Black Pearl

Black Pearl

Fewer than one in ten thousand pearls is black. They have been found at the base of tall cliffs on Buccaneer's Den. Black pearl is ground up into a fine powder. The black pearl is used as kinetic propellant.

Can be bought, although prices are high. There also is confusion if a perfect Black Pearl is needed for spellcasting, as sources are conflicting.

Lore

lack Pearl - The Black Pearl is the most highly prized of all the pearls: Well-formed ones command a price from jewellers that would bankrupt a score of wizards. Yet Black Pearls are vital in the casting of spells that are hurled from the mage's person and must travel to a final destination. Fortunately for our profession, even rarer than a normal Black Pearl is one that is perfectly shaped. Most are lopsided and lack symmetry - the very quality that makes the jeweler desire them so highly. This ensures a ready supply for the thaumaturge - the weaver of magic. It is said that, unlike the ordinary pearl which is formed inside an oyster when it seeks to protect itself from a piece of sand or grit, the Black Pearl only forms when the seed of the great pearl is yet another pearl of much smaller size cast adrift by the death of another oyster.

- from The Book of Mystic Wisdom (Ultima IV)

A rare version of the standard white pearl, a black pearl is a forceful reagent in the creation of kinesthetic magic, that is, projecting objects.

- from The Book of Lore (Ultima V)

One oyster in ten thousand will yield a black pearl suitable for spellcasting purposes. It is usually crushed to a fine, iridescent powder before being combined with other reagents. The black pearl is used as kinetic propellant.

- from Compendium (Ultima VI)

Black pearl is an exceedingly rare commodity; fewer than one in ten thousand pearls is black. They have been found at the base of tall cliffs on Buccaneer’s Den. While a less than perfect pearl may be perfectly acceptable for decorative purposes, the black pearl of a mage must be perfectly formed or it is virtually worthless. Black pearl is ground up into a fine powder.

- from The Book of Fellowship (Ultima VII)

Though ultimately crushed for casting purposes, the rare black pearl must be perfectly spherical when collected. The powder is that element which gives some spells their propelling energy. Here on the Serpent Isle, the fishermen in Fawn find the only known supply

- from Beyond the Serpent Pillars (Ultima VII Part Two)

Born of an oyster bathed in water magic, a black pearl channels energy of projection in matters both forceful and absurd. Like the water from which it was born, black pearl can bind spells of thrown magic. In equal measure, it can make quite a mess. As a young apprentice I sought to bind a Fireball spell and, in poorly performing the Ritual of Binding, engulfed my spellbook in flame. A few mages have found steady sources of Black Pearl, yet they are loathe to reveal them.

- from Spellbook (Ultima IX)

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Reagents
Britannian	Black Pearl ☥ Blood Moss ☥ Garlic ☥ Ginseng ☥ Mandrake Root ☥ Nightshade ☥ Spider Silk ☥ Sulfurous Ash