Amberstone

Overview

It isn't uncommon for someone to come across an amberstone and have no idea what they have in their hands. This can lead to serious accidents because when this brittle stone is broken, a searing hot, amber colored liquid seeps out from within. To those who recognize the amberstone, this possible misfortune can turn into great luck. The liquid that is stored within an amberstone is highly sought after for its use as fuel and a magic reagent.

Obtaining

Amberstone is incredibly rare to find. It is most commonly found washed ashore various bodies of water, particularly those with higher salt content. It is identified its rounded shape, chalky texture, and its coloration that shifts from light to dark gray.
Despite its desirability, few people actively search for the stone since there is no reliable way to find one. Most stones on the market were found by common people who stumbled across it and happened to recognize the stone. It is believed that dragons are able to smell the stones out, leading some people to seek out a dragon and try to convince it to find amberstones for them in exchange for a service or payment.

Formation

While the precise science of how amberstones are formed is unknown, there are theories. The widely accepted belief is that when natural fire magic is released underwater, the energy is cooled down by the water and is transformed into a thick liquid. The outer layer of the liquid continues to be cooled down by contact to the water until it hardens into solid rock. Within the center of the rock, the magic that makes up the liquid is sufficient to produce enough heat to be molten.
Another theory is that when a creature with sufficient magical energy dies within deep water, the innate magic that fills the world creates a reaction in the creature's body. This reaction melts the insides of the creature and hardens the skin. By the time this process is done, the body is nothing but a small husk with fire laden magic inside.

Uses

Because of its magical nature, amberstone can be used in a wide variety of projects. Though the ghasts in particular were known for their uses with it in engineering, their techniques and technology have been largely lost. Humans prefer to use the amberstone as a magical reagent for alchemy or as fuel for a magic device.
Amberstone is innately limited in how much energy it can produce since its molten liquid is prone to cooling when removed from its shell. It is said the ghasts during their height had found a work around, but it has not been known since the Calamity of Sorrow.

Accelerant

The liquid of amberstone is an incredibly flammable substance. It burns with a white flame and is used when needing to burn through particular materials. Once aflame, the liquid will stay lit for up to twelve hours or until snuffed. Water is not capable of dousing the amberstone's flame.

Alchemy

Amberstone is highly valued by alchemists since it can work as a substitute for most other alchemic fuels. When substituted, it is noted that the solution created as the product tends to be more potent. Unfortunately because it is so rare, few alchemists have access to use amberstones commonly.
When not used as a fuel, amberstone can be seen within both petrifying solutions and melting solutions. It is considered an offensive reagent due to its primary use of harming others.

Rituals

Arcane rituals have used amberstone for centuries. It is particularly useful when working with spirits or otherworldly entities as a bargain since those creatures seem to have an interest in the material. Apart from being used as a bargaining token, it is a material used in some fire or energizing rituals.

Warfare

Just like with any other harmful material, amberstone has been used in battles and wars. The simplest way people have used them in battle has been by cracking parts of the stone and then throwing them at enemies. The liquid will burst out of the cracks and seep out onto the unfortunate combatant that got hit. When in contact with skin, the liquid burns through the skin until it has been scraped off or has melted through all of the skin it can.
Some armies have used the liquid from amberstones in sieges to burn straight through walls or to catapult over the battlements to cause pain on the other side. Because of the amount of stones required to do either of these, it is exceedingly uncommon.
Lastly, the liquid has been coated on a few specialized weapons so the blade burns right through the skin of their enemy. This is a more commonly used by monster hunters rather than soldiers. The searing nature of the liquid allows the blade to pierce deeper into the hide of some creatures than it otherwise have gone.

Type

Ore/Mineral