GloLite

Summary

The GloLite is an invention of the hopfolk on Karrots during the earliest period of recorded history, used for converting energy into light or hardlight. Most GloLites are meant to be worn on clothing, attached to vehicles or held in the paw. They are typically organically-powered or use planetary elements forged into cells for power. Most can light up a sizeable area in a complete circle for several microrbits.

The Grand Sop Army designed a version to emit hardlight for warfare later on. The hardlight they produce has minimal thermal radiation when powered on. Versions turned into weapons are extremely hot, hence the powerful luminosity, but allow the edge of the hardlight blade/seam to cut objects cleanly. Weaponized versions have been rebuilt to create weapons using hardlight edges to inflict physical, thermal injury on hostiles or cut surfaces of structures. These changes are ideal for wartime and security. GloLite weaponry is usually inert unless a Hoppist with an authorized ribbon is nearby, emitting a wireless signal to engage its power cell fully and ignite from the emitter.

The segments of a GloLite are as follows:

• Internal chassis - designed to house the electronics core, with several variants for different form factors
• Outer chassis - commonly called the hilt or housing, it determines if the light will be used as a fixture or modified for ultra-compact use cases
• Electronics core - made of an emitter, a power cell assembly, the activation or auxiliary switches, and/or security tag for weaponized versions
• Emitter - the lens and gem that focus and "tune" the hardlight are found here, acting as the final aperture before the internal energy erupts
• Power cell - historically powered by objects like carrots that were modified with alchemy, while modern designs use fuel cells to power the light
• Switches - control for turning the light on, adjusting brightness and so on; or used for weaponized versions to toggle the lethal edge safety
• Blade/Hardlight-Edge - exclusive to GSA/Knights of Sop versions for military use, this part emits minimal thermal radiation while remaining hot enough to sear or liquify and vaporize most elements upon contact; typically longer than the limbs of a hopfolk by two or three times

History

As hopfolk dug warrens and sought civilization below the surface of the planet, light was needed for those with sensory-impairment. The original inventors are highly disputed. The Northern hemisphere manufactures have produced a majority of GloLites for most the history. These have been used in deep space exploration, underground navigation and internal decoration across time by nearly all hopfolk.

The first weaponized redesigns emerged were prototyped as far back as The Endless War for The Eternal Throne era, somewhere around 4,900 Orbits BSA. Mass production did not begin until the Hop Civil War onward during 1 Orbit SA.

Hop once made a variant in a tri-blade arrangement of a weaponized GloLite out of Athylin. This was given for Arritz the Hero to use during his service of the Grand Sop Army, but returned at the end of the Hop Civil War.