Editing Narcissus (section)

====Mirrors and Magic Mirrors====

''Heliograph'': “signal mirrors.” small mirrors used to reflect flashes of sunlight or lamplight to distant observers in coded signals. originally used to coordinate the Mirror Towers, but now used for communication throughout the Narcissus hegemony.

''Heliotrope'': mirror mounted so as to reflect rays of sunlight to any distant point which may be changed. Mirror Towers use heliotropes to aim.

''Heliostat'': mirror mounted so as to reflect rays of sunlight to one fixed point as the sun moves through the day. Mirror Towers use heliostats to supply sunlight throughout the day.

''Heliocamin'': “burning mirrors” or “solar furnaces.” mirrors that focus sunlight into intense heat. originally used to build the Mirror Towers, and later mounted on mobile carts or ships for military deployment as heliocamin cannons. subsequently heliocamins were designed for heating and cooking.

''Solar Sails'': sheets of reflective, mirrorlike material used instead of wind sails on Narcissus’ boats and ships. they are propelled by sun-power instead of wind-power, but are relatively useless without sunlight (moonlight provides negligible propulsion, so unless the ship has trap-mirrors storing sunlight it usually anchors for the night).

''Regressive Arrays'': “trap mirrors.” two flat mirrors facing each other, used with reflective magic to trap images in an infinite regression between them until freed. Mirror Towers use trap mirrors to supply sunlight at night. trap mirrors are also used to store images, to trap mirror-wraiths, and to temporarily seal breaches from the mirror-world.

''Catoptric Arrays'': mirrors placed so as to multiply images cast upon them. arrays can produce visual illusions of what they reflect, such as with mirage ghosts and mirage bowls. catoptric arrays are notoriously easy to fall into the mirror-world through.

''Anamorphic Arrays'': mirrors placed so as to magnify images cast upon them. mirror-casting uses anamorphic mirrors to generate mirror-wraiths, and anamorphic arrays are notorious for spontaneously generating mirror-wraiths or other mirror entities.

''Acoustic Mirrors'': newly developed pseudo-mirrors that focus and reflect sounds. prototypes have been built as whisper galleries and eavesdropping demonstrations. there has been debate in the Diet (the governing body of nobles in Narcissus) whether acoustic mirrors may lead to or may have been inspired by corruption from the Cult of the Opaque.

''Carbuncle Mirror'': mirrored bubble or orb pulled out of the mirror-world, that shows the reflections of distant locations. Clairsentience (clairvoyance, sense-based, preparation required, breakable, 30 pts)

''Gyre Mirrors'': matched set of small mirrors, allowing communication with anyone reflected in one of the matched mirrors. Telesend (sense-based, accessibility only others reflected, preparation required, breakable, 24 pts)

''Möbius Mirror'': twisted loop mirror pulled out of the mirror-world, that reveals the thoughts of anyone reflected therein. Mind Reading (sense-based, sensory only, preparation required, breakable, 24 pts)

-- by Kakita Kojiro