Sunstone

Overview

Sunstones are radiant crystals that burn with captured essence of the desert sun. Found deep beneath the sands or within quarries, these stones pulse with immense magical energy — enough to power artifacts, weapons, or entire workshops. Their light never fades, glowing with an inner fire that warms but does not consume.

To most tribes, Sunstones are rare curiosities, dangerous to handle and often traded away for food or steel. To the Dune Dwarves, however, they are sacred and essential — the cornerstone of their craft and the source of their most advanced forges and constructs.

Origins

Sunstones are not forged by mortal hand nor remnants of a fallen empire — they are born of the desert itself. The Shifting Sands, unlike any other wasteland, are a crucible where magic and nature grind endlessly against one another. The storms that rage across the dunes do more than move sand; they churn raw magical essence, compressing it deep beneath the earth over centuries.

In rare places where ley-lines fracture beneath the sands, this essence crystallizes into Sunstones — solid fragments of concentrated magic, hardened by pressure and time. Each one is unique, its glow shaped by the storm that birthed it: some burn with golden fire, others shimmer pale as moonlight, and rarer still, a few pulse with strange colors unseen in the natural world.

To the tribes, they are desert-born miracles. To the Dune Dwarves, they are proof that the land itself breathes magic, and that its heart still beats beneath the dunes.

Properties

Sunstones are among the most volatile resources in the desert:

  • Arcane Conduit – They can channel and store vast amounts of magical energy, far beyond what any mortal mage could wield unaided.

  • Radiant Heat – Warm to the touch, they can melt frost, fuel forges, and even replace fire in cooking or smithing.

  • Light Eternal – A single shard can illuminate an entire cavern for centuries without dimming.

  • Unstable Core – Mishandling or shattering a Sunstone may cause violent bursts of energy, scorching everything nearby.

Use by the Dune Dwarves

The Dune Dwarves are the only known people able to harness Sunstones safely. Their artisans embed them into:

  • Forges – Where Sunstones replace coal or magma as the heat source, allowing for the forging of weapons sharper and stronger than steel.

  • Runic Engines – Strange contraptions that move their wagons, lift loads, or even power war machines.

  • Warcraft – Blades, shields, and armor infused with Sunstones radiate searing heat or blinding light, feared across the desert.

For the Dune Dwarves, Sunstones are both lifeblood and holy relic — mined, hoarded, and fiercely guarded.

Cultural Beliefs

  • Tribal Views – Most desert tribes see Sunstones as sacred, dangerous relics. Some avoid them altogether, while others trade them for coin or supplies.

  • Consortium Smugglers – The Brackish Consortium actively seeks Sunstones for black-market buyers who crave their power, often hiring poachers or mercenaries to steal them from dwarven mines and caravans.

  • Spiritual Warnings – The Desert Spirits are said to despise Sunstones, for they remember their Ishkari origins — magic born of hubris, once used to chain gods. Storms often strike regions where new stones are unearthed.