AGATE is an opaque or translucent stone with bands or concentric
\ncircles of different colors. The common orange or gray stones
\nare sacred to Orlanth and his household of gods. Some Orlanthi
\nmake wedding rings out of the substance. They especially prize
\nthe rare variety in which the concentric circles are uneven,
\nsuggesting a storm rune. Orlanthi carve agate into cameos,
\nseals, talismans, and ritual bowls and cups.
\n Heortlanders say that agates are the bodies of friendly
\nearth spirits who allied with the King of the Gods. Yelm killed
\nthem for spite, and Kyger Litor stole their bodies to hide them
\nin her underground larder.
\n Orlanthi superstitions credit agate with the power to
\nprotect from storms and lightning and the power to kindle
\ncourage. A rare blue agate is sacred to Dormal. Druops is a
\ngreen kind with a scaly pattern. It is sacred to the Serpent
\nMother (and blessed by Earth cults). Some druops are Snake
\nCrystals, a kind of spell reinforcing crystal. All orange agates
\nare sacred to Elmal, and that variety is the most common type of
\nsensitivity crystal. Gem hunters find agate in western Maniria,
\nin the bends of rivers.
\n Agate costs 1 to 10 p. per gram at the source. Pieces occur
\nin sizes from 10 to 500 grams. One can mistake polished agate
\nfor chalcedony or onyx.<\/p>\n
ALABASTER is a soft, opaque stone, a uniform chalky white in its
\nnatural state. It holds any color of dye. It is translucent in
\nvery thin slices, and at the edges of large pieces. Crafters use
\nit for ornamental objects, not jewelry. It has no great role in
\nany cult, but many cults use it for ritual items. Most of it
\ncomes from open pit mines in North Esrolia.
\n Alabaster costs 3 p. per kilogram at the source. Pieces
\noccur in sizes from 1 to 100 kilograms. One can mistake
\nalabaster for marble, chalk, pottery, or coral.<\/p>\n
ALMANDINE is a red translucent stone with a deep violet tint. It
\nis uniformly dark, and gem-cutters often cut it in slivers to
\nmake it look lighter. It is not sacred to any known god or
\nsaint. Rare pieces are dead crystals. It comes from Wenelian
\nmines.
\n Almandine costs 3 to 5 p. per gram at the source. Pieces
\noccur in sizes from 1 to 1000 grams. One can mistake cut and
\npolished almandine for amber, bloodstone, coral, cornelian, ruby,
\nor zircon.<\/p>\n
AMBER is an orange, yellow, or red transparent gem, often of un-
\neven color. It is soft and will burn. It has a special place in
\nthe primitive religion of Eol, and in the lives of the Rathori
\nand Uncolings. The elves also hold it sacred, identifying it
\nwith High King Elf. It washes ashore in Yggs Isles, and in the
\nWhite Sea. Primitive peoples gather pieces along the Valind
\nGlacier.
\n Elves say that ambers are the solidified souls of dryads who
\ndied in the Darkness. Rathori and Uncolings tell a different
\nstory. They say that ambers are the hearts of the ice demons who
\ncome down off the glacier to attack their peoples.
\n Pieces with insects inside are sacred to Gorakiki, the
\ninsect goddess. Humans consider such stones unlucky, because the
\ninsect’s spirit is trapped within the gem. Shamans can contact
\nthe trapped spirit, but most insects have small and unintelligent
\nspirits. No known Form\/Set affects amber.
\n Amber costs 20 to 50 p. per piece at the source. Pieces
\noccur in sizes from 10 to 200 grams. One can mistake amber for
\nalmandine, a low-quality ruby (if the amber is reddish), or
\ncloudy zircon.<\/p>\n
AMETHYST is a grape-purple transparent gem, often with stripes of
\nopaque white. It is sacred to various local wine-spirits, and by
\nextension to the land-goddesses, also known as grain goddesses.
\nFolk belief says it prevents drunkenness and disease, and
\nprovides a smooth tongue.
\n The god of wine wandered all over the land, and drank from a
\nsack that never ran dry. Where he stopped to drink, he let fall
\nsome drops of wine in his gluttony, and these changed into
\namethyst. So says a Ralian legend.
\n Miners dig amethyst in Fonrit, Teleos, and Teshnos. Gem
\nhunters find it in water-carried deposits in many places.
\nAmethyst costs .2 to 10 p. per gram at the source. Pieces occur
\nin sizes from 5 to 500 kilograms. One can mistake cut and
\npolished amethyst for chalcedony or glass.<\/p>\n
AQUAMARINE is a light blue or blue-green gem, usually
\ntransparent. As its name implies, aquamarine is sacred to
\nMagasta and the Water pantheon. It doubles the duration of any
\nwater spell enchanted into it. Rich sailors wear charms made of
\nthe gem. Miners find aquamarine in many coastal lands and
\nislands. They say that aquamarines are the eyes of naiads,
\nturned to stone by dwarves. The only known ludoch legend
\ndisagrees, saying that Framanthe gave birth to aquamarines in her
\nold age.
\n Aquamarine costs 5 to 25 p. per gram at the source. Pieces
\noccur in sizes from 1 to 200 grams. One can mistake cut and
\npolished aquamarine for sapphire, diamond, or glass.<\/p>\n
ARKATITE is the Gloranthan name for Earth’s Alexandrite. It is a
\nrare hard transparent gem which appears bright green in daylight
\nand light red by firelight or magical light. It is sacred to
\nSaint Arkat and to Movement cults, especially Mastakos. It comes
\nfrom the Eastern and Western Rockwoods Mountains.
