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AGATE is an opaque or translucent stone with bands or concentric
circles of different colors. The common orange or gray stones
are sacred to Orlanth and his household of gods. Some Orlanthi
make wedding rings out of the substance. They especially prize
the rare variety in which the concentric circles are uneven,
suggesting a storm rune. Orlanthi carve agate into cameos,
seals, talismans, and ritual bowls and cups.
Heortlanders say that agates are the bodies of friendly
earth spirits who allied with the King of the Gods. Yelm killed
them for spite, and Kyger Litor stole their bodies to hide them
in her underground larder.
Orlanthi superstitions credit agate with the power to
protect from storms and lightning and the power to kindle
courage. A rare blue agate is sacred to Dormal. Druops is a
green kind with a scaly pattern. It is sacred to the Serpent
Mother (and blessed by Earth cults). Some druops are Snake
Crystals, a kind of spell reinforcing crystal. All orange agates
are sacred to Elmal, and that variety is the most common type of
sensitivity crystal. Gem hunters find agate in western Maniria,
in the bends of rivers.
Agate costs 1 to 10 p. per gram at the source. Pieces occur
in sizes from 10 to 500 grams. One can mistake polished agate
for chalcedony or onyx.
ALABASTER is a soft, opaque stone, a uniform chalky white in its
natural state. It holds any color of dye. It is translucent in
very thin slices, and at the edges of large pieces. Crafters use
it for ornamental objects, not jewelry. It has no great role in
any cult, but many cults use it for ritual items. Most of it
comes from open pit mines in North Esrolia.
Alabaster costs 3 p. per kilogram at the source. Pieces
occur in sizes from 1 to 100 kilograms. One can mistake
alabaster for marble, chalk, pottery, or coral.
ALMANDINE is a red translucent stone with a deep violet tint. It
is uniformly dark, and gem-cutters often cut it in slivers to
make it look lighter. It is not sacred to any known god or
saint. Rare pieces are dead crystals. It comes from Wenelian
mines.
Almandine costs 3 to 5 p. per gram at the source. Pieces
occur in sizes from 1 to 1000 grams. One can mistake cut and
polished almandine for amber, bloodstone, coral, cornelian, ruby,
or zircon.
AMBER is an orange, yellow, or red transparent gem, often of un-
even color. It is soft and will burn. It has a special place in
the primitive religion of Eol, and in the lives of the Rathori
and Uncolings. The elves also hold it sacred, identifying it
with High King Elf. It washes ashore in Yggs Isles, and in the
White Sea. Primitive peoples gather pieces along the Valind
Glacier.
Elves say that ambers are the solidified souls of dryads who
died in the Darkness. Rathori and Uncolings tell a different
story. They say that ambers are the hearts of the ice demons who
come down off the glacier to attack their peoples.
Pieces with insects inside are sacred to Gorakiki, the
insect goddess. Humans consider such stones unlucky, because the
insect's spirit is trapped within the gem. Shamans can contact
the trapped spirit, but most insects have small and unintelligent
spirits. No known Form/Set affects amber.
Amber costs 20 to 50 p. per piece at the source. Pieces
occur in sizes from 10 to 200 grams. One can mistake amber for
almandine, a low-quality ruby (if the amber is reddish), or
cloudy zircon.
AMETHYST is a grape-purple transparent gem, often with stripes of
opaque white. It is sacred to various local wine-spirits, and by
extension to the land-goddesses, also known as grain goddesses.
Folk belief says it prevents drunkenness and disease, and
provides a smooth tongue.
The god of wine wandered all over the land, and drank from a
sack that never ran dry. Where he stopped to drink, he let fall
some drops of wine in his gluttony, and these changed into
amethyst. So says a Ralian legend.
Miners dig amethyst in Fonrit, Teleos, and Teshnos. Gem
hunters find it in water-carried deposits in many places.
Amethyst costs .2 to 10 p. per gram at the source. Pieces occur
in sizes from 5 to 500 kilograms. One can mistake cut and
polished amethyst for chalcedony or glass.
AQUAMARINE is a light blue or blue-green gem, usually
transparent. As its name implies, aquamarine is sacred to
Magasta and the Water pantheon. It doubles the duration of any
water spell enchanted into it. Rich sailors wear charms made of
the gem. Miners find aquamarine in many coastal lands and
islands. They say that aquamarines are the eyes of naiads,
turned to stone by dwarves. The only known ludoch legend
disagrees, saying that Framanthe gave birth to aquamarines in her
old age.
Aquamarine costs 5 to 25 p. per gram at the source. Pieces
occur in sizes from 1 to 200 grams. One can mistake cut and
polished aquamarine for sapphire, diamond, or glass.
