Week 3 Prismatic Catalyst
PRISMATIC CATALYST
by Dark_Brick
METRICS
Mechanism Area > Area > Cycles
Trackless Instructions > Cycles > Area
Mechanism area is calculated by first removing everything except arms / tracks from the solution, then calculating the area of that. You can check out this blog post by biggie for more details on this metric.
Any solve that has a track placed will not qualify for the trackless instructions metric.
REAGENTS
Elemental Silver
PRODUCTS
Prismatic Catalyst
PIER: I suppose I shouldn't be surprised on whatever ridiculous idea you pitch at me at this point...
PIER: But a translucent crystal, of lead?
SAVERIO: The theory works out, does it not?
PIER: Well, that fact I grudgingly accept. But still.
SAVERIO: Well then. Let's make something the lady would be satisfied with.
SAVERIO: I have another, far more important use for this material, but - let's just make it and see.
Click here after solving puzzle to reveal post solve flavortext
Excerpts from De Re Metallica, Chapter 27
The prismatic catalyst is one of the key innovations of Reductive Metallurgy; First invented as a novel type of glass-alternative, it was soon revealed that it could easily transfer metallicity between its three points, stabilizing the glyph of proliferation. This enabled directing its metallicity-siphoning tendencies towards more focused regions - such as a bar of gold, supplied into the engine by the alchemist - thus birthing the modern version of the glyph.
download: weeklies2026_prismatic-catalyst.puzzle (where do i put this?)