\n Arkatite costs 100 to 1000 p. per piece at the source.
\nPieces occur in sizes from 25 to 100 grams, but quality matters
\nmore than price. One can mistake cut and polished arkatite for
\nemerald in daylight, or for almandine, ruby or zircon by
\nfirelight.<\/p>\n
BEZOAR is a near-gem only because of its magic powers, not the
\nway it looks. It is a hard grayish mass found in the stomachs of
\nruminants. It has magic power from concentrating the animal’s
\npower to digest grass. A bezoar will neutralize poison in a
\ndrinking cup.
\n Eiritha holds bezoars sacred, and her high priestesses claim
\nall bezoars found. Bezoars can occur in the stomachs of any of
\nEiritha’s beasts. These are alticamelus, bison, impala, long-
\nnose, morokanth (not herd-men), nose-horn, plains elk, rhino,
\nsable, and zebra. (The priestesses of the Paps say that the
\nlong-nose, nose-horn, and plains elk are extinct. Zebra bezoars
\nare only rumor.) No known sorcery spells affect bezoar stones.
\n Priestesses will not sell real, working bezoars. On the
\nblack market, a bezoar costs about 1000 p. Bezoars are typically
\nbetween 250 and 2000 grams. One can mistake Bezoar for any
\ngrayish stone with protruding filaments.<\/p>\n
BLOODSTONE is an opaque, dark red gem, often with green, brown,
\nor black splotches. It polishes readily, but often feels wet or
\nsticky to the touch. It is sacred to all cults that have special
\nrelationships with blood. Prominent among these are Gorgorma,
\nthe Cult of the Bloody Tusk, and the Blood Sun. Xiola Umbar
\ncultists make ritual jars out of black and red bloodstone.
\n Bloodstone brings success in all activities that involve
\nspilling blood. Warriors value all varieties. Midwives use red
\nand green bloodstone in their rituals. Some of Arroin’s Tears
\nand Chalana’s Blessings are bloodstones. It comes from various
\nmines in Maniria, as well as Jrustela, Kralorela, and the East
\nIsles.
\n Bloodstone costs 3 to 9 p. per gram at the source. Pieces
\noccur in sizes from 10 to 200 grams. One can mistake cut and
\npolished bloodstone for almandine, coral, cornelian, jasper, or
\nsard.<\/p>\n
CHALCEDONY is a banded or mottled porous stone, waxy, dull, or
\ntranslucent. Colors are usually some combination of golden
\nbrown, grape-purple, and white. Chalcedony also dyes easily. It
\nmakes good cameos and talismans, and gems cut en cabochon. Folk
\ntales says it protects against Brain Fever, Demoralize, and
\nMadness, as well as phantoms and bad dreams at night. Some
\nvarieties are almost a pure violet, and craftsmen cut these en
\ncabochon as talismans of Saint Talor. Dyed stones do not work as
\ntalismans, so Malkioni gem-workers watch out for fakes.
\nChalcedony comes from Wenelia and Umathela.
\n Chalcedony costs 1 to 10 p. per gram at the source. Pieces
\noccur in sizes from 10 to 1000 grams. One can mistake cut and
\npolished chalcedony for agate, hawk’s eye, tiger’s eye, topaz, or
\nzircon.<\/p>\n
CHRYSOBERYL is a transparent golden-yellow gem which shoots off
\nrays of light in full sunlight. It is sacred to Yelm and all his
\nassociate cults. Some chrysoberyls are magic crystals, either
\nYelmalio’s Toe Blood or Arrow Points.
\n Catseye chrysoberyls are called cymophanes. They are sacred
\nto Basmoli lion-people and to Orlanthi who claim descent from
\nYinkin the Cat.
\n Chrysoberyl doubles the normal radius of Light and Glow
\nspells cast on it. Yelmists say that chrysoberyl gives victory
\nin battle and in legal disputes. Even so, it makes its owner
\nfriendly. Chrysoberyl comes from Teshnos, Kimos, Jrustela, and
\nVormain.
\n Chrysoberyl costs 3 to 30 p. per gram at the source. Pieces
\noccur in sizes from 5 to 250 grams. One can mistake cut and
\npolished chrysoberyl for citrine (yellow quartz), diamond, glass,
\nor zircon. One can mistake cymophanes for quartz or glass.<\/p>\n
CHRYSOPRASE is a mottled or banded apple-green translucent and
\nopaque stone. Large stones have brown or white opaque stripes.
\nEurmal, the Grain Goddesses, and Saint Xemela hold chrysoprase
\nsacred, a strange combination of gods that vexes the devotees of
\neach.
\n Eurmali say that their god blew mucus out of his nose on
\noccasion, and that this solidified as chrysoprase. Grain Goddess
\ninitiates say that in the godtime, their ancestors buried sacred
\ngrain heads and these became gems. Saint Xemela’s devotees says
\nthat these are their saint’s favorite gemstones.
\n Chrysoprase comes from various mines in Fronela and Ralios.