ARKATITE is the Gloranthan name for Earth's Alexandrite. It is a
rare hard transparent gem which appears bright green in daylight
and light red by firelight or magical light. It is sacred to
Saint Arkat and to Movement cults, especially Mastakos. It comes
from the Eastern and Western Rockwoods Mountains.
Arkatite costs 100 to 1000 p. per piece at the source.
Pieces occur in sizes from 25 to 100 grams, but quality matters
more than price. One can mistake cut and polished arkatite for
emerald in daylight, or for almandine, ruby or zircon by
firelight.
BEZOAR is a near-gem only because of its magic powers, not the
way it looks. It is a hard grayish mass found in the stomachs of
ruminants. It has magic power from concentrating the animal's
power to digest grass. A bezoar will neutralize poison in a
drinking cup.
Eiritha holds bezoars sacred, and her high priestesses claim
all bezoars found. Bezoars can occur in the stomachs of any of
Eiritha's beasts. These are alticamelus, bison, impala, long-
nose, morokanth (not herd-men), nose-horn, plains elk, rhino,
sable, and zebra. (The priestesses of the Paps say that the
long-nose, nose-horn, and plains elk are extinct. Zebra bezoars
are only rumor.) No known sorcery spells affect bezoar stones.
Priestesses will not sell real, working bezoars. On the
black market, a bezoar costs about 1000 p. Bezoars are typically
between 250 and 2000 grams. One can mistake Bezoar for any
grayish stone with protruding filaments.
BLOODSTONE is an opaque, dark red gem, often with green, brown,
or black splotches. It polishes readily, but often feels wet or
sticky to the touch. It is sacred to all cults that have special
relationships with blood. Prominent among these are Gorgorma,
the Cult of the Bloody Tusk, and the Blood Sun. Xiola Umbar
cultists make ritual jars out of black and red bloodstone.
Bloodstone brings success in all activities that involve
spilling blood. Warriors value all varieties. Midwives use red
and green bloodstone in their rituals. Some of Arroin's Tears
and Chalana's Blessings are bloodstones. It comes from various
mines in Maniria, as well as Jrustela, Kralorela, and the East
Isles.
Bloodstone costs 3 to 9 p. per gram at the source. Pieces
occur in sizes from 10 to 200 grams. One can mistake cut and
polished bloodstone for almandine, coral, cornelian, jasper, or
sard.
CHALCEDONY is a banded or mottled porous stone, waxy, dull, or
translucent. Colors are usually some combination of golden
brown, grape-purple, and white. Chalcedony also dyes easily. It
makes good cameos and talismans, and gems cut en cabochon. Folk
tales says it protects against Brain Fever, Demoralize, and
Madness, as well as phantoms and bad dreams at night. Some
varieties are almost a pure violet, and craftsmen cut these en
cabochon as talismans of Saint Talor. Dyed stones do not work as
talismans, so Malkioni gem-workers watch out for fakes.
Chalcedony comes from Wenelia and Umathela.
Chalcedony costs 1 to 10 p. per gram at the source. Pieces
occur in sizes from 10 to 1000 grams. One can mistake cut and
polished chalcedony for agate, hawk's eye, tiger's eye, topaz, or
zircon.
CHRYSOBERYL is a transparent golden-yellow gem which shoots off
rays of light in full sunlight. It is sacred to Yelm and all his
associate cults. Some chrysoberyls are magic crystals, either
Yelmalio's Toe Blood or Arrow Points.
Catseye chrysoberyls are called cymophanes. They are sacred
to Basmoli lion-people and to Orlanthi who claim descent from
Yinkin the Cat.
Chrysoberyl doubles the normal radius of Light and Glow
spells cast on it. Yelmists say that chrysoberyl gives victory
in battle and in legal disputes. Even so, it makes its owner
friendly. Chrysoberyl comes from Teshnos, Kimos, Jrustela, and
Vormain.
Chrysoberyl costs 3 to 30 p. per gram at the source. Pieces
occur in sizes from 5 to 250 grams. One can mistake cut and
polished chrysoberyl for citrine (yellow quartz), diamond, glass,
or zircon. One can mistake cymophanes for quartz or glass.
CHRYSOPRASE is a mottled or banded apple-green translucent and
opaque stone. Large stones have brown or white opaque stripes.
Eurmal, the Grain Goddesses, and Saint Xemela hold chrysoprase
sacred, a strange combination of gods that vexes the devotees of
each.
Eurmali say that their god blew mucus out of his nose on
occasion, and that this solidified as chrysoprase. Grain Goddess
initiates say that in the godtime, their ancestors buried sacred
grain heads and these became gems. Saint Xemela's devotees says
that these are their saint's favorite gemstones.
Chrysoprase comes from various mines in Fronela and Ralios.
