Group Participation: New Technology

I'm going to try something new here. Using what we know about the background of the Divided States and the game, this will be the post for things that exist in 1899 that don't necessarily have a counterpart in our world. People who add in something that gets used in the game world (at my discretion, but I'm only likely to reject something that will break the fiction or make characters too powerful) will get a 100 XP bonus.

I'll get things rolling.

Cold Lamp / Cold Lantern:  A glass sphere with a golf ball sized spherical piece of wood inside. The wood has had the Continual Light spell cast on it and shines like full daylight (25' radius) permanently; the lantern's body is a thin opaque metal box. The cheaper models ($25 or so) are designed so that lifting the opaque metal box exposes the inner glowing wooden light source and serves as a source of illumiation. More expensive models ($50-$100) have hinged shutters on one or more sides so that the light can be directed like a lantern beam. They're commonly used in mines where open flames could be incredibly dangerous and in homes to avoid the risk of spilled oil and burning the place down. Useless for cooking and heating (they only radiate light, not heat).

Heating Stones:  A pair of pebble-sized stones with a single-use enchantment placed on them:  When submerged in water the stones magically heat up to a gallon of water to boiling in a matter of seconds. Used in cooking, cleaning, or in heating bathwater (among other uses). Popular among adventurers and militaries. Originally a single stone, but the binary system was developed after reports of injuries among people carrying them during inclement weather. $2 for a pack of seven stones (good for making coffee in the morning for a week).

Model Orrery:  A clockwork model of the solar system's Sun and inner planets; used in manually calculating ship navigation when necessary (usually with a slide rule, because using one means the Calculation Engine normally utilized for navigation is broken). Use of a model orrery by a trained navigator adds +5 to Navigation checks. Cheap models can be had for $100 or so; more elaborate ones that account for the larger asteroids and are measured more precisely can cost up to fifteen times as much.

Nutrition Block:  An alchemically improved bullion cube, this 1" cube of supercompressed powdered meat and vitamins can be mixed with a pint of water to make a cold soup that serves as a day's nutritional requirements for an adult under moderate to severe physical strain. Popular with militaries and Etheric transports (especially when used with Heating Stones). Available in several flavors, from the expected beef and chicken to Martian and Venusian domesticated and game meats. 50 cents apiece in stores; $5 for a dozen (either one flavor or a variety pack).

Shunned Circle Stake:  A single-use item; hammering one into the ground triggers a cantrip that repels insects and vermin for twelve hours out of a circle twenty feet across. Extremely popular with adventurers and militaries. Often used as a delousing agent Usually purchased in a bundle of 20 for $75, although remote outposts charge significantly more.