\nIt costs .2 to 1 p. per gram at the source. Pieces occur in
\nsizes from 5 to 1000 grams. One can mistake cut and polished
\nchrysoprase for emerald, glass, jade, or prase.<\/p>\n
CORAL is a mystery to most people, because it grows undersea.
\nLand dwellers tell wild tales of coral coming from solidified
\nmerman blood or merman bones.
\n The most valuable kind is a uniform blood red. Gem-workers
\nalso use pinkish white, peach pink, oily black, robin’s-egg blue,
\nand mottled kinds. Coral is sacred to Murthdrya and Triolina (it
\nis a plant, in Glorantha). Teshnans say that coral protects from
\nstorms and from mishaps crossing rivers.
\n Productive coral reefs lie off the shores of Teshnos,
\nseveral East Isles, Elamle, and Fonrit. A reef in Fonrit holds a
\ncity carved into the gem-like coral above the high-tide line.
\nOnly Zabdamar know the sorcery spells for coral.
\n Coral costs 1 to 1000 p. per kilogram at the source. Pieces
\noccur in sizes up to mountain-sized. One can mistake cut and
\npolished red coral for almandine, bloodstone, cornelian, or sard.
\nOne can mistake cut and polished pink coral for dyed alabaster or
\nchalcedony. One can mistake cut and polished black coral for jet
\nor, if shiny, obsidian. One can mistake cut and polished blue
\ncoral for turquoise. One can mistake cut and polished mottled
\ncoral, depending on its colors, for chalcedony, jade, jasper,
\nlapis lazuli, onyx, sard, or turquoise.<\/p>\n
CORNELIAN is a cherry-red waxy or milky-red translucent stone.
\nIt stills the blood and softens anger, bringing harmony. It is
\nsacred to Chalana Arroy. Her initiates say that cornelians are
\nblood from the many wounds that she healed. They became stones
\nby magical transmutation when Chalana Arroy healed the wounds
\nfrom which they fell.
\n Most Arroin’s Tears and Chalana’s Blessings are cornelians.
\nSome cornelians give a 5 to 25 percentile bonus in casting
\nhealing spells. A healer adds the same bonus to her chances of
\ncalming a berserk. A Heal 6 matrix in a cornelian always
\nsucceeds in casting.
\n Cornelian comes from Wenelia, Enkloso, and northern Fonrit.
\nCornelian costs 10 to 1000 p. per piece at the source. Price
\ndepends as much on quality and perceived magical potential as on
\nsize. Pieces occur in sizes from 5 to 500 grams. One can
\nmistake cut and polished cornelian for almandine, bloodstone,
\ncoral, ruby, or sard.<\/p>\n
DIAMOND is the hardest gem except truestone. It occurs in clear,
\nyellow, brown, blue, green, orange, and black varieties. Except
\nfor the black variety, it is always transparent. Colors are
\nconsistent throughout the stone, although many stones have flaws,
\nsuch as bubbles or cracks. Diamond cutters cut rough diamonds
\nwith powdered diamond. They can also use a sliver of truestone.
\n Black diamonds are sacred to Subere, Ty Kora Tek, Arkat, and
\nBasko (the Black Sun). An Attack Soul matrix in a black diamond
\ngives a 1 to 10 MP bonus in overcoming MP. Black diamond seems
\nto absorb light, and a fire will dim when a black diamond comes
\nclose to it. One legend says that black diamonds are shreds of
\nNakala’s cloak cut off by the coming of Aether.
\n Clear diamonds are sacred to Asrelia, Caladra and Aurelion,
\nDayzatar, and Saint Malkion. A Spirit Screen focus or Spirit
\nScreen\/Block\/Resistance matrix in a clear diamond adds 1 to 10
\npoints to the defense provided. Dayzatari say that diamonds are
\nthe thoughts of stars, fallen to earth, and the Pelorian name for
\ndiamond translates as “starthought.”
\n Green diamonds are sacred to cults of the light earth.
\nGatasave spell resisting crystals are green diamonds. They say
\nthat these come from honeydew exuded by extinct holy trees.
\n Saint Gerlant wore a blue diamond, and that type is now
\nsacred to him.
\n Malkioni folklore says that diamonds make their owners
\nloyal, tenacious, and persistent.
\n Diamond mines exist in Teshnos, Dagori Inkarth, Ramalia, and
\nmany dwarf mountains. Diamonds also wash down from the Shan
\nShan, Nidan, and Tarmo Mountains.
\n Diamond costs 100 to 10,000 p. per gram at the source.
\nPieces occur in sizes from .01 to 100 grams, and larger in very
\nrare finds.
\n Uncut and unpolished diamond require a mineral lore expert
\nor miner to identify. When cut and polished, diamond resembles
\nmany other stones. One can mistake black diamond for obsidian,
\nclear diamonds for glass or quartz, yellow and orange diamonds
\nfor amber, chrysoberyl, glass, quartz, or zircon, brown diamonds
\nfor glass, quartz, topaz, or zircon, blue diamonds for
\naquamarine, sapphire, glass, quartz, or zircon, and green
\ndiamonds for emerald, glass, or zircon.<\/p>\n
ECHOSTONE is a plain-looking charcoal gray mineral which acts as
\na mirror for trolls’ darksense. Quality varies from specimen to
\nspecimen, and trolls can improve the quality by smoothing the
\nsurface of the rock.
\n Scanning into it, a troll darksenses his or her reflection.
