Omlar gem

Omlar gems were exceptionally rare gems mined from the Omlarandin Mountains in Tethyr.

Description
Omlars were rock crystals with about the same hardness and color as aquamarines and could also be mistaken for emeralds of a lighter shade.

Powers
Omlar gems had the ability to easily absorb enchantments, which made them a coveted component of many a wizard's powerful magical items.

Source
These gems were only found deep in the hills and mountains of the Omlarandins and were so rare even there that only a few were found every hundred years.

Reputation
Because of their rarity and powers, Omlar gems fetched sums of money worthy of princes and sought out by wizards in Duhlnarim, Llorbauth, Saradush, and Zazesspur.

Notable Uses
Omlar gems were used in the construction of the minarets lining the Trade Way in the Calim Desert from Calimport to Memnon during the Shoon Imperium. These minarets were erected in pairs, one on each side of the road. On the rooftop parapets of each of these 40-foot towers, a fist-sized omlar gem was placed above a brass brazier. When the braziers were lit, the omlar gems glowed a brilliant blue and together created a magical field that protected the Trade Way out to 1,500 yards. This magical field defended against wind, sand, and glare and also against the effects of Calim's breath and Memnon's crackle and against purple worms.

After the fall of the Shoon Empire, the Trade Way and its minarets fell into disuse and decay. More than a third of the omlar crystals were pried out of their settings and stolen, to be sold for exorbitant prices in Calimport and Memnon.

In 1370 DR, syl-pasha Ralan el Pesarkhal was actively seeking for wizards to help him restore the minarets and thus the financially beneficial traffic on the Trade Way. By three-quarters of the way through the year, only the first pair of minarets had been restored.