively uncommon. Most central heating systems run on wood or coal furnaces and forced air. If a home has a flammesten central heating system, it is usually only applied to water heating and/or select areas.
Flammesten heating systems can be turned off by pulling a lever to stop the chain. Flammesten heating systems may automatically shut off for a temporary period if the flammesten/solsten power is entirely used up and needs recharging.
Issten Cold/Ice Box
An issten cold/ice box uses issten to keep an enclosed area cold. Temperatures are preset by the spell to a four-degree (Fahrenheit) temperature range. A minimum of four sixteen-bolt isstens are required as this allows the isstens to recharge while simultaneously keeping the area cool. Four sixteen-bolt isstens cool a two cubic foot area. An additional sixteen bolts is needed for each additional cubic foot over two cubic feet.
Issten Central Cooling System
A central cooling system is a system that uses isstens to cool it and solstens to monitor the isstens' energy levels. The isstens are then conveyed by a solsten-powered chain to an issten ice box where they are recharged. Temperatures are preset by the spells to stay within a four-degree (Fahrenheit) range and cannot be altered.
Solsten for the monitors and chain conveyors is typically placed on top of the structure for optimal recharge. The power is then conveyed by copper or silver wire to the individual faucets/rooms, chains, and issten ice boxes connected to the system.
Issten cooling systems used to cool the air in buildings or water in facets are rare. They are generally only seen in desert areas and even then for the wealthy. Most people generally employ evaporation cooling methods.
Issten cooling systems can be turned off by pulling a lever to stop the chain. Issten cooling systems may automatically shut off for a temporary period if the issten/solsten power is entirely used up and needs recharging.
Vandsten Plumbing/Sewage Sytems
Vandsten plumbing/sewage systems use vandstens to power water movement through pipes. Vandstens are put into pipes at critical junctures to move water in the desired direction. At least six four-bolt vandstens must be employed to be perpetually powered. The water flowing over the vandsten recharges the power as it is being used.
Levers or screws may be pulled or tightened/loosed to stop vandsten watering systems or change the direction of flow. Whatever stops the system or changes the direction of flow is outlined in the spell.
Solsten Locks
A solsten lock can work one of two ways. The first applies a small shock to people that attempt to touch the handle. In order to stop the spell, a lever may be pulled to disconnect the solsten power from the spell/door, turning off the spell.
The second method of solsten lock uses solsten energy to temporarily lift a pin. The length of time the pin is lifted is described in the spell. Once the pin is lifted, the door may be opened. Depending on how the spell is written, different actions are required to lift the pin. Most commonly, there will be a pad of numbered buttons. When a combination of numbered buttons is pressed in an order as described in the spell, the pin will lift.
Solsten Scanners
A solsten scanner is a form of monitor. Depending on how the spell is described, they can be used to monitor all kinds of things, either visuals or energy levels. Some of the things they can monitor are, but are not limited to, how much energy a gem has; whether magic energy is being employed; how full a container is; images/people/objects that appear in a specific location; how much light is in an area, etc.
Solsten scanners are often paired with other magical spells or systems, like with a flammesten central heating system.
Solsten Lamps/Lighting Systems
Solsten lamps/lighting systems use solsten to light up an area. Depending on how the spell is written, they turn on in one of four methods. The first one turns on or off the solsten through a lever or physical removal of the solsten/spell from its base. The second method turns on or off the solsten light through a command word or by applying sun magic energy to turn on or off the spell. The third method puts the light on a timer that turns it on or off based on time. The fourth method monitors the light in the environment and automatically turns the solsten light when the environment is darker than the level described in the spell.
Solsten lamps/lighting systems will automatically switch off if they do not have enough power to keep them going.
Flammesten Oven/Stove
A flammesten oven/stove uses flammesten to heat or ignite an oven or stove. The flammesten oven/stove may solely use flammesten to heat the unit, but more commonly uses the flammesten only for the ignition and then uses wood, coal, or kerosene to continue the heat for cooking. Using alternative power sources to continue heating requires substantially less magical power, does not risk running out of magical power in the middle of cooking, and is less costly to install.
Flammesten ovens/stoves may be turned off or on through a button or lever depending on how the spell is written. They must be connected to a flammesten central heating system to function unless the specific oven/stove allows the user to physically remove the flammestens and put them in a fire for recharging.
Terrae Currus
A terrae currus is a wagon or train of wagons that is vibrated and propelled forward through the use of earth magic. At least six sixteen-bolt grundstens must be placed in the ground beneath it, every twenty feet to perpetually power the system. Solsten monitors may visually scan if a train of wagons passes by a certain point to temporarily switch the system off for passengers to load and unload. Solsten timers turn the terrae currus off automatically at certain times of night.
Because of the expense of installing a terrae currus, there are only two of them in the world of Materna. One is in Chardor, the capital of Croulia, and the other is in Petrabla, the capital of Serracole.