\nThe source of the sonar is the troll’s own head. Thus, the
\neffect is like standing in a dark room, casting Light on one’s
\nnose, and looking into a mirror. Trolls use echostone for many
\nprofane purposes, such as spying past bends in caves.
\n Echostone is sacred to Dehore and blessed of the other Dark-
\nness cults. All troll shamans use it for enchantments of binding
\nand controlling or commanding. It also aids in enchanting
\nReflection.
\n Echostone occurs in nearly all igneous rock formations.
\nTroll miners earn from 1 to 100 bolgs per kilogram. Specimens
\ncome in all sizes from slivers to multi-ton seams. A non-troll
\ncannot distinguish it from other rock without having arcane
\nmineral and troll lore.<\/p>\n
EMERALD is a green stone with high luster. It is usually
\ntranslucent but sometimes is transparent. Color is often uneven,
\nand may occur in stripes. From certain angles, emerald gives off
\ndark bluish green reflections. Emeralds are fragile, but hard to
\nscratch.
\n Emeralds are sacred to Ernalda\/Dendara and to Earth cults in
\ngeneral, as well as to some minor Malkioni saints. Ernalda’s
\nTears is a spell resisting crystal that is a banded translucent
\nvariety. Folk wisdom grants emeralds many powers. They protect
\nfrom evil spells. They give their owners oratorical skill, joy,
\nambition, and honesty. This is because they come from the secret
\novaries of plant spirits.
\n Emeralds come from Enkloso, the northern Redlands, and the
\nMaidstone Mountains. A huge emerald truestone sits at the center
\nof the inner temenos (sanctum) of Ernalda in the city of Ernalda,
\nin Esrolia.
\n Emerald costs 10 to 1000 p. per gram at the source. Pieces
\noccur in sizes from .01 to 100 grams, and larger in very rare
\nfinds. One can mistake cut and polished emerald for aquamarine,
\ndiamond, glass, jade, prasiolite (green quartz), sapphire, or
\nzircon. <\/p>\n
GLASS is common throughout the world in jewelry, statues, and
\nother objects. Most people prefer the colored kinds, which
\nresemble gems. Merchants, at least, can distinguish glass from
\ntrue gemstones.
\n Glass is sacred to Bolongo, and to some other Pamaltelan
\ncults. Along the Pamaltelan coastline, people say that it is
\npieces of Trickster’s brain. A local god (which varies with the
\nregion) knocked these pieces out of his head.
\n Glass occurs world-wide, and many know the secret of making
\nglass from sand. Other secrets are scattered and jealously
\nguarded, such as the secret of unbreakable glass. Form\/Set Glass
\nis a fairly common sorcery spell.
\n Glass costs 1 to 1000 p. per kilogram at the source. Piece
\nsize is limited only by magic and technology. One can mistake
\nglass for almost anything.<\/p>\n
GROW STONE looks like a plant part or (rarely) a whole plant.
\nThe common leaf stones come in hues ranging from first growth’s
\ngold green to late summer spinach color. Flower stones come in
\nthe same colors flowers do. There are also root and berry
\nstones. Rarest of all are whole-plant stones.
\n Grow stone has a naturally smooth and shiny surface. The
\nelves claim that these stones are slowly growing, thus the name.
\n(Petrified wood, by contrast, is dead.) Elves can distinguish
\nfakes easily, baffling human traders who thought pieces genuine.
\nElves can also tell if a trader has broken a stone, and will
\nreact unpredictably if he has.
\n Grow stone is sacred to Flamal and to all Plant cultists.
\nElves can awaken grow stones with enchantments, including one
\nwhich enables an elf to attune a stone. Humans know that much,
\nbut no more. Even among elves, only Mineral Lore experts know
\nthat an attuned grow stone deepens one’s elf-sense perceptions.
\nThe attuned know the wonder of sensing and joining in life
\nthrough a grow stone.
\n Elves tell a legend about a Dogwood clan elf named Laslak
\nAxehead, who lived in Ballid. He was a hero of the Lesser
\nDarkness. He could “smell the wind in the leaves, feel the
\ndarkness under the roots, hear the heat of decay in the forest
\nfloor, and see the sap flow inside distant plants.” He went to
\nsleep with the rest of his clan. When Flamal returned and the
\nMreli awoke, Laslak was gone. A whole dogwood grow stone stood
\nover his resting place. Dwarves broke the tree, but elves
\nrecovered most of the pieces.
\n Miners find grow stone where Aldryami woods vanished in the
\ngodtime. No known sorcery spells affect grow stone.
\n Grow stone costs 100 p. per piece at the source. Pieces
\noccur in sizes from 10 grams to 100 kilograms, and larger in very
\nrare finds. Humans can mistake leaf grow stone for chrysoprase,
\nglass, jade, or prase. Root and stem stones look like petrified
\nwood or topaz. Flower and berry stones look like shaped gems of
\nthe appropriate color.<\/p>\n
HAWK’S EYE is an opaque orange and brown striped stone which
\ncraftsmen cut en cabochon. A polished hawk’s eye reveals a small
\nray of light on its surface, resembling a hawk or falcon’s eye.
\nIt is sacred to Vrok, god of hawks, and blessed by his associated
\ncults Yelm and Yelmalio.
