Floatstone

The older Half-Elf sat in front of me, magical energy crackling from his hands to the small stone between us. Suddenly stopping, he looked up at me and told me to place my hand over the stone. As I did the stone began to rise, stopping just before my hand. This "floatstone", as I am dubbing it in human-tongue, was without a doubt one of the most peculiar things I have seen.

— Komius De Mako in Tserros Siira

The Shatterlands contain many vistas, ruins, and ecosystems that are unique to the myriad islands. Out of everything that can be found in this strange land, one might find the rocks and stone of the islands to be its least striking trait. And yet, despite the islands stone looking little different from the lands surrounding, its unique properties make it one of the most useful materials in the entire archipelago.
Floatstone is a general term for any kind of rock, stone, or mineral mined or collected from The Shatterlands. Although the physical makeup and appearance of these stones might differ, one trait remains the same: When magically charged they can temporarily float under their own power, with skilled mages being able to direct its movement.
This simple trait makes it a useful tool for any traveller in the Shatterlands. The surprising strength of its floatation, along with the ability to control their speed and direction with practice, makes it useful for everything from grapple-hooks to gliders!

Properties

Material Characteristics

Although the physical characteristics of floatstone varies depending on the specific type of stone used, most tend to use smooth, dark river rocks from the Floating Jungles due to their abundance.

Physical & Chemical Properties

Floatstone's most notable trait is its magical floatation. When a magical current is run through stone, usually generated by a mage or small battery, it begins to float against gravity. When undirected, this manifests as a weak upward movement. However, trained mages (Known as Ropecasters ) can direct the speed, power, and direction of this movement. Although the upper limits of Floatstone power are unknown, the most skilled Ropecasters can use small pebbles to lift themselves several feet off the ground.

Geology & Geography

Floatstone is found almost exclusively in The Shatterlands, being unique to that region.

History & Usage

Everyday use

Floatstone is used widely by the High-Elvish people as an artificing ingredient in climbing equipment. Inarguably the most emblematic piece of equipment is the Floatbelt.

Floatbelt

The Floatbelt is a leather belt with Floatstone embedded into it, which is usually attached to the climbing harness of a Ropecaster. Along with its Floatstone decorations, the belt also contains two spools of strong rope on each hip which can rotate magically to retract rope. Although what is attached to these ropes varies belt to belt, most rope-heads usually incorporate Floatstone into their design to allow for a Ropecaster to fire the head out at great speed. The most common heads and their purposes are as follows:

• Broadhead Points (Can be fired into rocks to anchor a climber. Used as a temporary piton.)
• Grapple Hook (Usually fired into the thick foliage of jungles on other islands or above the user to climb.)
• Carabiner (Lowered to other Ropecasters to allow for tandem climbing)

Although the primary usage of these belts is to fire heads great distances for climbing, the embedded floatstone will slow the descent of any person who wears a Floatbelt. This is an essential piece of safety equipment for travellers in The Shatterlands, and is one of the primary reason Floatstone is as widely used as it is.

Type

Stone

Common State

Solid