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Feystone occurs in two distinct varieties: periwinkle
feystone and violet feystone. It is not considered a
true gem, but an artifact of magic. Every feystone has
four layers, which can be clearly distinguished from
one another when looking at the gem. The outermost layer
is transparent and violet-hued, the second layer sparkles
with hundreds of tiny silvery vaalin inclusions, the
third layer is reflective enough to produce a distorted
image of the jewel's surroundings, and the core of the
stone glows. Feystones are found only in cabochon form,
though it is possible to facet them if proper care is
taken. The largest known feystones are the size of a
pebble, while the smallest are the size of a grain of
sand.
Location:
It is commonly known that feystones are created by
the fey, a marvelously magical race living deep within
Wyrdeep Forest. They leave their wooded home only rarely,
but those who live closest to the Wyrdeep avoid feystone
for fear of attracting fey attention. The man foolish
enough to enter Wyrdeep and unlucky enough to encounter
one of the fey may be blessed or cursed at a whim, helpless
in a place where no magic save that of the fey works
reliably and where time itself may be twisted to seal
his fate. Those who venture in and avoid fey attention
are sometimes lucky enough to find feystones lying upon
the ground. Some call this the blessing of the fey upon
a good soul, for those who enter from desperation instead
of greed seem more likely to emerge again. Some others
believe the fey bless none but their own and say that
bad luck follows their stones.
Because most people avoid the Wyrdeep, it would seem
as if feystone should be far more rare than it is, but
there is another source. Feystone can often be found
in the possession of orcs, trolls, and other bestial
yet intelligent creatures that roam through the wilderness
surrounding the elven city-states. Why this should be,
not even the orcs or trolls can say -- even under torture,
they shake their heads dumbly or say, “I found
it on the ground.” Considering the vast amount
of feystone recovered from such creatures, it seems
as though there must be a hidden lode somewhere, but
no research of this kind has ever borne fruit. Even
to the scholars of Ta’Illistim, the surfeit of
feystone so far from its only known source is a great
mystery.
Lore:
Most jewelers will not facet a feystone because of the
great difficulty involved in doing so. It is safe to reshape
the outermost layer and the vaalin-flecked layer, but
even the lightest scratch along the reflective layer will
cause the feystone to be ruined, for its glow will die
and the rest of the stone will turn opaque grey.
Because of the fragility of the stone, feystone is
most often worn in earrings, pendants, ferronierres,
or other protected pieces of jewelry; rings, bracelets,
and anklets rarely last intact beyond a month or so.
This led to a rather odd insult in Ta'Vaalor; if a Vaalorian
says "That man would put feystone on his armor"
or "That man would put feystone on his shield,"
then it means that the person in question is a fool
with little to no combat experience.
Feystone produces odd, chaotic effects when mingled
with spirit magics. As a result, few practitioners of
such magic are willing to wear the jewel, not wishing
to offend the greater or lesser spirits with a feystone-twisted
spell. There are two exceptions, however: Wendwillow
gnomes and worshippers of Zelia. Both appreciate feystone
because they delight in the peculiar distortions that
it causes. Aside from the spiritual distortions, feystone
is inert to the three spheres of magic known to Elanthia.
Firestone
Value:
Extraordinarily rare.
Appearance:
Firestones are translucent crimson and black stones
that glow faintly and display an illusion of movement,
each appearing as if it contained cooled spots of magma
floating atop a flow of fresh lava. The exterior is
solid, however, and they do not emit heat. When firestones
are cut and reduced in size, they retain their distinctive
appearance until they are reduced in size to be no more
than shimmering red gem dust.
Location:
Firestones are found in active volcanoes that have
attracted fire elemental activity. It is assumed that
the fire elementals create them in some fashion, but
the details are not known.
Lore:
Firestones are inert in the presence of flame -- even
the greatest heat of the forge will not cause them to
melt or deform. Unsurprisingly, firestones are aligned
with the element of fire in magical workings. Both elven
and human diviners say that firestone is only good for
foreseeing disaster and catastrophe, and most shun its
use.
The Vylem gnomes treasure an artifact that they call
Beh'Amant's Eye. The heart of the artifact is a firestone
the size of an apple, which does indeed resemble a great
eye due to the way that the black spots line up within
its depths at reliable intervals as they move through
the stone. Beh'Amant's Eye is mounted atop a black mithril
stand forged in the shape of a coiled drake. It is known
to be a sentient object and to grant its bonded owner
the ability to summon and control fire elementals. Each
time its current owner dies, a brief but bloody struggle
ensues between the young Vylem queens for control of
the Eye, and the winner earns the right to attempt to
bond with the stone -- not a risk-free task in and of
itself, for those who fail to bond with the stone are
incinerated by its power. In the rare event that they
discuss Beh'Amant's Eye, the Vylem always claim that
the Eye was a gift from Eorgina, but Aledotter records
state that the Aledotters traded Beh'Amant's Eye to
the Vylem after borrowing it off the body of a dwarf
who encountered an unfortunate accident.
