User:Spanambula/Elegy (3.5e Campaign Setting)/World

Welcome to The world of Él!

''By birth, accident, or design, you have found yourself in this strange world full of wonders both familiar and new. In this section you will learn about the things that set Él apart from other worlds, and the curiosities specific to it and its peoples.''

Glowstones


Glowstone is an abundantly common mineral in Elegy, similar in composition and density to quartz. It generates a piezoelectric field which reacts with the magical field prevalent throughout all of Elegy, generating visible light while remaining cool to the touch. They never go out, which makes them a cheap source of light almost everywhere in the civilized world. They can be sculpted just like quartz to fit any shape or size, and glowstone statues are common in temples and among the noblility. The largest natural single glowstone measured 107 feet by 30 feet, and was used by the famous elf sculptor Eridani Stoneshaper to create the massive shining statue of the god Avo in the Great Temple of Siher-Falle.

The most common color range of glowstone is yellow to yellow-orange (often referred to as "natural glowstone"), similar to firelight in many respects. Glowstone formed near certain other natural compounds can tint the glowstone into different parts of the spectrum. Sulfides, for example, produce a bright yellow glow, and iron oxides shift glowstone to varying shades of red. Blue and green glowstones are more rare, caused by proximity to such minerals as azurite and malachite.

Light Output and Magical Reactivity
Light produced by a glowstone depends on the crystal's size. An inch-long crystal just ¼ inch in diameter will shed light like a candle. A fist-sized crystal sheds light equal to a common lantern (see illustration at right). Larger crystals shed more light, but the actual lumen output of even the largest crystal does not exceed 60 watts.

Glowstones react to magic in order to make light, but are not magical themselves. They cannot be extinguished by a Dispel Magic spell, although they cannot function inside of an anti-magic field. Their light cannot pierce darkness created by magical means. Glowstone of any color can be created by the Major Creation spell, and similar spells that create non-magical items. For all purposes treat glowstone as non-magical crystal, including susceptibility to spells such as Shatter.

Glowstones will glow more brightly in areas of an intense magical field, such as in the immediate vicinity of a spell being cast, proximity to spell in place (such as within a silence field), or in the area of a lingering magical aura. Despite this phenomenon, attempts to use glowstones to detect magical traps have met with little success.

Cost and Value
Glowstones are sold by weight, with a half-pound (suitable for a lantern or torch) costing 1 silver piece.

Daily and Exotic Uses
Since Glowstones never go out, glowstone lanterns and torches designed to hold glowstones are usually designed with covers or hinged doors so that the light can be blocked should the need arise, or when people just want to turn out the lights and go to sleep. Glowstones have not replaced good old-fashioned fire in Elegy. Since they produce no heat, fire is still the most common method of heating. Crushed glowstone has been mixed with other chemicals and dyes to create glowing ink and paste. Some wealthier shopowners in large cities have used this to make glowing signs on their buildings. Certain individuals have used the ink for tattooing, creating glowing images on their bodies. Golems can be made of glowstone; see the Glowstone Golem monster entry.