\n Hawk’s eyes come from mines in Teshnos, Laskal, Jrustela,
\nand the East Isles. There, it costs .1 p per gram. Pieces weigh
\nfrom 10 to 500 grams. It is hard to mistake, except for tiger’s
\neye, after it is cut and polished. Uncut, it looks like a brown
\nstone, such as topaz.<\/p>\n
IRONROCK is a grayish near-gem made by dwarves. Humans believe
\nit is either the raw material for making iron or a by-product of
\nmaking iron. They cannot make iron from it, which implies it is
\na by-product. It burns elves and trolls, however, and deadens
\nmagic in the same way iron does.
\n In any case, specimens are usually one to two ENC in size.
\nIronrocks are irregular, faceted, shiny, and hard. Humans use it
\nas a symbol of power on scepters and other ritual objects.
\nEnchant Iron does not affect it, and causes the enchanter to lose
\nthe POW put into the spell.
\n Ironrock is very rare in human lands. Mostali trade it
\nrarely. Much of it comes from human raids on factories the
\ndwarves have abandoned. These raiders can get 1000 p. per
\nkilogram.<\/p>\n
IVORY is a near-gem, but some sages call it a true gem. The term
\n“ivory” includes not only the tusks of elephants and narwhals but
\nalso the teeth of hippopotami, sea lion, and wild boar.
\nFossilized elephant tusks also fall under this term. Young ivory
\nis white, and old ivory is yellow.
\n Crafters use ivory for jewelry, magic and mundane talismans,
\nand ritual objects. It is sacred to Wachaza and to the Elephant
\nGod of Enkloso. Elephant ivory is the finest type, and it comes
\nfrom Teshnos and much of Pamaltela. Spells that affect teeth
\naffect ivory.
\n Ivory costs 10 to 100 p. per kilogram at the source. Tusks
\nare 20 to 100 kilograms, and larger in very rare finds. Ivory
\nlooks something like white jade. One can make cut pieces look
\nlike pearl.<\/p>\n
JADE is a green, white, violet, or yellowish stone that comes in
\nmany shades and hues. It often bears stripes or spots of another
\ncolor. Most specimens are opaque, but a few are translucent.
\nThe most valuable varieties are translucent green with a few
\nstripes of white or black.
\n Kralorelans and Teshnans use jade to make ceremonial axes.
\nThey also make musical chimes out of it, and the trolls of the
\nKingdom of Ignorance and Koromondol have imitated this use.
\nCraftsmen in Teshnos carve fantastic designs in it. Still
\nfancier items come from Hsiang Wan in Kralorela where the
\nsorcerers know Form\/Set Jade.
\n The white kind is sacred to Lhankor Mhy and Emperor Metsyla,
\nbut for different reasons. Lhankor Mhy scholars say that its
\ncolor represents the purity of truth. Emperor Metsyla’s devotees
\nsay that white jade was the Emperor’s medium of writing. They
\nclaim to be able to detect traces of writing in many specimens.
\n Green jade is sacred to the Rice Mother. A piece of green
\njade at the end of the drawstring on a rice bag will repel
\ninsects.
\n Dark specimens of violet and brown jade are sacred to
\nTsankth. They represent the blood of his foes, solidified by
\ncontact with his weapons and feet.
\n Jade guides lost souls after death, so in the East a close
\nrelative usually places a small stone in the corpse’s mouth.
\nCommon folk credit this power of jade to spirits. Philosophers
\nexplain that it comes from jade’s “right alignment with the earth
\naxis.”
\n There are jade mines in Teshnos, Kralorela, and Onlaks.
\nTeshnos is the only source for imperial jade, an emerald green
\ntranslucent variety which merchants value highly. Mining
\ncompanies charge their middlemen 100 to 1000 p. per kilogram,
\ndepending on quality. Pieces range from 10 grams to 100
\nkilograms. Green jade looks like chrysoprase, emerald, or prase.
\nWhite jade looks like ivory or very good chalcedony. Brown jade
\nlooks like chalcedony. Violet jade looks like amethyst or
\nchalcedony.<\/p>\n
JASPER is a striped or spotted opaque stone. Its colors include
\ndark red combined with white, orange, brown, or black. Lodrili
\ncraftsmen carve it into cylinder seals or amulets to ward off
\nblindness, drought, and the bites of poisonous snakes. It is
\nblessed of Yelm’s pantheon (but not Yelm), and of the Earth cults
\nas well.
\n The largest mines are in Bastis, but other mines exist
\nelsewhere in Maniria, in Pent, and on Vormain.
\n Jasper costs from 1 to 2 p per gram at the source. Pieces
\nrange from 10 to 1000 grams. Cut and polished jasper looks like
\ncoral, bloodstone, onyx, petrified wood, or sard.<\/p>\n
JET is a very hard black or dark brown coal which can take a
\npolish. It is the softest of gems, with a velvety waxy luster.
\nSome jets have little bits of pyrite in them, giving them a
\nshimmering surface dotted with gold.
\n Legends say that jet is the crushed and burned bodies of
\nFlamal and his followers. Zorak Zoran and his train chopped up
\nFlamal and thousands of Flamali, then used darkness magic to
\nblacken the corpses. Pieces which the army ate and excreted
\nbecame coal, and pieces which they missed became jet.
