Magnus

Magnus is the name used to refer to a prominent technology present in the Baten Kaitos world involving transferring the essence of objects to Magnus cards, as well as the cards utilized in this technology. Magnus is shown to be one of the most important and widely used technologies in the world, and is also one of the oldest.

Magna essence
The entire technology is predicated on the the idea that all things have a unique Magna essence, sometimes also referred to as a Magnus. People are also said to have a Magna essence of their own, the Baten Kaitos world's equivalent of a soul, but it is too complicated to store in a Magnus card. Magnus technology is based around storing the Magna essence of objects in Magnus cards, which can then be recalled at will, making carrying heavy objects much easier. The quality of cards can vary, however; a shopkeeper in Cebalrai warns against buying cheaply made Magnus, as the items may break when recalled.

Magnus seems to be an example of magic technology, as there seems to be no physical mechanism beyond the card and the Magna essences appear to be recalled simply by force of will.

History
It is unknown who invented it, but Magnus technology was popularized by Wiseman in ancient times.