Garnet
Value:
Almandine garnets are common, but other varieties are
infrequently found.
Appearance:
Garnet occurs in a number of different hues. The
most common is red, followed by green, orange, and a
dark violet-red that is nearly black, but others are
known to exist. Blue is the only color that is definitely
foreign to garnet.
Location:
N/A
Lore:
Garnet is elementally aligned with fire, spiritually
aligned with religion, and mentally aligned with telepathy
-- magically, it is quite a responsive stone. The strongest
of the set is probably the religious alignment. Because
it can increase the connection between clerics and their
deities, it is often worn by priests, but common lore
in the city of Elstreth holds that garnet is only worn
by a cleric whose faith is failing.
One specific hue of garnet, an intense, blood red color
most often found in Icemule Trace, is associated with
the spirit Arachne by her worshippers. Arachne gives
tear-shaped pendants of blood red garnet to her most
favored clerics, the worshippers say, and, inside the
solid garnet, there is a living black spider, which
will live as long as the cleric continues to please
Arachne. If the cleric displeases Arachne, then the
spider will escape its cage and slay the cleric with
a single bite. Outside Arachne's faithful, few take
this story as more than a tale to frighten children,
but both open followers and secret followers of the
spider goddess consequently regard blood red garnet
with a certain awe.
Humans traditionally use garnet stones as conciliatory
offerings to the Arkati of Lornon, although such offerings
are not affiliated with any specific deity. Clerics
build small sacrificial fires atop stone altars and
offer the stones in the fire, calling out the name of
the person who has incurred the Arkati's wrath and asking
the Arkati to accept the stone in lieu of the person's
life or possessions. The garnet is normally set into
a small sculpture that represents the matter in question,
or, for those who can afford the offering, the garnet
itself is large enough to be engraved with the recognizable
image. For example, if nightmares plagued a woman's
child nightly, then a priest would offer a gilded garnet-inset
sculpture of the child and ask Sheru to take the garnet
in lieu of the babe. Offerings of this type are also
sometimes made to powerful spirits such as Amasalen
and Onar.
Human legend also holds that garnet jewelry will strengthen
the heart and aid in decision-making. It is ill luck
to lose a piece of garnet jewelry, however, as the person's
confidence will be lost along with the garnet.
Calling it the "dawn stone," elves often
give orange spessartine garnets to one another to symbolically
welcome new beginnings, such as alliances, apprenticeships,
or the founding of an organization. Spessartine garnet
jewelry is also a traditional gift for new mothers.
Geode
Value:
Common.
Appearance:
Externally, a geode is a round rock of unimpressive
appearance. Within, however, a geode will either contain
a pocket of sparkling crystals at its heart or a core
of solid, semi-precious stone. The center of a geode
may be made of quartz, calcite, or chalcedony (using
the word "chalcedony" in the dwarven sense,
which incorporates carnelian, sard, bloodstone, onyx,
sardonyx, chrysoprase, agate, and jasper as well as
the traditional white stone).
Location:
Geodes can be mined in many parts of Elanith, but
have little value except as curiosities. Due to availability
and local custom, Torre exports a particularly great
number of geodes.
Lore:
An oft-retold parable among followers of Voaris compares
the mortal races to geodes -- the outside may be dull
or repulsive, but a shimmering jewel waits within the
heart. This story is recounted most often when attempting
to reconcile two disapproving families to a love match
between their offspring, and it traditionally ends, "Now,
if your son's eye is so keen that he can see jewels where
you see only dull rock...is it a lacking in his vision,
or your own? Be sure in your answer, for your son's happiness
and your own depend upon it." Geodes make poor jewelry,
but many clerics of Voaris carry a geode around for the
purpose of illustrating the story, and shrines consecrated
to Voaris often bear one or more of the stones.
Geodes without air pockets are called “thunder
eggs” along the coast of the Turamzzyrian Empire.
Mined in parts of Torre, they are commonly carried by
human sea captains, for throwing a thunder egg overboard
will supposedly lessen the wrath of Charl. Regrettably,
the origins of this custom have been lost in time.
Magically, geodes are aligned with the elemental power
of earth. Some mages who are particularly well-attuned
to the earth have the ability to find geodes without
splitting the stones open. Meditating upon unbroken
stones, they can tell the heart of a geode from the
heart of a regular rock.
Glimaerstone
Value:
Varies with variety. Even clear glimaerstones are rarely
found, and the most desirable hues -- dark blue and pale
violet -- are extremely rare.
Appearance:
Glimaerstone is a semi-translucent stone that occurs
in a number of hues, including peach, golden, green,
light blue, dark blue, two shades of purple, and grey.
A clear variety also exists that is less valued than
either of the others. It is quite tough, making it difficult
to facet, and there is not much point to faceting the
stone -- glimaerstone's beauty stems from the faint,
almost imperceptible glow at its center, which diffuses
and ruins the rays of light that would normally evoke
fire from a faceted stone.
