Void Core

Void core is a dense material most commonly found in Void Brushes. The core itself is highly pressurized wood or stone that has had all light and core light pulled out of it. The resulting material draws in light and core light from everything it comes into contact with. This process also seems to draw in the color of the object being drained. In its place a thin layer of physical darkness, or void essence, is left behind. This physical darkness continues to draw in light and color, but at a much lower speed.

Creation

Void cores are created in the salt marshes that surround the Remembrance Workshop. The workshop specializes in cultivating algae as a food source. The process of cultivating the algae on a large scale requires drawing a large amount of core light into the marshes, and then into the algae. This is only possible due to the silt within the marsh being primarily comprised of prismem that was ground into a fine power by the ocean. The natural algae in the marshes have been modified so that they aggressively draw in core light during its growth cycle. These active growth pools are normally kept cleared of any debris that might fall in or be blown in by storms. Creating a void core involves intentionally adding material to overgrown growing pools and keeping them there for long periods of time.

The process was originally found by accident. Early void rods came to be when storms would blow debris into the marsh and they were not cleared out. Normally any debris would be cleared out quickly to avoid interrupting the growth cycle of the algae. When the growing pools were cleared out promptly, anything cleared out would be greyed and brittle if it had been submerged. After a particularly long storm period compounded by particularly lazy assistants resulted in debris that lingered in the growing pools much longer than ever before the first recorded void core was found.

The material that resulted from this much prolonged exposure was not grey and brittle but rather a deep black that drew in the light and color around it, and withered the algae closest to it. There was also far less debris left and turned into void cores than had been the expected amount of debris from the storm. Further testing determined that only wood and stone already rich in void light could sustain its integrity in the overgrown pools long enough to be changed into void cores. Smaller debris or weaker materials would simply dissolve during such long exposure.

Void Stone

Void stone is very hard to manage or control. The density of the core light infused stone allows it to stay in the pools longer and generate a much stronger void essence. It needs to be contained within carefully constructed prismem containers, cut in such away as to bend the void essence back on itself and prevent it from contacting anything outside the container. The air around such vessels still have some light pulled away and appear to have a dimness much like a shadow. The expense to make and contain void stone precludes common production or use. Even specialists tend to avoid the material.

Void Rods

Void rods are far more common. They are made from shafts of core light infused wood being submerged until it converts to a void core. These rods are usually encased in stone that is lined with a sheet of prismem. The prismem sheath for void rods does not need to be as carefully crafted as the vessels for void stone and can be much thinner. If any of the void essence escapes it will only be able to feed on the stone around it. Some void rod artisans have taken to only crusting the inside of the stone with prismem rather than crafting it to properly reflect the void essence back into the void rod itself. This helps to cut labor costs, but also results in a shorter usable life for the created Void Brush.

For usability the void brush cannot have a void rod which is entirely sealed off. One end of the stone casing is stylized into a nib with small runnels that allow the void essence to flow out like ink from a pen. The different styles of nibs are unique to the artisan that creates them. A lined stone cap can then be screwed over the nib to fully seal it when not in use. While the void essence flows like ink from a pen, it appears more like paint when it is used. Hence the name Void Brush. Using the Void Brush is also referred to as painting by those who do not understand the way a Void Brush works.

Within the city of Chronwhorl, artists will use Void Brushes in their artwork for temporary designs and displays. The void essence stands out vividly under the bright light of the Radiant Disk, but fades within a few days of steady exposure to the holy light. When the void essence is first painted it pulls in the holy light and seems to get darker, but this effect stops within a bell and the essence is broken down entirely within a few days. Use of Void Brushes would be prohibited within the city but for this decay, which the Order teaches as the strength of Radiance against the darkness of this world.

Void Core Artisans

Artisans who work with void cores are highly specialized, and extensively trained in how to work with the dangerous material. These artisans are almost exclusively Mythics with stone body and/or spirit rings. Some are further specialized and prismem on their body or spirit ring which allows them to directly manipulate the prismem needed in the crafting process, rather than shaping it with tools. Having prismem in the body ring allows a Mythic or Myth-touched to handle the void cores directly without being harmed by them. Having prismem in the spirit ring usually manifests as the ability to manipulate prismem as an element. These artisans are very rare however.