It costs .2 to 1 p. per gram at the source. Pieces occur in
sizes from 5 to 1000 grams. One can mistake cut and polished
chrysoprase for emerald, glass, jade, or prase.
CORAL is a mystery to most people, because it grows undersea.
Land dwellers tell wild tales of coral coming from solidified
merman blood or merman bones.
The most valuable kind is a uniform blood red. Gem-workers
also use pinkish white, peach pink, oily black, robin's-egg blue,
and mottled kinds. Coral is sacred to Murthdrya and Triolina (it
is a plant, in Glorantha). Teshnans say that coral protects from
storms and from mishaps crossing rivers.
Productive coral reefs lie off the shores of Teshnos,
several East Isles, Elamle, and Fonrit. A reef in Fonrit holds a
city carved into the gem-like coral above the high-tide line.
Only Zabdamar know the sorcery spells for coral.
Coral costs 1 to 1000 p. per kilogram at the source. Pieces
occur in sizes up to mountain-sized. One can mistake cut and
polished red coral for almandine, bloodstone, cornelian, or sard.
One can mistake cut and polished pink coral for dyed alabaster or
chalcedony. One can mistake cut and polished black coral for jet
or, if shiny, obsidian. One can mistake cut and polished blue
coral for turquoise. One can mistake cut and polished mottled
coral, depending on its colors, for chalcedony, jade, jasper,
lapis lazuli, onyx, sard, or turquoise.
CORNELIAN is a cherry-red waxy or milky-red translucent stone.
It stills the blood and softens anger, bringing harmony. It is
sacred to Chalana Arroy. Her initiates say that cornelians are
blood from the many wounds that she healed. They became stones
by magical transmutation when Chalana Arroy healed the wounds
from which they fell.
Most Arroin's Tears and Chalana's Blessings are cornelians.
Some cornelians give a 5 to 25 percentile bonus in casting
healing spells. A healer adds the same bonus to her chances of
calming a berserk. A Heal 6 matrix in a cornelian always
succeeds in casting.
Cornelian comes from Wenelia, Enkloso, and northern Fonrit.
Cornelian costs 10 to 1000 p. per piece at the source. Price
depends as much on quality and perceived magical potential as on
size. Pieces occur in sizes from 5 to 500 grams. One can
mistake cut and polished cornelian for almandine, bloodstone,
coral, ruby, or sard.
DIAMOND is the hardest gem except truestone. It occurs in clear,
yellow, brown, blue, green, orange, and black varieties. Except
for the black variety, it is always transparent. Colors are
consistent throughout the stone, although many stones have flaws,
such as bubbles or cracks. Diamond cutters cut rough diamonds
with powdered diamond. They can also use a sliver of truestone.
Black diamonds are sacred to Subere, Ty Kora Tek, Arkat, and
Basko (the Black Sun). An Attack Soul matrix in a black diamond
gives a 1 to 10 MP bonus in overcoming MP. Black diamond seems
to absorb light, and a fire will dim when a black diamond comes
close to it. One legend says that black diamonds are shreds of
Nakala's cloak cut off by the coming of Aether.
Clear diamonds are sacred to Asrelia, Caladra and Aurelion,
Dayzatar, and Saint Malkion. A Spirit Screen focus or Spirit
Screen/Block/Resistance matrix in a clear diamond adds 1 to 10
points to the defense provided. Dayzatari say that diamonds are
the thoughts of stars, fallen to earth, and the Pelorian name for
diamond translates as "starthought."
Green diamonds are sacred to cults of the light earth.
Gatasave spell resisting crystals are green diamonds. They say
that these come from honeydew exuded by extinct holy trees.
Saint Gerlant wore a blue diamond, and that type is now
sacred to him.
Malkioni folklore says that diamonds make their owners
loyal, tenacious, and persistent.
Diamond mines exist in Teshnos, Dagori Inkarth, Ramalia, and
many dwarf mountains. Diamonds also wash down from the Shan
Shan, Nidan, and Tarmo Mountains.
Diamond costs 100 to 10,000 p. per gram at the source.
Pieces occur in sizes from .01 to 100 grams, and larger in very
rare finds.
Uncut and unpolished diamond require a mineral lore expert
or miner to identify. When cut and polished, diamond resembles
many other stones. One can mistake black diamond for obsidian,
clear diamonds for glass or quartz, yellow and orange diamonds
for amber, chrysoberyl, glass, quartz, or zircon, brown diamonds
for glass, quartz, topaz, or zircon, blue diamonds for
aquamarine, sapphire, glass, quartz, or zircon, and green
diamonds for emerald, glass, or zircon.
ECHOSTONE is a plain-looking charcoal gray mineral which acts as
a mirror for trolls' darksense. Quality varies from specimen to
specimen, and trolls can improve the quality by smoothing the
surface of the rock.
