Gravestones
Gravestones were lesser copies of the Purple Quintus Gem, created through experimentation by Levira and Moltor (and advice from Rhith, whom they tortured for information). Using the original gem, an ordinary gemstone is charged with necromantic energy until it takes on a deep purple hue and becomes a catalyst of necromancy magic. As inferior copies, they do eventually run dry and crumble to dust.
Under normal circumstances, using a Gravestone consumed a small portion of the user's life energy. Rhith has claimed this was necessary fuel to ensure the stones last longer; in truth, he was the one sapping away the energy to rebuild himself a physical form. The Purple Quintus Gem was linked to all the Gravestones, as was Rhith so long as he remained trapped within the gem. He frequently used this telepathic connection to manipulate people who have found and used the stones, namely the Headhunters.
After Rhith managed to complete his resurrection as an illithilich, one of his first orders of business was to disable all the Gravestones, absorbing their necromantic power for himself and causing the many gems to crumble into colorless dust.
Uses
- Empowering undead - Gravestones made it far easier to create more powerful types of undead. Existing undead could also be enhanced and become far more powerful than their normal counterparts.
- Creating Void Beasts - Levira could curse individuals with infant Void Beasts that manifested as tattoos. Once the beast has fed on enough of the victim's life force, she trapped the victim's soul within a Gravestone and used the stone's power to transform their flesh into a monster under her control.
- Teleportation - Used together with a Cold Iron Ring, Gravestones could be used to cast the teleport spell.
- Strengthening magic - Gravestones could have all manner of effect on magic, depending on what the spell being empowered does. This could range anywhere from causing a spell to be more lethal to adding new effects to the spell entirely.
- Transformation - It was possible for a Gravestone to be implanted directly into a person's body and give them a new, more powerful form. How much of the person's personality and intellect survived this process varies greatly from person to person, but no one was truly the same after such a change.
- Resurrection - For the purpose of resurrection magic, Gravestones could be used in the place of the diamonds that such spells normally consume.
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