Aether Stones

Intriguing, to find stones which contain magical energy to evoke a tangible sensation when held. I must study these, as they might be the secret to greater power.

— Journal of Ryzchel

For long times, the realms of the Gods were considered to be purely a construct beyond the reach of mortals. They were able to be contacted, for certain, and one who was faithful and performed extraordinary service to their God was said to be rewarded in a position of honor in those realms. But the thought had never occurred to mortals to actually set foot there when still alive. This changed when an arcanist from Myrisic made a breakthrough with theories concerning teleportation circles. As with a normal circle, by knowing the runes for the destination it was possible to travel beyond this world into others.

Naturally, there were many more attempts, as a demand for "proof" had been growing louder. This brought attention to Ryzchel the Mad, said to be driven insane through repeated crossings beyond the world of the living. He brought forth a collection of various precious (but unfinished) stones which held an aura of otherwordly glory, and evoked certain emotions when held. These were dubbed "aether stones", as they were from beyond the physical world, and research began into what possible use they could be. Of course, acquiring these items has proven difficult, as the realms beyond this one are far from hospitable to intrusions by mortals. The scarcity and difficulty in acquiring more of these fascinating objects is the limiting factor in this field of research, as no one wants to risk damaging the stones or wasting the opportunity. So far, the most reliable - and repeatable - application is to include an aether stone part of an enchanted object, altering or even focusing its attributes towards a very specific purpose in tune with the emotion the aether stone is attuned to. This might be, for example, to add a stone evoking fury to a weapon - granting it a greater capacity for causing harm, yet bringing a slight echo of that fury to the wielder.

Properties

Material Characteristics

Most aether stones appear as ordinary precious stones, and nothing unusual about them is usually detected until held. They also are often found in a raw, uncut, and unpolished state at first. This leads to most identified aether stones being cut, polished, and set in a manner to make it clear they are exceptional and magical. Most commonly, this is done through an inscribed round disc of material associated with the appropriate 'source' of the aether stone. In cases where the stone is expected to be an eventual part of another object, it can be left uncut and instead stored in a vessel marked in a way to define what the stone is useful for. And for the more artistic, the stone may be cut and set in a ring or pendant which has some representation of the associated quality of the aether stone.

Physical & Chemical Properties

The integral properties of an aether stone are obvious to describe, but at the same time difficult to notice simply by visual inspection. Any particular aether stone is connected with some intangible idea, concept, or emotion. In some cases this can be expressed through invoking a memory attached to these concepts, owing to some confusion as to their true nature. Specific layers of enchantment may be placed around an aether stone to draw out its nature and infuse an object it is attached to with energy, usually enhancing an already-present enchantment.

Origin & Source

Due to the nature of their origin, I would strenuously advise against plans to make use of such things for simple matters. I have it on... good authority... the Gods do not like trespassers in their domains. And given their nature, I think it best to look elsewhere for harnessed power.

— Arcanist Sykes Ryland

Aether stones are an extraplanar object, originating from the various domains of the Gods, where they are found much like natural stones would be found in Eristaire. However, unlike other things which can be called forth through various magical rites, aether stones do not seem to return to their origin on their own. The first cases of aether stones were recovered by unknown parties, but the first credited with their recovery was Ryschel the Mad. Due to repeated travels through portals into divine domains, his memory was not quite sound and his tendency to keep notes on the expeditions had become infrequent. What is known for certain is how aether stones do resonate very slightly in response to particular invocations - this is the safest way of determining the attributes and associated nature of a particular stone. However, the methods for doing this are not widely known and often can be misinterpreted by those inexperienced with a wide variety of aether stones.

History & Usage

Hazards

...thus it is my conclusion we should begin serious consideration of whether the benefits of aether stones outweigh the risks of prolonged exposure to their energies. It will only take a few cases of stones evoking wild reactions before we face another growing distrust of arcane magics - even if the stones are, arguably, divine in nature. I beg my peers to reconsider further experimentation.

— Sage Civa, "On the Uses of Aether Stones"

Aether stones have not been utilized for very long, and research into their attributes and powers has not been exhaustive. However, some of the effects of their incorporation into otherwise 'ordinary' magic has yielded some details. The longer an aether stone is in the possession of an individual, the more they begin to embody the aspect the stone is attuned to. This means, for instance, a stone which is associated with the quality of 'night' might lead to someone becoming more active during night hours than the daytime. Given the qualities of some more common aether stones are emotional in nature, this can lead to unwelcome consequences.

Type

Ore/Mineral