Location:
Glimaerstone is mined in a few remote sections of
the rocky regions west of Ta'Illistim, just before the
true foothills of the DragonSpine begin.
Lore:
In the last hundred years, fashionable ladies among
the Illistim elves have taken to wearing medallions made
of glimaerstone and vaalin at dances, teas, and other
society events. These medallions are crafted in mosaic
patterns with delicate lines of vaalin connecting the
tiny triangles of glimaerstone, and the effect is rather
like a stained-glass window. The most common image is
a peacock spreading its tail, but other common images
include a pansy blossom, the silhouette of Ta'Illistim,
and an arrangement of five stars. Recently, dragonfly
images have become particularly popular as Ta'Illistim
embraces the arrival of the Aelotoi.
Although Winedotter gnomes are not noted for their
jewelcraft, one Winedotter family living beneath Ta'Nalfein
discovered a technique for enhancing the light of a
glimaerstone. The source of these specially treated
glimaerstones is not extensively known, and most outside
Ta'Nalfein believe them to be elven work. This technique
somehow quenches the natural glow within a glimaerstone
and replaces it with a remarkable ability to absorb
and multiply light. At their brightest degree, such
"treated" glimaerstones will leave afterimages
in the vision of those who look at them for too long.
Regrettably, most of the family died in 5102 in a tragic
accident involving an overturned candle and a remarkable
quantity of excellent brandy, leaving only the eldest
daughter alive. More regrettably still, this eldest
daughter (commonly nicknamed Truthie) is apparently
quite mad and utterly unwilling to take on an apprentice.
Knowledgeable jewelers have been storing away treated
glimaerstones in anticipation of the day when the source
dries up.
Glimaerstone is strongly aligned with magics of the
mind. Although these arts have historically been practiced
only in a lesser form among the elves, elven bards and
empaths treasure glimaerstones for enhancing their arts.
In recent years, Erithian traders have negotiated for
large quantities of glimaerstone to be exported to their
homeland, where their savants can make full use of its
power.
Heliodor
Value:
Infrequently found.
Appearance:
Heliodor is a translucent, pale yellow jewel that
forms in long crystals. According to the dwarves, it
is simply another form of beryl, but it is quite striking
to the eye and can possess a brilliant inner fire.
Location:
The highest quality of heliodor is mined in the area
surrounding the Lake of Shadowed Sorrows. Excellent
deposits once existed near Old Ta'Faendryl, but they
have become inaccessible due to the danger surrounding
the ruined city. Heliodor can also be located near Ta'Loenthra
and Ta'Vaalor, but it has never been located to the
west of the DragonSpine mountains.
Lore:
Properly enchanted heliodor can be used both to augment
elemental spells related to air and spiritual spells related
to summoning. Its true glory shines in the use of sorcerous
spells, however, where it serves both as a catalyst in
demonic arts and as an instrument of control in necromantic
activity. Regrettably, however, most of these uses result
in the destruction of the gem.
Ironically, House Faendryl selected the heliodor as
its royal jewel thousands of years before their discovery
of sorcery and their experimentation with demon summoning.
Thirty thousand years ago, when the first heraldic designs
were being established, a magnificent sculpture carved
from a single piece of heliodor stood in the center
of the city of Ta'Faendryl. It depicted Geniselle Anaya
Faendryl, the first Matriarch of Ta'Faendryl, kneeling
before her son, Yshryth Silvius Faendryl, as he accepted
the crown of Ta'Faendryl from her hands. It had been
magically enchanted to control the weather around the
city of Ta'Faendryl, ensuring that storms were scheduled
and never threatened the city. Because of this marvelous
feat of Faendryl magic, the Faendryl chose the heliodor
as their royal jewel. (Oddly, the heliodor is depicted
as orange in elven crests, although the gem is actually
yellow -- this is to distinguish it from the yellow
topaz of House Ardenai.) As well as granting the right
to bear a heliodor stone in a crest, the royal representatives
of House Faendryl presented intricately enchanted heliodors
to those who pleased them most, often leaving the exact
workings of the artifact as a pleasant surprise to the
recipient rather than revealing it at the time.
Since the downfall of House Faendryl, many Faendryl
shun the use of heliodor jewelry, as heliodor stones
cannot be found in New Ta'Faendryl, and the Faendryl
consider it shameful to import heliodor from the elves.
Still, most families retain an artifact or two from
before the Faendryl left Rhoska-Tor, and many of these
artifacts are becoming cherished heirlooms as they pass
from father to son.
Because the spirit Amasalen was once a mortal Faendryl
man, his followers often wear amulets made of helidor.
To show their devotion, these followers engage in frenzied
bloodletting rites that involve pouring the blood of
sacrificial victims over the amulets as they invoke
Amasalen's favor.
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