\n Trolls say that jet has an unusual Darksense “image,” and
\nthat it tastes good. It is blessed of Zorak Zoran and Xiola
\nUmbar, and Darkness cults in general.
\n Jet, like all coal, is sacred to Aldrya. An extremely rare
\npowered crystal, called Flamal’s Sap, is jet. Rumor gives it
\npowers of fertility and growth.
\n Jet occurs in coal mines in Dagori Inkarth, Jrustela, and
\nFonrit. Flamal’s Sap comes from coal mines on the border of
\nRalios and Seshnela. No known Form\/Set affects coal or jet.
\n Jet costs from 1 to 2 p per gram at the source. Pieces
\nrange from 100 to 10,000 grams. Uncut jet looks like ordinary
\ncoal. Cut and polished jet looks like much black coral or
\nobsidian.<\/p>\n
JEWELFLOR is a human name for the plant and the gem which elves
\ncall Laslak. It is quite rare, yet is the most common of the
\nAldryami jewel-plants. The plant is a small biennial which makes
\none to three bright crystalline flowers in late Earth Season of
\nits second year. The plant is delicate and needs extensive care.
\nThe blossoms are glassy and shaped like tiny daffodil flowers.
\nWhen fresh, they have an enthralling scent. They are fragile,
\nbut do not decay. Most are transparent white. Rare specimens
\nare perfectly clear or white tinged with violet or blue. No
\nknown Form\/Set affects any jewel-plant.
\n Elves say that Laslak was a prince of the white elves, who
\nloved himself above all. When he caught sight of his reflection
\nin a pond, he lingered there until he died of hunger. His body
\nbecame a flower.
\n Elves give Jewelflor to their friends, and often expect
\nsomething in return. A typical flower, with stem, weighs 50
\ngrams. Jewelflor looks like a shaped gem of the appropriate
\ncolor.<\/p>\n
LAPIS LAZULI is a dark blue gem, usually spotted or striped with
\nmany shades of blue. It is lustrous and opaque. It makes pretty
\njewelry, pigment, murals, and ritual objects. A golden-spotted
\nvariety is sacred to Lorian Godriver. All types are sacred to
\nriver gods, because rivers carry the stone down from their
\nsources. Lapis lazuli washes away melancholy.
\n Lapis Lazuli mines exist in the Dagori Inkarth and Elder
\nWilds regions of the Rockwood Mountains, in the upper Hachuan
\nShan, and near Bad Deal, in Vesmonstran, Ralios.
\n Lapis lazuli costs from .1 to .5 p. per gram at the source.
\nPieces range from 100 grams to 100 kilograms. Cut and polished
\nlapis lazuli looks like coral or turquoise.<\/p>\n
OBSIDIAN is a type of volcanic glass, black or gray with some-
\ntimes a golden or silver sheen. Flowering obsidian is a variety
\nwith white circles. Obsidian holds a very sharp edge, and the
\ndragonewts use it in their weapons.
\n It is sacred to Argan Argar and his mother, Xentha, and to
\nRaven and some minor godlings. The power enhancing Nipple Stone
\nis an obsidian, said to be one of Xentha’s ten million nipples.
\nObsidian is symbolic of the triumph of darkness and cold over
\nheat and light.
\n Obsidian occurs in most volcanic areas, including Maniria,
\nMari, Kimos, and some East Isles. Many multi-ton pieces survive
\nfrom Argan Argar’s Castle of Black Glass in the Shadowlands.
\nSpells that affect glass also affect obsidian.
\n Obsidian costs from 1 to 5 p. per kilogram at the source.
\nTrolls charge the same price in bolgs. Cut and polished obsidian
\nlooks like black diamond, coral, or jet.<\/p>\n
ONYX is a stone with even layers of opaque dark and light, often
\nwhite and black. Sard-onyx is a type which has brown and white
\nlayers.
\n Onyx is sacred to various thief gods and to Disorder
\ncultists. It provokes discord and induces lack of passion.
\nTrickster wore a cloak of woven onyx when he stole the roc’s
\neggs, and used the cloak to fool the roc.
\n A Befuddle focus carved into onyx gives a bonus to casting.
\nA carved Befuddle matrix gives a +1 to +5 MP bonus to overcoming
\nMP.
\n Onyx comes from Umathela, the East Isles, and Vesmonstran.
\n Onyx costs from 1 to 5 p. per kilogram at the source.
\nPieces range from .1 to 100 kilograms. Cut and polished onyx
\nlooks like agate, mottled coral, or jasper.<\/p>\n
OPAL is an iridescent precious stone, displaying a rainbow of
\nplaying colors. The lighter “white opal” is translucent, showing
\nlight blue, red, and sometimes green. It is sacred to Issaries.
\nIssarites say it is an example of how their god made something
\nout of nothing. In this case, he took ordinary rock and gave it
\nsparkles of color and light.
\n There is also a darker “black opal,” which rarely has a
\ntruly black background. Both white and black opal are sacred to
\nKyger Litor. Trolls say that opals have an odd humming “image”
\nwhen Darksensed. They say that opals are the lining of giant
\ntrolls’ eyes.
\n Opal mines exist in the mountains of Peloria. In recent
\nyears, splendid opals have come from the East Isles. Kralorelans
\nconsider the stone a symbol of loyalty and hope. Spells which
\naffect opal also affect some non-gems that look nothing like
\nopal, generally called false opals.
