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 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. Chemistry is all about using what you have, and what's the use of a weapon that you know nothing about?
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.
Glowing red threads sprout from the user's palms, enshrining and attaching themselves to the targeted object. The object jitters slightly as it is pulled and prodded, dancing around the user's hand like a puppet. Over the course of this effect, details about the objects intended function and location of origin are revealed to the user.
Seeing a puppet's strings makes it quite easy to know both how to make it dance, and who has pulled those strings before you.
Exert your Mind and spend a minute. Select a target Object within arm's reach. At the end of your investigation, roll Dexterity + Crafts at Difficulty 6.
You learn all the following information about your target:
This Effect is obviously Alien and eye-catching across its range to those witnessing it, and you are obviously the source.
You cannot investigate the same target more than once per day.
Xander's latent psychic ability begins to blossom - items he handles reveal their histories, including the tragic past that haunts them.
Exert your Mind and spend 2 Actions. Select a target Object within arm's reach. 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 + Culture at Difficulty 6.
You learn all the following information about your target:
You cannot investigate the same target more than once per day.
Bruno's tentacle stretches to engulf the target's head. Revitalizing just enough of the target to view their most prized memories.
Spend a minute. Select a dead body 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:
Anyone who witnesses you during this Effect's activation will almost certainly be disturbed to see a pulsing tentacle engulfs the dead body's head.
This Effect is obviously Alien and eye-catching across its range to those witnessing it, and you are obviously the source.
This Gift cannot have more than 3 Drawbacks, and its Gift Cost is capped at 2.
You cannot investigate the same target more than once per day.
Austin slides a sock over his hand and moves it like a sock puppet. The puppet seems to talk even without Austin's mouth moving. It readily converses with him and can be quite inciteful.
Spend a minute to activate. Select a sock within arm's reach. At the end of your investigation, roll Perception + Thievery 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.
Plant matter is sprinkled on in a double helix pattern over of the targeted object, sprouting into a bush bearing orange eye like fruit that Devonia eats to learn about the potentially alien nature of the object, and how that alien nature manifests and how it may be channeled to the target
Exert your Mind and spend a minute. Select a target Object within arm's reach. You must use up a pound of Plant matter in order to activate this Effect. 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.
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.