Scanning into it, a troll darksenses his or her reflection.
The source of the sonar is the troll's own head. Thus, the
effect is like standing in a dark room, casting Light on one's
nose, and looking into a mirror. Trolls use echostone for many
profane purposes, such as spying past bends in caves.
Echostone is sacred to Dehore and blessed of the other Dark-
ness cults. All troll shamans use it for enchantments of binding
and controlling or commanding. It also aids in enchanting
Reflection.
Echostone occurs in nearly all igneous rock formations.
Troll miners earn from 1 to 100 bolgs per kilogram. Specimens
come in all sizes from slivers to multi-ton seams. A non-troll
cannot distinguish it from other rock without having arcane
mineral and troll lore.
EMERALD is a green stone with high luster. It is usually
translucent but sometimes is transparent. Color is often uneven,
and may occur in stripes. From certain angles, emerald gives off
dark bluish green reflections. Emeralds are fragile, but hard to
scratch.
Emeralds are sacred to Ernalda/Dendara and to Earth cults in
general, as well as to some minor Malkioni saints. Ernalda's
Tears is a spell resisting crystal that is a banded translucent
variety. Folk wisdom grants emeralds many powers. They protect
from evil spells. They give their owners oratorical skill, joy,
ambition, and honesty. This is because they come from the secret
ovaries of plant spirits.
Emeralds come from Enkloso, the northern Redlands, and the
Maidstone Mountains. A huge emerald truestone sits at the center
of the inner temenos (sanctum) of Ernalda in the city of Ernalda,
in Esrolia.
Emerald costs 10 to 1000 p. per gram at the source. Pieces
occur in sizes from .01 to 100 grams, and larger in very rare
finds. One can mistake cut and polished emerald for aquamarine,
diamond, glass, jade, prasiolite (green quartz), sapphire, or
zircon.
GLASS is common throughout the world in jewelry, statues, and
other objects. Most people prefer the colored kinds, which
resemble gems. Merchants, at least, can distinguish glass from
true gemstones.
Glass is sacred to Bolongo, and to some other Pamaltelan
cults. Along the Pamaltelan coastline, people say that it is
pieces of Trickster's brain. A local god (which varies with the
region) knocked these pieces out of his head.
Glass occurs world-wide, and many know the secret of making
glass from sand. Other secrets are scattered and jealously
guarded, such as the secret of unbreakable glass. Form/Set Glass
is a fairly common sorcery spell.
Glass costs 1 to 1000 p. per kilogram at the source. Piece
size is limited only by magic and technology. One can mistake
glass for almost anything.
GROW STONE looks like a plant part or (rarely) a whole plant.
The common leaf stones come in hues ranging from first growth's
gold green to late summer spinach color. Flower stones come in
the same colors flowers do. There are also root and berry
stones. Rarest of all are whole-plant stones.
Grow stone has a naturally smooth and shiny surface. The
elves claim that these stones are slowly growing, thus the name.
(Petrified wood, by contrast, is dead.) Elves can distinguish
fakes easily, baffling human traders who thought pieces genuine.
Elves can also tell if a trader has broken a stone, and will
react unpredictably if he has.
Grow stone is sacred to Flamal and to all Plant cultists.
Elves can awaken grow stones with enchantments, including one
which enables an elf to attune a stone. Humans know that much,
but no more. Even among elves, only Mineral Lore experts know
that an attuned grow stone deepens one's elf-sense perceptions.
The attuned know the wonder of sensing and joining in life
through a grow stone.
Elves tell a legend about a Dogwood clan elf named Laslak
Axehead, who lived in Ballid. He was a hero of the Lesser
Darkness. He could "smell the wind in the leaves, feel the
darkness under the roots, hear the heat of decay in the forest
floor, and see the sap flow inside distant plants." He went to
sleep with the rest of his clan. When Flamal returned and the
Mreli awoke, Laslak was gone. A whole dogwood grow stone stood
over his resting place. Dwarves broke the tree, but elves
recovered most of the pieces.
Miners find grow stone where Aldryami woods vanished in the
godtime. No known sorcery spells affect grow stone.
Grow stone costs 100 p. per piece at the source. Pieces
occur in sizes from 10 grams to 100 kilograms, and larger in very
rare finds. Humans can mistake leaf grow stone for chrysoprase,
glass, jade, or prase. Root and stem stones look like petrified
wood or topaz. Flower and berry stones look like shaped gems of
the appropriate color.
HAWK'S EYE is an opaque orange and brown striped stone which
craftsmen cut en cabochon. A polished hawk's eye reveals a small
ray of light on its surface, resembling a hawk or falcon's eye.
It is sacred to Vrok, god of hawks, and blessed by his associated
cults Yelm and Yelmalio.