\n Opal costs from 1 to 5 p. per gram at the source. Pieces
\nrange from 50 to 500 grams. Cut and polished precious opal is
\nunmistakable.<\/p>\n
PEARL is a white, black, blue, gray, or off-white sphere or
\nspheroid. Oysters form pearls inside their bodies. Pearl is
\nsoft, and decomposes over a period of 100 to 200 years. Mother
\nof pearl is a similar substance taken from the shells of pearl
\noysters.
\n Black pearls are sacred to Molocca, the goddess of mollusks.
\nBlue pearls are sacred to Tholaina, and white pearls to
\nBrastalos. All varieties are sacred to Beast cultists.
\n White pearls make their owners friendly, and fill them with
\nintegrity and purity. Legend says that white pearls are the
\npurified souls of the humble and gregarious oysters.
\n Rumor states that Zabdamar have Form\/Set Pearl.
\n Pearls costs from 10 to 500 p. each at the source, depending
\non size, quality, and color. The rarer blue and black varieties
\nare more expensive than the white. Off-white pearls are less
\nexpensive than white, and gray pearls are the cheapest.
\nIndividual pearls weigh from 1 to 25 grams. Rare giant pearls
\n(from giant oysters) weigh up to 500 grams and bidding begins at
\n10,000 p. One can mistake pearls for beads or ivory.<\/p>\n
PETRIFIED WOOD is a near-gem. Polished pieces may be quite
\nattractive, but they are still opaque brown or gray rocks.
\n Humans have little use for petrified wood. Mostali view it
\nas blasphemous, and avoid or smash it. Elves and their ilk,
\nhowever, weep and wail over it, and carve it for memorials to
\ndead loved ones. Thus, human traders sometimes bring pieces to
\nelf forests, hoping for valuable goods in return.
\n Stonewood is the largest concentration of petrified wood in
\nGlorantha. It is next to Foulblood Wood in Heortland. Other
\nplaces have a petrified branch, tree, or small stand of trees at
\nmost.
\n It is difficult to put a price on petrified wood, because of
\nthe wide range of attitudes toward it and the elves’ peculiar
\neconomics. Pieces range in size up to entire trees. One can
\nmistake a cut piece for a poor-quality hawk’s eye or tiger’s eye,
\nsard, or a root grow stone.<\/p>\n
PRASE is a lustrous light gray-green stone. It is opaque, and
\nmany pieces are mottled. All Fertility cults bless it,
\nespecially Deezola and Hon-Eel. They say that it is a drop of
\ndew fallen from the cup of fertility.
\n Prase comes from small mines in Fronela and Ralios. It
\ncosts 1 to 2 p. per gram at the source. Pieces weigh between 10
\nand 100 grams. One could mistake cut and polished prase for
\nchrysoprase, growstone, or green jade.<\/p>\n
The term QUARTZ covers a diverse group of stones, confusingly
\nnamed. “Rock crystal” is a synonym for quartz, but sometimes
\nrefers only to the clear variety. The term “magic crystal”
\nrefers to a different but overlapping class of gems, some clear
\nand some white or with color. Many unpowered crystals are, in
\nfact, clear quartz.
\n Clear quartz is sacred to Himile and Valind, because it is
\nice that has turned to stone. Quartzes with other minerals
\ninside them are sacred to various other deities, depending on the
\ncolor and shape of the inclusion.
\n Star cults value two kinds, both called star-quartz. One is
\na quartz with star-shaped filaments inside it. The other is the
\ntrue star-quartz, which reflects light as a star sapphire does.
\nBoth are blessed of the star cults. Yelm blesses quartzes that
\nhave gold inside them, and other deities bless quartzes that have
\nbits of their associated metal in them.
\n Citrine is a lemon-yellow quartz. One can distinguish it
\nfrom chrysoberyl because it does not send off rays of light. It
\nis blessed of Yelmalio and other lesser deities of light, such as
\nGolden Bow, Yelorna, and Lorkanos.
\n Prasiolite is a leek-green quartz, blessed of Fertility
\ncults.
\n Rose quartz is blessed of the lunar pantheon.
\n Aventurine is a dark green quartz with mica glitter. It is
\nblessed of Asrelia.
\n Blue quartz is blessed of the Felster Lake Spirit.
\n Quartz occurs in small deposits around the world.
\nSpelunkers and trolls often run across outcroppings in caves.
\n Quartz costs 10 to 25 p. per kilogram at the source. Pieces
\nweigh between .1 and 100 kilograms. Traders often mistake quartz
\nfor various gems, depending on the color.<\/p>\n
RUBY can be transparent or opaque, but is always a lustrous red
\nstone. Some rubies display a star pattern, catseye, or silky
\nsheen. Only inferior stones have uneven or pale color. Some
\ngem-traders use the term “spinel” for those, but sages reject the
\nterm. Catseye rubies are called Snakeseye, Turtleseye, or
\nOwlseye, depending on the sacred animal of a culture.
\n Humakti hold all rubies sacred as the solidified blood of
\nheroes. Star rubies are especially sacred because they fell from
\nthe Sword Stars or the constellation Humakt.
\n Cultists of Lodril and the Lowfires hold all brilliant
\nrubies sacred. For other members of the Yelm pantheon, star
\nrubies are blessed stones. A Pelorian legend says that rubies
\nare the ripe berries of the Yunia bush, which grows in the sky.
