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Glitterstim

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this form of spice was mined on Kessel, and was one of the most plentiful forms of spice found in the galaxy. Originally discovered on Kessel a few millennia before the Battle of Yavin, glitterstim was a byproduct of the digestion of the spice grub. In its inert form, it crystallized into small, transparent, black fibers. The fibers appeared to be almost alive, twisting and curling after being removed from their rocky veins. It took a delicate hand to uncurl the fibers, because although the fibers were flexible, they were also very brittle. Individual fibers were stored in light-tight containers. This work was time- and labor-intensive, and contributed directly to the high cost of glitterstim on the market. When exposed to light it ripened, becoming a pearly-blue color when ready for use. When consumed, it crackled and sparked due to contact with the light and saliva. Glitterstim was the only known form of spice which heightened the user's latent mental powers. Despite its classification as an illegal recreational drug, glitterstim also had some medicinal uses. A user who consumed too much glitterstim often went blind, and the substance was known to drive a Bith mad. Production of glitterstim increased during the era of the New Order, when the mines of Kessel were populated with criminal workers. Subsequently, addiction to glitterstim also increased during this time, and many historians theorized that the Empire sought to control the criminal element of the galaxy by addicting them to spice.