You place a hand on the object, gloved or not, and glare into its figurative or literal soul. You may even sniff or lick it depending on how confident you are that it won't kill you right away. Observers to this act may feel a mild to intense discomfort depending on what item it is (pray that it's not someone's clothing, cough cough) but you can insist that this is all for the sake of science.
On testing:
Delphyrion has always wanted to know everything. However, no matter how strong one's background is in chemistry, you'd usually need equipment and time to study an object's composition. Not to mention the amount of harm it could do to the item.
On chemistry:
This gift could be groundbreaking, but only if you know what you're looking at. There's no point if you don't recognize what chemical or molecular structure you find in the item, or what you can do with it. Chemistry is all about using what you have, and what's the use of a weapon that you know nothing about?
On the questionable act:
Look, living creatures are born with five senses for a reason. Delphyrion will use all five senses if it means new knowledge can be found. Sure, they've gotten sick from licking stuff for no reason, but at least now there is a reason to do so. This will do wonders for their immune system.
Exert your Mind and spend a minute. Select a target Object within arm's reach. At the end of your investigation, roll Intellect + Investigation at Difficulty 6.
You learn all the following information about your target:
You may only use this Effect once per day.
You cannot investigate the same target more than once per day.
Open up a musky tome. Its pages flutter as it turns to a page it did not previously have: a description about the object right in front of you! The book will answer your questions about where the object was made, who by, and how it is used.
Exert your Mind and spend a minute. Select a target Object within arm's reach. You must actively and obviously use An old musty tome to activate this Effect. You must make a Trauma roll when you use this Effect. Its Difficulty cannot be reduced by any means. If you fail or Botch, you receive one Mind Damage and a new Trauma. At the end of your investigation, roll Intellect + Occult at Difficulty 6.
You learn all the following information about your target:
You cannot investigate the same target more than once per day.
Henry places his hand over an object, and his hand begins to twitch. His eyes are half closed, and he sees not the world, but a set of gravitation waves.
For reasons unknown, an AI is unable to do this. It is left on the operator to steer the analysis suite though the planes of gravitons, to seek out the past. With it, the operator can determine where it's been (although his suit's assist automatically compiles that into coordinates) and an image of the last individuals to use it.
Spend a minute. Select a target Object within arm's reach. At the end of your investigation, roll Dexterity + Investigation at Difficulty 6.
You learn all the following information about your target:
This Gift cannot have more than 3 Drawbacks, and its Gift Cost is capped at 1.
You cannot investigate the same target more than once per day.
Tam considers the object, stroking it gently. Over the next minute, she examines it from all directions, making mental deductions from the smallest observations. The gloves glow softly, little rivlets of psionic energy running along them during it.
Exert your Mind and spend a minute. Select a target Object within arm's reach. This Effect cannot be used unless Advanced Analysis is active. You must make a Trauma roll when you use this Effect. Its Difficulty cannot be reduced by any means. If you fail or Botch, you receive one Mind Damage and a new Trauma. At the end of your investigation, roll Intellect + Investigation at Difficulty 6.
You learn all the following information about your target:
You cannot investigate the same target more than once per day.
Toropova summons the Manitou in her eye for a favor. The dear headed ghostly apparition and toropova plays a quick hand of poker for old time sakes while it looks the item over. Sometimes toropova gets caught cheating resulting in the enraged spirit breaking the object and leaving.
Spend a minute. Select a target Object within arm's reach. Roll a single D10 as a critical failure check. If you roll a 1, the Effect fails, and you completely destroys object.. You must actively and obviously use deck of card's to activate this Effect. At the end of your investigation, roll Perception + Alertness at Difficulty 6.
You learn all the following information about your target:
This Gift's Cost is capped at 2 and cannot be increased further.
You cannot investigate the same target more than once per day.
Upon activation, a purple swirling light is seen emanating from each amethyst shard. The swirling lights converge around the target briefly, before dissipating. Nobody except the wearer can see the actual past of the target. The ring's bearer will see the room enveloped in a purple hue, with the target's past surroundings being shown first. The target's creation will be shown afterwards, with the purple hue becoming much darker to the wearer beforehand.
Expend a point of Battery and spend 2 Actions. Select a target Object within arm's reach. At the end of your investigation, roll Brawn + Investigation at Difficulty 6.
You learn all the following information about your target:
You cannot investigate the same target more than once per day.
The Thief examines an object closely for a minute to appraise its value. As their eyes dance across the subject, their pupils split vertically, and their irises fade to gold. If it is a particularly valuable item, the Thief may greedily lick their lips, revealing a forked tongue.
Within a minute, they have determined how materially valuable the object is and why.
Exert your Mind and spend a minute. Select a target Object within arm's reach. At the end of your investigation, roll Charisma + Culture at Difficulty 6.
You learn all the following information about your target:
You cannot investigate the same target more than once per day.