Hawk's eyes come from mines in Teshnos, Laskal, Jrustela,
and the East Isles. There, it costs .1 p per gram. Pieces weigh
from 10 to 500 grams. It is hard to mistake, except for tiger's
eye, after it is cut and polished. Uncut, it looks like a brown
stone, such as topaz.
IRONROCK is a grayish near-gem made by dwarves. Humans believe
it is either the raw material for making iron or a by-product of
making iron. They cannot make iron from it, which implies it is
a by-product. It burns elves and trolls, however, and deadens
magic in the same way iron does.
In any case, specimens are usually one to two ENC in size.
Ironrocks are irregular, faceted, shiny, and hard. Humans use it
as a symbol of power on scepters and other ritual objects.
Enchant Iron does not affect it, and causes the enchanter to lose
the POW put into the spell.
Ironrock is very rare in human lands. Mostali trade it
rarely. Much of it comes from human raids on factories the
dwarves have abandoned. These raiders can get 1000 p. per
kilogram.
IVORY is a near-gem, but some sages call it a true gem. The term
"ivory" includes not only the tusks of elephants and narwhals but
also the teeth of hippopotami, sea lion, and wild boar.
Fossilized elephant tusks also fall under this term. Young ivory
is white, and old ivory is yellow.
Crafters use ivory for jewelry, magic and mundane talismans,
and ritual objects. It is sacred to Wachaza and to the Elephant
God of Enkloso. Elephant ivory is the finest type, and it comes
from Teshnos and much of Pamaltela. Spells that affect teeth
affect ivory.
Ivory costs 10 to 100 p. per kilogram at the source. Tusks
are 20 to 100 kilograms, and larger in very rare finds. Ivory
looks something like white jade. One can make cut pieces look
like pearl.
JADE is a green, white, violet, or yellowish stone that comes in
many shades and hues. It often bears stripes or spots of another
color. Most specimens are opaque, but a few are translucent.
The most valuable varieties are translucent green with a few
stripes of white or black.
Kralorelans and Teshnans use jade to make ceremonial axes.
They also make musical chimes out of it, and the trolls of the
Kingdom of Ignorance and Koromondol have imitated this use.
Craftsmen in Teshnos carve fantastic designs in it. Still
fancier items come from Hsiang Wan in Kralorela where the
sorcerers know Form/Set Jade.
The white kind is sacred to Lhankor Mhy and Emperor Metsyla,
but for different reasons. Lhankor Mhy scholars say that its
color represents the purity of truth. Emperor Metsyla's devotees
say that white jade was the Emperor's medium of writing. They
claim to be able to detect traces of writing in many specimens.
Green jade is sacred to the Rice Mother. A piece of green
jade at the end of the drawstring on a rice bag will repel
insects.
Dark specimens of violet and brown jade are sacred to
Tsankth. They represent the blood of his foes, solidified by
contact with his weapons and feet.
Jade guides lost souls after death, so in the East a close
relative usually places a small stone in the corpse's mouth.
Common folk credit this power of jade to spirits. Philosophers
explain that it comes from jade's "right alignment with the earth
axis."
There are jade mines in Teshnos, Kralorela, and Onlaks.
Teshnos is the only source for imperial jade, an emerald green
translucent variety which merchants value highly. Mining
companies charge their middlemen 100 to 1000 p. per kilogram,
depending on quality. Pieces range from 10 grams to 100
kilograms. Green jade looks like chrysoprase, emerald, or prase.
White jade looks like ivory or very good chalcedony. Brown jade
looks like chalcedony. Violet jade looks like amethyst or
chalcedony.
JASPER is a striped or spotted opaque stone. Its colors include
dark red combined with white, orange, brown, or black. Lodrili
craftsmen carve it into cylinder seals or amulets to ward off
blindness, drought, and the bites of poisonous snakes. It is
blessed of Yelm's pantheon (but not Yelm), and of the Earth cults
as well.
The largest mines are in Bastis, but other mines exist
elsewhere in Maniria, in Pent, and on Vormain.
Jasper costs from 1 to 2 p per gram at the source. Pieces
range from 10 to 1000 grams. Cut and polished jasper looks like
coral, bloodstone, onyx, petrified wood, or sard.
JET is a very hard black or dark brown coal which can take a
polish. It is the softest of gems, with a velvety waxy luster.
Some jets have little bits of pyrite in them, giving them a
shimmering surface dotted with gold.
Legends say that jet is the crushed and burned bodies of
Flamal and his followers. Zorak Zoran and his train chopped up
Flamal and thousands of Flamali, then used darkness magic to
blacken the corpses. Pieces which the army ate and excreted
became coal, and pieces which they missed became jet.