\nSapphires are the unripe berries, and Yelmists sometimes bury
\nthem so they can ripen.
\n Since the rising of the Red Moon, Lunar cultists have prized
\nall red stones. This is purely for the color, and not for any
\nancient affinity.
\n The so-called Esrolian Ruby is a power enhancing crystal.
\nSome Arroin’s Tears and Chalana’s Blessings are rubies.
\n Ruby wards off evil thoughts, lust, pestilential vapors,
\ndisputes, and loss of rank. Most rubies come from Teshnos, but a
\nfew come from the Hungry Plateau, in Peloria, and the island of
\nTeleos.
\n Ruby costs 1 to 10 p. per gram at the source. Pieces weigh
\nbetween .1 and 30 grams. One can mistake Ruby for almandine,
\namber, arkatite (by firelight), cornelian, sard, or zircon.<\/p>\n
SAPPHIRE is a blue or bluish-green gem, transparent and bril-
\nliant. It comes in various hues.
\n The cult of Uleria holds all sapphires sacred. They claim
\nthat these gems multiply through the power of love.
\n Shamans also value the stone as aiding in communication with
\nthe spirits. In fact, some milky sapphires are Ghost Shields
\nspirit supporting crystals.
\n Star sapphires are blessed of the Yelm pantheon, whose
\ncultists say that they are the skin of angels.
\n Catseye sapphires are blessed by Heler, for obscure reasons.
\n Sapphire wards off envy, fraud, and poison, while giving its
\nowner wisdom and vigilance.
\n Sapphires come from Porent, Brolia, and Umathela, but the
\nbest and largest ones come from Teshnos. It costs 1 to 10 p. per
\ngram at the source. Pieces weigh between .1 and 100 grams. One
\ncan mistake Sapphire for aquamarine, blue diamond, emerald, or
\nzircon.<\/p>\n
SARD is a red-brown stone, similar to cornelian. Some varieties
\nare transparent, while others are milky. No known cult prizes
\nit. Mines in Wenelia yield small amounts annually. Craftsmen
\ncut it, and con men try to sell it as another gem.
\n Sard costs .1 p. per gram at the source. Pieces weigh
\nbetween 5 and 500 grams. One can mistake Sard for bloodstone,
\ncoral, cornelian, jasper, petrified wood, ruby, or zircon.<\/p>\n
TIGER’S EYE is a brown and yellow striped stone, sometimes with
\ndark red lines. When cut en cabochon, it reveals a line of light
\nwithin the stone, like the eye of a tiger. It is sacred to the
\nTiger God, and Teshnans and Kralorelans use it to ward off the
\nTiger People.
\n Most of it comes from Teshnos and the East Isles, but some
\ncomes from Elamle. Tiger’s eye costs .2 p. per gram at the
\nsource. Pieces weigh between 5 and 500 grams. One can mistake
\npolished or unpolished tiger’s eye for hawk’s eye. One can also
\nmistake unpolished tiger’s eye for chalcedony and various other
\nstones, including topaz.<\/p>\n
TOPAZ is a transparent brown or yellow gem of too deep a color to
\nbe called chrysoberyl. Green or red-tinted yellow stones are
\nalso topaz, and are sacred to the Earth. One translucent brown
\nvariety is called smoky topaz because it creates a haze in the
\nlight around it.
\n Smoky topaz manifests the Disorder rune and the Disorder
\ncults hold it sacred or blessed. Smoke Rocks, a kind of Spell
\nReinforcing crystal, are smoky topaz.
\n Very light yellow topazes charm spirits and please the
\nancestors. Thus, magicians use them in amulets.
\n Topaz comes from the Wenelian Islands of Maniria. It costs
\n1 to 5 p. per gram at the source, with the yellow gems being more
\nvaluable than the brown. Pieces weigh between 5 and 500 grams.
\nOne can mistake Topaz for chalcedony, brown diamond, root or stem
\ngrow stone, or unpolished hawk’s eye or tiger’s eye.<\/p>\n
TURQUOISE is a blue opaque stone, often with veins of black,
\nbrown, or white.
\n It is sacred to Annilla and Artmal. Annilla landed on a bed
\nof turquoise when she fell from the sky. That bed broke her
\nfall, say the Artmali.
\n Turquoise protects its wearer from falling and from being
\nunder falling structures. How this works is a matter of some
\nspeculation.
\n Mines exist in Dragon Pass, Teshnos, and Kralorela, as well
\nas Teleos, Loral, and Onlaks. Turquoise costs .1 to .5 p. per
\ngram at the source. Pieces weigh between 5 and 5000 grams. One
\ncan mistake Turquoise for any of several types of coral or for
\nlapis lazuli.<\/p>\n
ZIRCON is a beautiful but fragile translucent stone, occurring in
\na variety of colors. Humans consider it a weak relative of
\ndiamond.
\n The Hyacinth variety, a yellow-red, is sacred to Voria. A
\nred variety is sacred to Babeester Gor, and gemcutters cut it
\ninto the shape of drops of blood.
\n Zircon occurs all over Genertela, but the best and largest
\nstones come from Teshnos. It costs .5 to 1 p. per gram at the
\nsource. Pieces weigh between 5 and 500 grams. One can mistake
\nZircon for almost anything, depending on its color.<\/p>\n
