Soulstone
The easiest way to explain this to a commoner is to say that it is a stone which traps a soul of once a living creature inside it. They are never found in the wild and unlike other minerals, are not really mineral or stone per se, so cannot be mined, but can be hypothetically created on purpose.
Properties
Material Characteristics
Physical characteristics varies, but they are often round, ellipsoid or following the shapes of naturally occurring crystals. Usually smooth to touch and most of them fit on the palm of one's hand. They might feel warmer of colder than the environment due to their magical potential.
Physical & Chemical Properties
Extreme magical properties have been recorded. The stones in question, depending on the strength of the soul it is formed of, conduct magic perfectly and they are able to amplify the source of the magic easily hundredfold, which makes them dangerous in wrong hands.
Origin & Source
How or why soulstones are formed is a mystery. The most common theory is that there are several ways to achieve them. If under a very heavy concentration of magic one could probably form a living soul into a one, but artificially made soulstones do not last and are lethally unstable.
One known way for soulstones to form is when a powerful entity blesses a creature with a soul to save them from certain death.
History & Usage
Everyday use
Magical component and focus in higher level spells.
Cultural Significance and Usage
Soulstones carry heavy symbolism in many cultures, but especially the magically oriented elves hold them in high regard.
Manufacturing & Products
Soulstones can be crafted into jewelry and weapons by an extremely talented and careful to a fault smith who is also knowledgeable about arcane properties of the stone. There is a huge marginal for failure, though, as if the stone shatters it will result into a wild magic explosion which in worst case could take down whole countries of even continents. Thus, it is usually thought to be easier and safer to handle these items with care and in their unrefined state; also, finding a smith who could perform such a task could turn out to be extremely difficult, but there have been a few mentions of Grandmaster smiths with such talent.
Hazards
The stone is not extremely brittle, but if it shatters, it is gone for good; so are your eyebrows, your life, and the rest of the continent you were standing on.
Reusability & Recycling
Usually there is nothing to reuse after a soulstone shatters and explodes in the stone itself. Yet, it usually forms a wild magic area which could be studied or otherwise profited from.
Distribution
Trade & Market
Soulstones are rarely sold, because they are unique magical items and thus very expensive. Also, the stigma of carrying a magical item formed of a living soul is too much for most good spellcasters, so soulstones usually end up as rare relics to be locked away to safety of the vaults and temples.
Storage
The soulstones need to be stored accordingly so they won't chip. If a soulstone breaks it can -and usually will result into a wild magic explosion and no one knows what will happen then.
Value
Immeasurable.
Rarity
Very rare.
Color
Varies. The color is thought to represents the purity of the soul.
Common State
Only in solid form, hence the 'stone' in the name.
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