Trolls say that jet has an unusual Darksense "image," and
that it tastes good. It is blessed of Zorak Zoran and Xiola
Umbar, and Darkness cults in general.
Jet, like all coal, is sacred to Aldrya. An extremely rare
powered crystal, called Flamal's Sap, is jet. Rumor gives it
powers of fertility and growth.
Jet occurs in coal mines in Dagori Inkarth, Jrustela, and
Fonrit. Flamal's Sap comes from coal mines on the border of
Ralios and Seshnela. No known Form/Set affects coal or jet.
Jet costs from 1 to 2 p per gram at the source. Pieces
range from 100 to 10,000 grams. Uncut jet looks like ordinary
coal. Cut and polished jet looks like much black coral or
obsidian.
JEWELFLOR is a human name for the plant and the gem which elves
call Laslak. It is quite rare, yet is the most common of the
Aldryami jewel-plants. The plant is a small biennial which makes
one to three bright crystalline flowers in late Earth Season of
its second year. The plant is delicate and needs extensive care.
The blossoms are glassy and shaped like tiny daffodil flowers.
When fresh, they have an enthralling scent. They are fragile,
but do not decay. Most are transparent white. Rare specimens
are perfectly clear or white tinged with violet or blue. No
known Form/Set affects any jewel-plant.
Elves say that Laslak was a prince of the white elves, who
loved himself above all. When he caught sight of his reflection
in a pond, he lingered there until he died of hunger. His body
became a flower.
Elves give Jewelflor to their friends, and often expect
something in return. A typical flower, with stem, weighs 50
grams. Jewelflor looks like a shaped gem of the appropriate
color.
LAPIS LAZULI is a dark blue gem, usually spotted or striped with
many shades of blue. It is lustrous and opaque. It makes pretty
jewelry, pigment, murals, and ritual objects. A golden-spotted
variety is sacred to Lorian Godriver. All types are sacred to
river gods, because rivers carry the stone down from their
sources. Lapis lazuli washes away melancholy.
Lapis Lazuli mines exist in the Dagori Inkarth and Elder
Wilds regions of the Rockwood Mountains, in the upper Hachuan
Shan, and near Bad Deal, in Vesmonstran, Ralios.
Lapis lazuli costs from .1 to .5 p. per gram at the source.
Pieces range from 100 grams to 100 kilograms. Cut and polished
lapis lazuli looks like coral or turquoise.
OBSIDIAN is a type of volcanic glass, black or gray with some-
times a golden or silver sheen. Flowering obsidian is a variety
with white circles. Obsidian holds a very sharp edge, and the
dragonewts use it in their weapons.
It is sacred to Argan Argar and his mother, Xentha, and to
Raven and some minor godlings. The power enhancing Nipple Stone
is an obsidian, said to be one of Xentha's ten million nipples.
Obsidian is symbolic of the triumph of darkness and cold over
heat and light.
Obsidian occurs in most volcanic areas, including Maniria,
Mari, Kimos, and some East Isles. Many multi-ton pieces survive
from Argan Argar's Castle of Black Glass in the Shadowlands.
Spells that affect glass also affect obsidian.
Obsidian costs from 1 to 5 p. per kilogram at the source.
Trolls charge the same price in bolgs. Cut and polished obsidian
looks like black diamond, coral, or jet.
ONYX is a stone with even layers of opaque dark and light, often
white and black. Sard-onyx is a type which has brown and white
layers.
Onyx is sacred to various thief gods and to Disorder
cultists. It provokes discord and induces lack of passion.
Trickster wore a cloak of woven onyx when he stole the roc's
eggs, and used the cloak to fool the roc.
A Befuddle focus carved into onyx gives a bonus to casting.
A carved Befuddle matrix gives a +1 to +5 MP bonus to overcoming
MP.
Onyx comes from Umathela, the East Isles, and Vesmonstran.
Onyx costs from 1 to 5 p. per kilogram at the source.
Pieces range from .1 to 100 kilograms. Cut and polished onyx
looks like agate, mottled coral, or jasper.
OPAL is an iridescent precious stone, displaying a rainbow of
playing colors. The lighter "white opal" is translucent, showing
light blue, red, and sometimes green. It is sacred to Issaries.
Issarites say it is an example of how their god made something
out of nothing. In this case, he took ordinary rock and gave it
sparkles of color and light.
There is also a darker "black opal," which rarely has a
truly black background. Both white and black opal are sacred to
Kyger Litor. Trolls say that opals have an odd humming "image"
when Darksensed. They say that opals are the lining of giant
trolls' eyes.
Opal mines exist in the mountains of Peloria. In recent
years, splendid opals have come from the East Isles. Kralorelans
consider the stone a symbol of loyalty and hope. Spells which
affect opal also affect some non-gems that look nothing like
opal, generally called false opals.
