Reikmen

Reikmen refers to artifacts in speculative fiction and game design that interact with an ambient energy called reik. In many worlds, reikmen are crafted from crystals, metal, or bone and are inscribed with runes or circuits that stabilize the energy. They function by absorbing ambient reik from the environment or from living beings and releasing it when activated, often through touch, inscription alignment, or ritual.

Reikmen vary in size and capacity, from small pendants to large plates. Their power can be regulated by the maker’s craftsmanship, the quality of runes, or the alignment with celestial cycles. Overexertion can cause feedback, corruption, or the need for recharging. Some reikmen are dedicated to healing, others to warding, or to powering devices and spells.

In-world significance: Reikmen can be central to economies and politics when scarce or regulated objects. They may be controlled by guilds, temples, or state authorities. Debates in fictional societies often address safety, ethics, and the environmental impact of harvesting ambient reik. Collectors and adventurers seek increasingly refined reikmen, and some stories explore the consequences of dependency on such artifacts.

Variations: Healing reikmen, warding reikmen, conduit reikmen, and channelling reikmen are common categories. Notable tropes include loss of identity as a person’s life energy becomes linked to a tool, or the discovery of a universal reik network.