Thanks to the hard work and creativity of numerous talented elves and Technopaths, the elves have an abundance of gadgets at their disposal to facilitate life in the Lost Cities, or to provide a measure of privacy or protection.
Most Well-Known Gadgets[]
Ability Restrictor: Created by Dex, is a silver circlet with swirling design that Sophie was forced to wear in Everblaze, as her punishment for reading King Dimitar's mind. Its purpose is to block the wearer's ability.
Addler: A necklace-style gadget worn when someone wants to remain private or anonymous. Addlers make it impossible for anyone to focus on the wearer's face, effectively keeping them from being recognized.
Atmospheric Stabilizer: A triangular gadget that allows the user to breathe at extremely high altitudes — though only in small, contained spaces.
Caches: Are marble-sized items that hold Forgotten Secrets. They are especially important to Councillors.
Cognate Rings: Special rings made of ruminel (a rare metal that reacts to mental energy and has a magnetic draw) that Cognates wear, both to symbolize their telepathic relationship and to keep their hands connected when working telepathically.
Deducter: Vendors use these gadgets — which come in several forms (sometimes pendants or rings — but most commonly as cuffs worn on the arm) — to access their customers' birth funds and process any payment due.
DNA Strip: Anything meant to remain "secure" in the Lost Cities can only be accessed by providing the necessary DNA (generally though saliva) on these small, subtly placed strips/sensors. Some sensors — like those on the lockers at Foxfire — even change flavor.
Effluxers: These silver forklike gadgets are stuck into the ground in order to provide a measure of protection from the ogres. When triggered, effluxers release a cloud of scent that damages ogres' sinuses (and isn't particularly pleasant for any nearby elves).
Enhancing Blocker: This is a tiny clever gadget that is technically one of a kind and was designed by Tinker in order to give Sophie Foster control over her enhancing ability. The small curves of the silver fit over her fingernails and create an undetectable force field around her hands — kind of like invisible gloves. Tapping the finger five times activates or deactivates the blockers.
Evader: The Evader makes it easy to hack into things like the registry — and it leaves no trace that the user was there. It is described as a sphere that is in two halves, and all kinds of springy coiled wires stick out of the center.
Home Crystal: It's hard to decide if a home crystal is an accessory or gadget, but whichever category someone paces them won't affect how vital these pendants are, providing a safe path home for those without access to Leapmasters or Pathfinders.
Imparters: A handheld communication device that allows someone to speak with a projection of anyone they "hail" (though there are certain restrictions on which elves are "reachable" — the Councillors, for instance, can only be hailed with Imparters that have been granted special permission). Imparters are thin. palm-size crystal squares with a silver sheen — and users should be careful since it's now known that Imparters can be tampered with.
Ionic Booster: It is an invention that provides a boost of energy to muscles. It’s described as a plain silver bangle that fits snugly just above Sophie's elbow.
Leaping Crystals: They are crystals that bend light in a certain place to allow the elves to light leap there. Some crystals (Temporary Leaping Crystals) can only be used once, while others can be used multiple times.
Leapmaster: Since pathfinders are limited to those with the Council's approval, most residences in the Lost Cities are equipped with some form of Leapmaster — a ceiling-mounted device comprising numerous dangling crystals, raise or lower on command and create a path to the requested location. Leapmasters are often named for the number of locations they include.
Lexicons: They are used to translate Ancient Elvin runes into the normal alphabet that elves use every day.
Lufterator: A T-shaped mouthpiece that allows the user to safely breathe underwater for an unlimited amount of time.
Melder: As one of the rare weapons used in the Lost Cities, melders are meant to incapacitate — not cause permanent harm (though repeated blasts, particularly at close range, can be highly dangerous). Melders have a sleek curved handle that connects to a triangle of silver with a single button in the center, and they can cause instant, painful paralysis.
Memory Log: They are books/journals that are used for by telepaths to project their memories, usually in pictures.
Nexus: These bracelet-style gadgets put a force field around the wearer during light leaps as an extra layer of safety. Nexuses cannot be removed unless the meter on the underside (which measures the strength of the user's concentration) becomes full, proving their mind is now strong enough to leap unassisted. Their signal can also be tracked.
Null: A device designed to block the signals from any technology near the wearer — but nulls can also be adjusted just to block only certain frequencies.
