White Stone
Canvas of the gods...
Despite its pristine appearance at a distance, Bainshaebo's gleaming stone walls are composed of fired brick. Most estates and businesses found througout the quarters and bordering the Pavilion are made of brick and mortar using the techniques imparted by Eyurodin in the ancient past. Paths, roads, thoroughfares, and stairs are traditionally made of stone. Thunthen long accused Thangiens of stealing stone from their homeworld, and there no doubt was a grain of truth to that: Both superpowers have been rivals for thousands of years, but the most determined, most drunk Thangien raiding party could not ferry in sufficient quantities of dark rock to supply major construction projects. The creation of Thananagreia, the Riders Citadel, and the great Cresta statues marking entrance to the city proper introduced the public to exquisite, seamless white rock never before seen, and certainly not found on Planet Thunthen. Where this stone came from remained a closely guarded secret for a very long time until fairly recently.
Properties
Material Characteristics
Michelangelo would have had a field day with this stone, it being comparable to the famous Carrara Marble found in Italy on the Oldworld. Even as rough stone slabs it is gorgeous to behold and when subjected to the hands of a skilled sculptor, either a lifelong artisan or a creatively-minded goddess, can produce striking masterpieces.
Geology & Geography
There are two schools of debate as to the creation of such a large amount of white stone: either it is leftover from one of the Winding White's previous ancient iterations millions of years ago, or it is the site of a former geological hotspot. It is thought that Thanged's crust is somewhat like an orange rind, fitting loosely, and that it has slid about at various periods throughout its existence over billions of years. But geothermal pressure has to go somewhere, and like the knob of rind at the top of an orange, it is thought the Basek de Rhakka is the current hotspot outlet. The Southern Salt is thought to have a hotspot of its own, and the Eastern Jungle quarry is part of a ancient mountain range apparently leftover from much older tectonic activity.
Origin & Source
Found almost exclusively in the Eastern Jungle and occasional deposits in the Northern Ring, however the quarries are already open and readily accessible, and the temperature far more hospitable than the Northern Ring...
Life & Expiration
White stone is incredibly durable and long-lasting, the walls of Thananagreia and the colonnades of the Rider's Citadel lasting for thousands of years. At the height of the Genesis Plague with Afflicted running amuck throughout the city, some foolishly tried to knock over statuary or deface walls only for their efforts to be in vain.
History & Usage
History
Perhaps one of Roth's best-kept secrets, this stone comes from abandoned quarries nestled within the dark, dank Eastern Jungle. As powerful as she is, even she cannot create matter from nothingness. The size and scope of the quarry indicated use by a far older, far more advanced civilization than the unruly Natives that call the jungle home. That remains a puzzle on its own: did the Natives drive out the previous residents of their city or had the ruins been abandoned long before? In any case, when building the iconic landmarks, Roth pulled white stone molecule by molecule from the quarry, giving the illusion of creating from nothingness.
Discovery
After Ritho's Smiting, Roth walked the ruins of the shattered city, puzzled by the complexity of the stonework. The screaming, frothing, gibbering unicorn-men could not have built something this vast on their own. If they had structures like this, why did they lash out at humans with the ferocity they displayed? Roth later found the quarry and the hidden mountain range but discouraged exploration into the jungle by anyone else, though she did not strictly prohibit it. Vthia might have found it on her own eventually if her expedition had not been derailed.
Everyday use
White stone is prized for sculpture but probably its most frequent use is funerary statuary. Life-sized statues of deceased family members are commissioned for personal shrines such as the likeness of Ander found alongside his old fighter. Newer or refurbished estates will use white stone for construction but is expensive to obtain since crews must be hired for extraction and transport.
Industrial Use
Power tools are not really a thing in Bainshaebo, so sculpture has to be by hand the old fashioned way, unless the sculptor happens to be one of the Four Queens.
Byproducts & Sideproducts
Residual dust and shavings are often gathered and mixed into newer concrete for use in additional areas of construction or to patch cracks in roads or walls.
Environmental Impact
The Eastern Jungle quarry is so old and vast, even with as much extracted from it to date, only the barest surface has been scratched. White stone can be found in the Northern Ring but being so near to the supervolcano, the quarry is relatively safer both for extraction crews and for the environment as a whole.
Distribution
Trade & Market
White stone is available for all with a Pegasi who need and are willing to make the trip to the Eastern Jungle, but it is better to travel in groups of up to five or more. Retrieval of white stone is a privilege granted by Roth, not a right, and the only payment she requires is adherence to her Edict and proper thanks.
Storage
Blocks and slabs are taken from the quarry on a as-need basis. A sculptor might keep a block or two at their residence or studio but there are no sprawling warehouses.
Law & Regulation
With Pegasi able to move more freely than their pegacorn predecessors, Roth has relaxed some of her rules concerning travel into the Eastern Jungle. Pegasi eye lasers can carve rock far easily and neatly than traditional saw blades and ferry large blocks via teleport. The quarry is open for all to visit and harvest from provided no one disturbs the Natives, and the presence of Pegasi acts as a strong deterrent if any Natives lurking nearby think about ambushing construction parties.
Type
Rock, Metamorphic
Odor
Dry, dusty
Taste
Chalky
Color
White with faint stripes or flecks of black and gray
Density
Very dense
Common State
Quarried, deep deposits
Related Locations
Related Species
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