Opal costs from 1 to 5 p. per gram at the source. Pieces
range from 50 to 500 grams. Cut and polished precious opal is
unmistakable.
PEARL is a white, black, blue, gray, or off-white sphere or
spheroid. Oysters form pearls inside their bodies. Pearl is
soft, and decomposes over a period of 100 to 200 years. Mother
of pearl is a similar substance taken from the shells of pearl
oysters.
Black pearls are sacred to Molocca, the goddess of mollusks.
Blue pearls are sacred to Tholaina, and white pearls to
Brastalos. All varieties are sacred to Beast cultists.
White pearls make their owners friendly, and fill them with
integrity and purity. Legend says that white pearls are the
purified souls of the humble and gregarious oysters.
Rumor states that Zabdamar have Form/Set Pearl.
Pearls costs from 10 to 500 p. each at the source, depending
on size, quality, and color. The rarer blue and black varieties
are more expensive than the white. Off-white pearls are less
expensive than white, and gray pearls are the cheapest.
Individual pearls weigh from 1 to 25 grams. Rare giant pearls
(from giant oysters) weigh up to 500 grams and bidding begins at
10,000 p. One can mistake pearls for beads or ivory.
PETRIFIED WOOD is a near-gem. Polished pieces may be quite
attractive, but they are still opaque brown or gray rocks.
Humans have little use for petrified wood. Mostali view it
as blasphemous, and avoid or smash it. Elves and their ilk,
however, weep and wail over it, and carve it for memorials to
dead loved ones. Thus, human traders sometimes bring pieces to
elf forests, hoping for valuable goods in return.
Stonewood is the largest concentration of petrified wood in
Glorantha. It is next to Foulblood Wood in Heortland. Other
places have a petrified branch, tree, or small stand of trees at
most.
It is difficult to put a price on petrified wood, because of
the wide range of attitudes toward it and the elves' peculiar
economics. Pieces range in size up to entire trees. One can
mistake a cut piece for a poor-quality hawk's eye or tiger's eye,
sard, or a root grow stone.
PRASE is a lustrous light gray-green stone. It is opaque, and
many pieces are mottled. All Fertility cults bless it,
especially Deezola and Hon-Eel. They say that it is a drop of
dew fallen from the cup of fertility.
Prase comes from small mines in Fronela and Ralios. It
costs 1 to 2 p. per gram at the source. Pieces weigh between 10
and 100 grams. One could mistake cut and polished prase for
chrysoprase, growstone, or green jade.
The term QUARTZ covers a diverse group of stones, confusingly
named. "Rock crystal" is a synonym for quartz, but sometimes
refers only to the clear variety. The term "magic crystal"
refers to a different but overlapping class of gems, some clear
and some white or with color. Many unpowered crystals are, in
fact, clear quartz.
Clear quartz is sacred to Himile and Valind, because it is
ice that has turned to stone. Quartzes with other minerals
inside them are sacred to various other deities, depending on the
color and shape of the inclusion.
Star cults value two kinds, both called star-quartz. One is
a quartz with star-shaped filaments inside it. The other is the
true star-quartz, which reflects light as a star sapphire does.
Both are blessed of the star cults. Yelm blesses quartzes that
have gold inside them, and other deities bless quartzes that have
bits of their associated metal in them.
Citrine is a lemon-yellow quartz. One can distinguish it
from chrysoberyl because it does not send off rays of light. It
is blessed of Yelmalio and other lesser deities of light, such as
Golden Bow, Yelorna, and Lorkanos.
Prasiolite is a leek-green quartz, blessed of Fertility
cults.
Rose quartz is blessed of the lunar pantheon.
Aventurine is a dark green quartz with mica glitter. It is
blessed of Asrelia.
Blue quartz is blessed of the Felster Lake Spirit.
Quartz occurs in small deposits around the world.
Spelunkers and trolls often run across outcroppings in caves.
Quartz costs 10 to 25 p. per kilogram at the source. Pieces
weigh between .1 and 100 kilograms. Traders often mistake quartz
for various gems, depending on the color.
RUBY can be transparent or opaque, but is always a lustrous red
stone. Some rubies display a star pattern, catseye, or silky
sheen. Only inferior stones have uneven or pale color. Some
gem-traders use the term "spinel" for those, but sages reject the
term. Catseye rubies are called Snakeseye, Turtleseye, or
Owlseye, depending on the sacred animal of a culture.
Humakti hold all rubies sacred as the solidified blood of
heroes. Star rubies are especially sacred because they fell from
the Sword Stars or the constellation Humakt.
Cultists of Lodril and the Lowfires hold all brilliant
rubies sacred. For other members of the Yelm pantheon, star
rubies are blessed stones. A Pelorian legend says that rubies
are the ripe berries of the Yunia bush, which grows in the sky.