Obscurers: A small black orb that bends light and sound around whoever holds it, making it undetectable to anyone outside the obscurer's range.
Panic Switch: Another invention by Dex, this ring is used by the characters when they are in danger. When the stone on it is pressed, it sends an alert to Dex's ring sending him the coordinates of the user in trouble so he can help.
Pathfinder: This wand-shaped gadget has a small round crystal at the end, cut with facets to create specific paths to important locations within the Lost Cities (and those with special approval, to location with the other species as well). Note: Given the freedom that pathfinders allow, they are restricted to those who meet the Council's approval.
Registry Pendant: All elves in the Lost Cities are assigned one of these choker-style necklaces to wear at all times, which allows the registry to track their location (as well as numerous other details). The design occasionally varies, but most registry pendants consist of a simple band along with an etched silver loop with a small clear crystal set in the center
Riddler: A pen programmed to only write the words of a riddle — until the person using it writes the correct answer. Given their cleverness and small size Riddlers are one of the most common midterms or finals gifts for prodigies at Foxfire.
Sense Blasters: Another invention made and designed by Dex. Their purpose is to distract people by releasing putrid smells, deafening sounds, and thick smoke so the user can make a quick getaway. Sense Blasters are copper cube-shaped, with timers on one of their faces.
Shadowpainter: These softly glowing orbs reflect shadows of animals on the walls and are often used by parents to soothe children who are afraid of the dark.
Spectral Mirror: These specialty gadgets come in every shape, size, and style and appear to be normal mirrors — until someone steps within range. Then a tiny face appears in one of the corners and offers fashion and beauty advice with a surprisingly lifelike personality. No two spectral personas are the same, but they do share one common trait: unflinching honesty — which is likely why spectral mirrors fell out of popularity. Most elves weren't fans of getting insulted by their mirrors while they tried to get dressed.
Spyball: These small silver orbs can project someone's location and activity without their knowledge, allowing the user (within certain limits) to view anyone, anytime, anywhere. Given the serious privacy violations that could result from such gadgets, Spyballs are severely restricted and closely monitored by the Council. Every elf that owns one must be assigned written permission from the Council, but seeing that the Black Swan gave it to her in secret, Sophie has one yet hasn't been registered. They were invented by Lady Iskra, along with Imparters, Nexuses, Obscurers and Spectral Mirrors.
Stellarscope: A device shaped like a bent, upside-down spyglass, which can be used to bottle starlight as well as to simply observe the stars.
Sucker Punch: An invention created by Dex, given to Sophie to make her punch harder. It is described as a wide, plain silver bracelet. The Sucker Punch works by releasing an extra shot of compressed air when the user punches.
Thinking Caps: These long, white floppy hats may not be a very fashionable accessory, but they're made from an amalgam of metals and designed to dull telepathic abilities (and other abilities as well). Prodigies wear them during Foxfire midterm and final exams to preserve the integrity of the tests — and then hang them upside down from their lockers afterward to be filled with gifts during the corresponding celebrations.
Tracker: Tiny, disk-shaped gadgets most commonly sewn into clothing as an added safety precaution. The use of trackers is relatively new to the Lost Cities, previously used only on the Councillors (at the insistence of their goblin bodyguards). But challenges and safety issues from the Neverseen's scandals have caused many others to begin utilizing them.
Treasury Cube: Every elf is assigned one of these small green cubes at birth to allow them to access the Lusters assigned to their birth fund.
The Twiggler: A gadget created by Dex, it allows the user to illegally gain access to the secret archive hidden in Lumenaria, including treaties, which is protected by the technologies of every Intelligent Species, including Humans, and contains transcripts of the negotiations made in Lumenaria. It has stone wheels attached to it like knobs that can be spun to pull up all the texts that had been blacked out, and it is made up of elements representing each of the six intelligent species (including humans as they were once apart of the elvin peace treaty.
Vortinator: A mechanized staircase that ascends at rapid speed to quickly allow access to upper floors of the taller buildings in the Lost Cities. Warning: Vortinators can cause dizziness and queasiness the first few times someone uses them.
Warden: A gadget created by Dex Dizznee. It's placed around the left ankle (under the boot). It is designed to make sure the wearer can't go anywhere without permission.