Ghoststone

A smooth, granite-like semi-magical stone found in large veins across the Northern hemisphere of Legere. Ghoststone has only a few uses, primarily in dealing with ectoplasms.

Properties

Material Characteristics

Ghoststone is a light grey with flecks of brown throughout. When polished, it can appear slightly translucent. Other impurities within a piece of ghoststone can add other colours to it, although this is generally regarded as lower quality ghoststone.

Physical & Chemical Properties

Ghoststone is extremely hard, and requires large machines to chip out of the rock. It's signature feature is its cytotoxicity to ectoplasmic cells- ghoststone weaponry and armour is an important part of a ghosthunter's equipment. Even possessed organisms take on heavy damage by contacting this stone.

Geology & Geography

Ghoststone is prevalent across the Northern hemisphere of Legere, and quarries have been set up all across the stony frontier of Corgath and the Nameless Town.
Veins of ghoststone are usually massive, creating significant issues for those attempting to carve out pieces from natural deposits.

History & Usage

History

Ghoststone's discovery as the perfect anti-ectoplasm weapon was found shortly after Corgath's birth as a Cuprum mining colony. Possessed monsters pursuing travellers were noticed to be avoiding certain spots over large rocks, and being hurt if they came in contact with it. Experimentation with the rock and ectoplasms ensued, and the ghosthunter tradition began.

Ghoststone carving is a unique practice passed down by generations of Corgathians. The Adalsteinn family began the time-honored tradition of carving ghoststone into weapons, but as members of that household have dwindled, a handful of outsiders have had their families inducted into the guild. To this day, the Adalsteinns supply Ghosthunters across Legere with the indisputably finest ghoststone equipment out there.

Discovery

Ghoststone's discovery as the perfect anti-ectoplasm weapon was found shortly after Corgath's birth as a Cuprum mining colony. Possessed monsters pursuing travellers were noticed to be avoiding certain spots over large rocks, and being hurt if they came in contact with it. Experimentation with the rock and ectoplasms ensued, and the ghosthunter tradition began.
The Adalsteinn family did not discover the process of making ghoststone weapons, as it's as simple as carving a blade from a slab of rock. However, they did perfect the art to such an extent that any others who attempt to create their own pieces pale in comparison.
The first Ghosthunters descended from a Serberker warrior family known as the Rolinfadirs. They were the first to wield the Adalsteinns' creations against the possessed.

Everyday use

Ghoststone weaponry is carved from slabs of ghoststone, polished to perfection and sharpened just enough to tear flesh. Being hard and non-flexible, ghoststone blades are typically less sharp than metal and a bit on the thicker side. The increased thickness does decrease cutting/penetrating power of these weapons, but this matters little as usually ghoststone weapons are thrust into the already present, gaping wounds found upon the possessed to maximize contact with ectoplasm. Ghoststone heads are also used to tip crossbow darts, providing long-range attacks that are effective against the possessed.
Ghoststone armour is relegated to ghostmail, which is a misnomer for a type of brigandine worn by the ghosthunters. This brigandine is identical to a normal set, but the steel strips are riveted to the cloth via outward facing ghoststone spikes. This helps deter possessed creatures from biting into ghosthunters. Ghoststone is also used in a few other ghosthunter tools:

• Fences - similar to barbed wire, but with sharp ghoststone spikes wrapped up along the wire. This allows ghosthunters to cordon off areas and restrict the movements of possessed wildlife.
• Caltrops
• Nets - constructed similarly to ghoststone fences, ghosthunter nets are often made of heavy metal chains with randomly distributed ghoststone links. This helps to incapacitate possessed creatures and open them up to stabs from a ghosthunter's ghoststone spear.
• Ghostsand bombs - glass bulbs filled with ghoststone that's been smashed into a fine powder. Thowing one of these at a possessed scatters the powder across them, inflicting a strong enough adverse reaction that makes an excellent distraction. 

Ghoststone is ill-suited for combat against non-possessed, armoured combatants. Stone weapons lack the ability to flex like wood and metal can, and may shatter easily against a decent steel blade or wooden shaft.

Cultural Significance and Usage

Ghoststone doesn't look incredibly pleasant, but it is sometimes used in good luck charms by Corgathians and others. It is believed that wearing a ghoststone pendant will deter the possessed from finding you. Likewise, sometimes households will have a chunk of uncut ghoststone sit upon their mantlepiece as a ward against the possessed. These two things are purely superstitions, but theoretically can help protect in silly ways.

Once, a rich noblewoman was attacked by a possessed hound. As she tried desperately to fend the dog off, her necklace (which was coincidentally a ghoststone pendant) fell down its gullet. The possessed canine became irritated, kicking around in pain as it tried to regurgitate the poisonous stone. This was enough for the woman to escape.

A family of shepherds North of Phovezila was enjoying their dinner when a possessed stag leapt into their living room and attacked the family. The eldest son grabbed the closest thing he could find- which was their family's ghoststone rock- and bashed the animal's head in. The severe head trauma was already a lot of damage to the beast, but the exposure to the ghoststone was the final nail in the coffin for the unlucky ectoplasm infested being.

Refinement

Ghoststone is carved out of quarries as large chunks. These chunks are cut as square as possible to minimize waste. Once at a stonecutter, these large chunks can be stored as more manageable rectangular slabs that a member of the Adalsteinn guild can carve gear from.
Being a stone, there's really no purification process that stonecutters or carvers can perform to improve the quality of the ghoststone- they are at the mercy of the naturally-determined purity of the mineral.

Reusability & Recycling

Ghoststone weapons can be carved down into smaller weapons once their edge has become chipped or worn down, but unlike metal weapons ghoststone cannot be melted down and made into a new form.
Ghoststone waste is usually ground into a powder. Commonly referred to as ghostsand, this stone powder is locked into glass jars and turned into throwable grenades.

Type

Ore/Mineral

Color

Grey with light brown flecks

Common State

Solid