Stone of Light

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A living globe of crystal, the Stone of Light, icy shards of power pulsating from its core. If one were to gaze upon this stone without being consumed in its rage, the images of screaming souls trapped in a violent cloud would fill the mind. The stone's outer orb radiated a light from the heavens, though its core burned a savage black, seeming forged of the purest hate. The most powerful of men who have gazed past the blinding light to the actual surface of this stone have seen the delicately inscribed writing of old: "Lun'akiz salrey mowr'te raibraesa dronaki." "Thrice warned, the fate of the moon is mine."

History

The first known man to fall victim to the will of this Stone of Light, this Moon Orb was documented as Anarion Anastrien whose former greeds had led him to many powerful artifacts. Through word of mouth over the ages, his story has been twisted and changed to suit the generations. Now, the finest scholars the Empire has to offer have discovered what they believe to be "the truth" about this stones history and path of destruction. Once a man of perfectly noble character (for a mage), Anarion was placed on the Elbiran Council of Mages. As magic often does, his position and confidence in his magical abilities drove Anarion to new ambitions. It was not enough anymore to be on the Council, he would rule it, and thus the city. His journey would not be easy, he was the lowest member of the Council and his powers were much to be desired in comparison to the elders, but Anarion had a plan. He sought out and obtained the most powerful artifacts ever known to the system, including the famed Stone of Light, though this prize was actually kept secret from the people of Elbiran and even the Council itself. Mysteriously, the people and mages of the Council who had once seen Anarion as nothing more than a fortunate initiate into the infinite world of magic, began to fear, and worse, hate Anarion. For he had used the powers of his artifacts to gain more power than anyone could have imagined.

It is now believed that Anarion was able to use the Moon Orb to draw raw power from whoever he chose, and that is exactly how he rose to the head of the Council to rule Elbiran. The people soon began to tremble at his very name, as his power seemed to grow, and his Council seemed to weaken exponentially each day, developing an even darker countenance, as if the void left in them from the loss of so much power served only to turn into pure hatred. In assumed secret, the elders of the Council gathered to discuss how they would dispose of the crazed leader who was destroying them all. They had hired the ambitious liberator Cormyr, who knew that he alone would rid the system of this tyrant, and rule it for himself. Unfortunately, as it always is, Anarion the Cruel had eyes and ears everywhere, for no place was secret to the holder of the stone, and he awaited his assassin with cynical glee. Not many days hence, the battle for the right to rule had begun. With the Stone of Light between them, Anarion and Cormyr fought to the bitter end, destroying much of the city with it. Citizens with enough strength to flee, fled the system entirely, leaving only the warriors, the stone, and the shadows. This battle ended in short triumph from Cormyr, who finally defeated Anarion and realized exactly where his power had come from. Ascending into the highest ruins of the falling tower, Cormyr discovered the Stone of Light that had been the destruction of lives in the hands of the tyrant. Gazing into the stone, he could see anything he wanted at all, and even deeper still, the softly glowing words. "Lun'akiz salrey mowr'te raibraesa dronaki." In haste, Cormyr let foolish greed consume him and uttered the words past his owns lips - and in haste, his last breath was drawn. The stone seemed to shudder as it fell to the ground, consuming the spirit of its wielder. Shadows still lingered, for there were other eyes who knew of this power and sought it hungrily. Few found the stone, and fewer dared touch it.

Though the eyes of the Brotherhood still watched, eager to test this power to its truest potential. Through studies, we have determined the stone is used not for the purpose of locating individuals as the aspect of being able to see through the orb might suggest, but actually absorbs power from its targets and transfers it to the wielder. The absence of power is usually filled with the strongest hatred. Though its use is not without limits or consequence. It is possible to absorb power from a being without causing death, though death often occurs in instances of lesser beings. A dangerously unknown limit of 'charges', for lack of a better word, exists within the orb. If the limit is passed the stone of light will turn on its wielder, consuming all of his existence in a last attempt to preserve itself. This limit has not been determined and appears to vary.

Records

The Stone of Light was awarded to House Ektrosis for taking first place in a Krath Vendetta (March 2002). At some point following the Exodus the artifact was replaced by the Orb of Growth. The only fiction we have about the Stone was recorded in a Run-on for the event it came from.