Sapphires are the unripe berries, and Yelmists sometimes bury
them so they can ripen.
Since the rising of the Red Moon, Lunar cultists have prized
all red stones. This is purely for the color, and not for any
ancient affinity.
The so-called Esrolian Ruby is a power enhancing crystal.
Some Arroin's Tears and Chalana's Blessings are rubies.
Ruby wards off evil thoughts, lust, pestilential vapors,
disputes, and loss of rank. Most rubies come from Teshnos, but a
few come from the Hungry Plateau, in Peloria, and the island of
Teleos.
Ruby costs 1 to 10 p. per gram at the source. Pieces weigh
between .1 and 30 grams. One can mistake Ruby for almandine,
amber, arkatite (by firelight), cornelian, sard, or zircon.
SAPPHIRE is a blue or bluish-green gem, transparent and bril-
liant. It comes in various hues.
The cult of Uleria holds all sapphires sacred. They claim
that these gems multiply through the power of love.
Shamans also value the stone as aiding in communication with
the spirits. In fact, some milky sapphires are Ghost Shields
spirit supporting crystals.
Star sapphires are blessed of the Yelm pantheon, whose
cultists say that they are the skin of angels.
Catseye sapphires are blessed by Heler, for obscure reasons.
Sapphire wards off envy, fraud, and poison, while giving its
owner wisdom and vigilance.
Sapphires come from Porent, Brolia, and Umathela, but the
best and largest ones come from Teshnos. It costs 1 to 10 p. per
gram at the source. Pieces weigh between .1 and 100 grams. One
can mistake Sapphire for aquamarine, blue diamond, emerald, or
zircon.
SARD is a red-brown stone, similar to cornelian. Some varieties
are transparent, while others are milky. No known cult prizes
it. Mines in Wenelia yield small amounts annually. Craftsmen
cut it, and con men try to sell it as another gem.
Sard costs .1 p. per gram at the source. Pieces weigh
between 5 and 500 grams. One can mistake Sard for bloodstone,
coral, cornelian, jasper, petrified wood, ruby, or zircon.
TIGER'S EYE is a brown and yellow striped stone, sometimes with
dark red lines. When cut en cabochon, it reveals a line of light
within the stone, like the eye of a tiger. It is sacred to the
Tiger God, and Teshnans and Kralorelans use it to ward off the
Tiger People.
Most of it comes from Teshnos and the East Isles, but some
comes from Elamle. Tiger's eye costs .2 p. per gram at the
source. Pieces weigh between 5 and 500 grams. One can mistake
polished or unpolished tiger's eye for hawk's eye. One can also
mistake unpolished tiger's eye for chalcedony and various other
stones, including topaz.
TOPAZ is a transparent brown or yellow gem of too deep a color to
be called chrysoberyl. Green or red-tinted yellow stones are
also topaz, and are sacred to the Earth. One translucent brown
variety is called smoky topaz because it creates a haze in the
light around it.
Smoky topaz manifests the Disorder rune and the Disorder
cults hold it sacred or blessed. Smoke Rocks, a kind of Spell
Reinforcing crystal, are smoky topaz.
Very light yellow topazes charm spirits and please the
ancestors. Thus, magicians use them in amulets.
Topaz comes from the Wenelian Islands of Maniria. It costs
1 to 5 p. per gram at the source, with the yellow gems being more
valuable than the brown. Pieces weigh between 5 and 500 grams.
One can mistake Topaz for chalcedony, brown diamond, root or stem
grow stone, or unpolished hawk's eye or tiger's eye.
TURQUOISE is a blue opaque stone, often with veins of black,
brown, or white.
It is sacred to Annilla and Artmal. Annilla landed on a bed
of turquoise when she fell from the sky. That bed broke her
fall, say the Artmali.
Turquoise protects its wearer from falling and from being
under falling structures. How this works is a matter of some
speculation.
Mines exist in Dragon Pass, Teshnos, and Kralorela, as well
as Teleos, Loral, and Onlaks. Turquoise costs .1 to .5 p. per
gram at the source. Pieces weigh between 5 and 5000 grams. One
can mistake Turquoise for any of several types of coral or for
lapis lazuli.
ZIRCON is a beautiful but fragile translucent stone, occurring in
a variety of colors. Humans consider it a weak relative of
diamond.
The Hyacinth variety, a yellow-red, is sacred to Voria. A
red variety is sacred to Babeester Gor, and gemcutters cut it
into the shape of drops of blood.
Zircon occurs all over Genertela, but the best and largest
stones come from Teshnos. It costs .5 to 1 p. per gram at the
source. Pieces weigh between 5 and 500 grams. One can mistake
Zircon for almost anything, depending on its color.