Precious Stones

[Quatlu]

I was wondering in Boldhome is there are any precious stones that are tied with each of the various cults? Like birth stones, do the various cults have precious stones associated with each of them? Also, are True Stones considered precious stones? What is the availability of the various precious stones in this day and age? Public comments would be greatly appreciated.

Grumbold, this might be an area that's right up your alley...

[Ivarenna]

True Stones are very valuable indeed.

There might be magic crystals around too.

Not sure if there are links between the cults and precious stones.

[Quatlu]

Thanks Ivarenna, appreciate the input. I was wondering since we have so many folks involved in Boldhome Heroes with a lot of prior experience, if anyone knew any obscure details that might apply here. Love the idea for a True Stone... anyone else have a comment, especially about stones and their relationship to the various cults?

[grumbold99]

That's not an aspect of Sartar lore I have any knowledge of. It might exist somewhere.

[Quatlu]

I'll give you a heads-up Grumbold on this, that Quatlu intends to purchase a fine engagement and wedding ring set from your store this month, so you might want to bone up on the subject, as we'll be RPing things related to Quatlu's visit to your establishment.

[grumbold99]

I shall give it some consideration. Thematically, thunder stone would be apt for Orlanth, but that is probably more use as a ritual object than as a decorative wearable ornament.

If we look at gems and semiprecious stones with shades of blue for the sky, there are many that could be suitable. I quite like the look of lapis lazuli. With a smattering of pyrite inclusions it looks like an image of the night sky covered in stars.

[Quatlu]

Thanks Grumbold, I also am partial to lapis lazuli, and your description sounds quite nice. Using a gold base for the rings would make it special, and I leave the details to you. BTW, could not access the image you included.

Not familiar with Thunder Stone... can you elaborate?

[grumbold99]

I had trouble with putting the image on the forum so I tried several ways. If that's still not showing I'll try playing with it more tomorrow.

Thunderstones are ancient stone age teardrop shaped flint hand axes that became venerated by many cultures around the world.
Wikipedia page

[Puckohue]

An Analysis of the Crystals of the Gods
Nochet Knowledge Temple Document 3902-392-51-81.20 From the workbook of Baranwolf the Imposter, Jubal, 1203 ST

Many powerful beings died in the Gods War, and many more were simply wounded so that they bled upon the earth, as we would. But the blood of gods is not like our blood, and it has left traces of itself behind.

I have seen some of these battles in my elf-dust visions, and the number of gods who fell is sometimes tremendous. When I saw the Battle of Pornuthpananda, which created the moderately rich bronze mines of Lord Dekanayos, I counted 237 corpses before sleep dragged me home.

I have also witnessed Arrana Ovanich, the Flight of the Firebirds, and there I saw no corpses, although all the participants fought and bled profusely, especially the Long-runners and the followers of Lord Galaskol, who lay as dead for days on the battlefield of Irn before rising and departing.

I believe that the bloody Battle of Veranich and Polarn took place in the Mralot Hills. As everyone knows, both the mines of Irn and the crystal fields of Ramalia are only moderately rich, proving to me that it requires a lot of the blood of the gods to make a crystal or vein of metal, and that those rich deposits must have marked some epic, mythic battle, now probably forgotten. My analysis of the mining records at the crystal field indicates other facts whose details are too tedious to mention here. Instead I will state my conclusion and research findings:

The blood of the gods is made up of many different components, and the blood of all gods has something in common. Each god, or type of god, also has unique properties which give some of its blood crystals a special property. Research confirms this. With permission of our high priest, I took a selection of 25 crystals of varying size and appearance from our temple treasury. Accompanied by guards, I went into the markets of our capital and I asked all gem merchants, all magic merchants, all jewelers, and all scholars what they called each stone, and what magic it possessed. I recorded all answers given, and calculated over 5,000 responses.

Most people did not know all the stones (only five people recognized the Falangian Diamond, and none of them correctly described its properties), and only a few were known by almost everyone (Second Wind, Selfdrill, and Gar Crystal). Sometimes people used similar language to describe a stone Yelmalio’s Toe Blood, and Suntoe, for instance). Many people were dead wrong about most of the rocks (one adventurer-type knew nothing, and offered me an outrageous price for the Falangian Diamond), and often called anything they could not recognize a Truestone.

Findings:

1. Sometimes different rocks have similar or identical properties. The obsidian Nipple Stone, the red sandstone Selfdrill, and an uncut Esrolian Ruby all enhanced the effectiveness of most magic cast through them. Another example: Mhy Magic Is and Akim’s Sense are both commonly used to describe the type of rock used for magical detection and analysis.
2. Sometimes a single name is used to describe more than one rock. Yelmalio’s Toe Blood was used to describe three crystals: a granite rock crudely shaped like a bear, which created light bright enough to read by; another murky yellow quartz crystal which burst into flame hot enough to bum wet wood; and a third, which was intended to be cast at broos to burn them.
3. Crystals seem to be of two types, depending on whether they are still alive, or are dead, and must be fed. The living ones seem to resist usage and just be attuned, individually and only one at a time, to be used. My tentative conclusion is that the living crystals are from gods who still live, the majority from dead gods long forgotten in our world.

[Puckohue]

Two other notes:

"Magic crystals (or all gems?) are the blood of dead and wounded gods." Weapons & Equipment, p. 119

"Metals, crystals, and some (my emphasis) gems are relics of gods wounded or killed in the Gods War and have magical properties." Weapons & Equipment, p. 109

"Truestone is a form of mineral which was a part of the primeval mountain called the Spike. It is a piece of Acos, the primal God of Law, who died when the Spike exploded in the Gods War. It has many remarkable properties." The Pegasus Plateau & Other Stories, p. 129