Burnstone, Sekhem’etek|Wrath-Seed of the Sun or Kraazthar|Death Ember
Burnstone is most commonly found in a solid crystalline form, embedded in blackened bedrock or amid charcoal strata left by magical infernos. Each node of Burnstone resembles a veined, cracked gemstone, typically deep red to coal-black with inner threads of molten gold or copper that shimmer and pulse in dim light. The surface radiates faint heat, and the stone emits a low, rhythmic thrum—described by some as “the heartbeat of ash.”
Fragments shed heat even when submerged in water or buried in snow, and larger pieces often glow from within as though internally combusting, without ever being consumed.
Properties
Material Characteristics
Burnstone is extremely hot to the touch, often requiring enchanted gloves or cooling wards for safe handling. It is not molten, but holds a stable thermal signature equivalent to active embers. Its chemical structure is uniquely reactive to evocation and primal fire magic, often absorbing or amplifying nearby flame effects.
Physical & Chemical Properties
It is highly flammable when powdered, and explosively reactive when exposed to sustained magical fields. Its innate resonance allows it to act as a magical fuel, though its instability makes it dangerous in unrefined states.
Burnstone retains spell energy, especially fire-based enchantments, and can be used to store or trigger magical detonations, acting as a living arcane capacitor.
Compounds
Refined Burnstone is a key component in Ignis Alloy, a metal blend used to forge living weapons, volatile runes, and aether-ignition cores for arcane siege engines. When mixed with crushed fire-root and voidsalt, it becomes Pyric Resin, a sticky alchemical compound used in volatile fuses and explosive traps.
It is also ground into Burnstone Ink, used for inscribing single-use explosive glyphs, which ignite upon reading or activation.
Geology & Geography
Burnstone is found deep beneath battlefields scarred by dragonfire, the remains of Ashwurm eruptions, or ley-crater ruins where solar or arcane forces have ruptured the terrain. Its most abundant sources lie in Durrozhonth’s scarred volcanic belts and Zola’s forbidden crater sanctums near sun temples destroyed in past wars.
Extraction is perilous. The heat alone can sear flesh or ignite tools, and improper prying may trigger embedded flame pulses, causing chain reactions. In Zola, only ritually anointed firekeepers are permitted to harvest it. In Durrozhonth, it is mined by flame-bonded scavengers, most of whom are sentenced prisoners or fame-seeking outcasts.
Origin & Source
Burnstone forms in obsidian-rich strata that have been exposed to continuous, high-level flame magic or elemental trauma. It is not mined from traditional veins but coalesces in heat pockets left behind in ash-glass caves, battle scars, and ley eruptions. No known beast, tree, or natural compound produces it—it is born of destruction, and can only form where fire has altered the bedrock’s identity.
Life & Expiration
In raw form, Burnstone is wildly unstable. Without containment, it may shatter explosively when jostled or exposed to water, divine light, or cold-based magic. Refined Burnstone stabilizes for up to ten years if stored properly, but begins to crack, dim, and leak heat once its magical charge fades.
When overcharged by mages or ambient magic, Burnstone may combust spontaneously, leaving behind nothing but soot and scorched metal filings.
History & Usage
History
In early Zolan myth, Burnstone was believed to be the tear of a god consumed by hubris, formed when the sun punished the earth. It was later weaponized by solar priestesses during the Crater Wars, and its use was outlawed in spiritual rites due to its chaotic nature.
Durrozhonth history tells of Kraazthar-Shath, a death champion who forged an axe from Burnstone and sundered a mountain pass in one swing. Since then, Burnstone has been treated as a material of trial and legacy—used only by those who intend to die in battle or leave behind scorched land in their name.
Discovery
First discovered in the aftermath of a fallen sky-temple during the Sunyear 178, Burnstone was initially mistaken for cursed obsidian until it ignited a caravan from within its crate. Since then, both Durrozhonth and Zolan war-mages have sought it as a source of flame without fire, prized for its raw destructive purity.
Its refinement was pioneered by early Qirinan alchemists, but the knowledge was lost when their forges were consumed in a backdraft that destroyed half a district.
Everyday use
Too volatile for everyday life, Burnstone appears only in ritual weaponry, combat-focused enchantment engines, and death rites where cremation is not possible.
Cultural Significance and Usage
In Zola, Burnstone is entombed with convicted pyromancers as a warning, or worn around the neck of the Judged Flame, an executioner-priestess who delivers divine wrath.
Durrozhonth uses Burnstone in legacy duels, where a victor’s blade may erupt upon striking a killing blow. Some chieftains are cremated atop a Burnstone altar, their bones shattered into ash as part of the land’s return.
Refinement
To refine Burnstone, it must be submerged in brimstone oil, cooled beneath lunar basalt, and runescraped to purge unstable filaments. The process takes thirteen days and requires constant monitoring by flamebinders, who channel controlled heat to prevent eruption.
Once refined, it can be cut and set into weapons, amulets, or magical seals, often using heat-reactive metals to contain its volatile core.
Manufacturing & Products
Refinement produces Ashslag, a dull gray sediment still warm to the touch and mildly flammable. It is sometimes used to line furnaces or inscribe fire-resistant sigils.
Byproducts & Sideproducts
Burnstone exposure causes heatstroke, skin blistering, magical exhaustion, and in some cases empathic mirroring of past battles, especially among sorcerers or those touched by fire magic. It may induce visions of burning ruins or flame-choked voices in sensitive individuals.
Hazards
Environmentally, Burnstone veins can poison the ground, leaving scorched halos around deposits where nothing will grow. Leylines near Burnstone often twist or buckle, making them dangerous for casters or druids.
Environmental Impact
Environmentally, Burnstone veins can poison the ground, leaving scorched halos around deposits where nothing will grow. Leylines near Burnstone often twist or buckle, making them dangerous for casters or druids.
Reusability & Recycling
While direct reuse of spent Burnstone is impossible, slivered shards from burned-out cores can still be used in spark mirrors, ignition filaments, or furnace inlays. Powdered remains are added to alchemical brews to simulate heat in nonmagical environments, such as desert survival capsules or cold-weather combat gear.
Distribution
Trade & Market
Burnstone is extremely rare, and more valuable per shard than gold, especially in warzones or spell-forging circles. A single thumb-sized fragment is worth enough to purchase a moderate estate in Esliviel, though transporting it without magical containment is often suicidal.
Storage
Storage must be handled in soundproof vaults, as certain tonal frequencies may awaken dormant charges. Long-distance transport requires ley-dampened carts, often escorted by magebound mercenaries.
Law & Regulation
Burnstone trade is strictly outlawed in Zola, punishable by spell-severance and exile. Durrozhonth permits its use only for sanctioned duels, cremations, and weapon-forging by blood-rites. Qirina classifies it as a Class-4 Arcane Hazard, and it is stored only in mirrored crystal coffers, lined with heat-suppressant sigils and cooled by moondust vents.
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