Gems
We’re wrapping up Corite Week, a week devoted to our new crystalline player character race, with a Top Ten article devoted to everyone’s favorite crystalline structures: gemstones. Gems have long held humanity’s imagination and been objects of our desire, chiefly through the power of their natural aesthetics. These amazing natural objects are often the subjects of human tinkering, elevating the beauty of nature from natural wonder to inspired art. This article is about those special gems that stir the hearts and minds of the public and set a frenzy in the souls of thieves and misers the world over.
1. The Eye of the Sidhe. About the size of quail’s egg, this lustrous star emerald is a bright and vibrant green, with a highly unusual dark pattern in the center, taking the shape of a circle with a single vertical line bisecting it. The strange star coloration is thought to be a natural marvel, though human hands shaped the once rough stone into a perfect sphere. At one time, this gem was actually used as a temporary replacement by a fey noble who had lost an eye. Though the words of fey are often to be disbelieved, the former owner claimed she could see through the gem as well as her own eye. Eventually, the noblewoman lost the eye in a wager to a devil, who in turn traded his prize to a blind prince in exchange for his soul. The Eye of the Sidhe now rests in a remote castle’s vault, brought out only at banquets and other occasions of honor.
2. The Opal Rose. A truly wondrous gem, the Opal Rose is actually a combination of a vibrant fire opal and a gem quality pink opal. Magic worked the gemstones into a single piece resembling a rose, with the high quality pink opal forming the outer petals while the vibrant fire opal forms the center petals. The gem is mounted on a stem of thick gold, in replica of a flower. Originally crafted as a gift from the great gnomish gem cutter Giorpio Neittia to a human princess on her first birthday, she in turn gifted the gem to her lover on her 19th birthday. Today, the gem rests in a vase on the large oak table in their summer home.
3. The Efreeti Heart. One of the largest, most coveted of all rubies, the Efreeti Heart was mined on the Plane of Fire by salamanders, found deep in a cavernous mine that is rumored to serve as a portal to the Plane of Earth. The ruby is about the size of a human head, and of such perfect gem quality as to astonish onlookers. The gem was originally seized by an efreeti noble, but was stolen by an enterprising wizard thief who removed it to the Material Plane. The wizard allegedly hid the gem in a chest only he could open, and indeed he seems capable of producing the gem at will. The wizard rarely chooses to show the gem, however, as the efreet seem endlessly resolved to recover the gem, and fire denizens almost always arrive shortly after the gem has been shown, intent on bring it home.
4. The Pink Pearl of the Lost Lake. The gorgeous pearl is about the size a human fist, perfectly spherical, and light pink in color; notably, the pearl shines with a bright, supernatural light that frightens goblins and sends them into a fury. Though the pearl’s origins remain a mystery, legend claims that it was discovered at the bottom of a remote lake which shone with the gem’s radiance, and when an explorer removed the pearl from the bottom of the lake, the lake later vanished. According to the legend, the explorer traded the pearl to the city-state of Forma in exchange for great wealth. Today, the gem is on display in the city’s town hall, where it is said it will one day defend the town from a goblin raid.
5. The Golden Hearts. This exceptional pendant is made from a golden heart and a heart made from a fine yellow topaz, and hangs from a silver chain whose links are actually miniature hearts. The golden hearts were created to celebrate a great love between two thieves, one having a love of gold and the other having a love of gems. The necklace was made from the greatest things they both ever stole. The topaz itself holds the most of the value of the piece. Originally, the topaz was a great prize of a wealthy priest-king, and after the gem was stolen, he sought it back at all costs. In the end, he killed the two thieves and retrieved the amulet; however, the gem having been already cut and the symbolism of the piece eventually being made clear to him, he choose to keep the piece as it was, a memorial to a love he tragically cut short.
6. The Angel’s Tear. Among the finest of the known diamonds, the Angel’s Tear is about 90 carats, perfectly clear and gleaming like glass. The gem is set in a perfect circle of gold, and over time has been placed upon various chains, and once was inlaid in a crown. The gem itself is said to have fallen from heaven, the result of a real angel crying. While many enjoy this story, in fact, the gem was created by a very powerful kobold sorcerer, meant as a gift for the dragon he worshipped. Unfortunately, the dragon thought that a nonmagical gem was worthless, and promptly killed the kobold and dropped the gem from high in the sky. After years of watching humans treat the gem as such a great treasure, however, the dragon has sought to own it again, though he has used subtle tactics.
7. The Purple Cloud. This fine alexandrite is shaped into the form of a cloud with round edges. Like a typical alexandrite, the gem appears as different hues depending on the lighting, appearing as a reddish-purple color in candlelight but as a deep green sunlight. Unlike other alexandrites, it changes further in magical light, becoming a beautiful shade of orange. No one knows why the gem changes in magical light, though some have exotic theories ranging from magical origins to strange chemical composition. Currently, the gem can be found in the possession of the eccentric mage Hamel Jorin, who keeps the gem in a gilded lockbox in his famed Tower of Mirrors.
8. The Song of the Sea. Mined from an underwater mine by tritons, this gorgeous aquamarine has been cut into a triangular pyramid and has a great depth of color. When viewed in sunlight, the gem seems to swim and move like waves upon the ocean. When immersed in water, the gem seems to whisper in an unknown tongue; though the words are unclear, the tone of voice is seductive and longing. While the gem is a cultural treasure among the triton people, they have been known to lend it to surface dwelling-mages, particularly to elves, for study.
9. The Soul of Harrilima. Thought to be the most valuable gem in existence, this black sapphire contains the soul of the vilest witch ever to walk the world. Some claim that Harrilima can whisper to those who possess the gem and force them to commit evil deeds in her name. Stolen by a clever young woman who apparently lived her life in obscurity, she bequeathed the gem to a heroic knight after telling him what it was. He gifted it to a fair princess, who had it set in platinum and made into a diadem which was passed on in the royal family for several generations. The gem was later seized by a greedy nobleman, who demanded it from the king lest he destroy the kingdom. Since then, the gem has rested on the heads of various nobles, who are often ignorant of what it is.
10. The Stone of Glory. Mined only in the last 10 years, this diamond is considered flawless and might have been the most valuable stone in the entire world, were it not for the curse. When this glorious jewel was first unearthed outside a remote village, the people thought the gem would bring prosperity to their community, and gladly accepted the offer made by a gem cutter to cut the gem in order to increase its value. However, the gem cutter he absconded with the gem. Although he did cut it, he died before he could sell it, and the gem passed to his son, who sold it to a nobleman. Both the gem cutter’s son and the nobleman died soon after the transaction. Since then, the gem has passed hands a dozen times, and each time the owner has died of an apparent accident or ordinary causes soon afterwards. Because of these mysterious deaths, rumors of a curse surround the diamond.