LORE24 ENTRY #20 – Seal-Tech
Category – Technology
Amongst the most controversial and feared arca-tech (arcane technology) in the known galaxy is Seal-Tech, unique to the dark elves, its secrets fiercely protected behind walls of secrecy. Used primarily in the dark elf-controlled prison system (a lucrative business in its own right given their successful business model), on its surface, Seal-Tech is used as a means of controlling the prisoner population. At first glance, one could assume that Seal-Tech was simply an advanced form of latex, typically seen in the form of a skin-tight bodysuit prisoners are placed within, sometimes with attached restraints, and able to be recolored at a signal from a controller to indicate various statuses of the wearer, even report back on their general state of health. It is known to be much more durable than standard latex, and generally is reasoned to be used because nothing could be hidden on a person wearing it.
Below the surface, however, Seal-Tech is much more advanced and insidious. Having gone through multiple advances over the centuries, Seal-Tech, while indeed latex at its core, is far more than a simple rubber compound. The reason behind the name is primarily from the most powerful of the material’s abilities, namely the ability to seal away the magic of those wearing it, completely blocking the ability of arcanists and even divine or druidic casters from casting their spells. The ability of the material to reshape itself on command also makes it perfect for immobilizing hostile prisoners and limiting their ability to cause trouble or even use basic implements, able to form a variety of restraint devices (straps, cuffs, mittens, gags, an inescapable sack to immobilize the wearer, and more). In the most recent iterations of the technology, the dark elves have managed to incorporate a life-sustaining magic into the mix, which serves to keep a prisoner wearing the suit nourished without the need for actual food (though once their sentence is complete and the suits removed, they are ravenously hungry and must eat immediately), as well as self-cleaning functions so that the suits never have to be removed.
The truly nefarious nature of Seal-Tech is tied to its near-indestructability; once a person has been placed within a suit of Seal-Tech, they cannot remove it. If the suit is damaged, even with cold, fire, or other means, to the point of being completely burned away, somehow, the Seal-Tech will regrow and reform itself in a matter of minutes (older iterations of the technology took much longer to reform itself, hours or days). Though outwardly able to affected by magic, it is highly resistant to magical analysis, and the nature of its legendary resilience has yet to be determined, though many arcanists surmise that it is tied to a very advanced form of curse magic. Others have theorized that Seal-Tech is somehow related to the dark elves’ patron goddess Yurisaya, as her faithful followers often make use of the material for their own purposes, and are known to work closely with the prison system to provide care, discipline, and spiritual guidance to prisoners.