Dragon Stones

Pronounciation
stah-vah-Steen

Plural form is stavastenar: sta-Vah-steen-arr

Biology
Known as Pontes Ex Animo (the bridges of intention) to dragons and the elven scholars who study them, dragon stones were first recorded among the younger races by dwarven wyrm hunters who gave them the name, stavasten (magic stone). As much a part of the dragon as its heart or lungs, stavastenar are organically grown minerals that occur naturally in brains of true dragons.

Typically, a true dragon has one stavasten nestled in the longitudinal fissure beneath the temporal lobe and abutting the pons, though there are reported cases of dragons with multiple stavastenar. In the case of multiple dragon stones in the same dragon, the stones typically very closely resemble one another. Two are rare, three are incredibly rare, and there is only one recorded case of four stavastenar being discovered in the same dragon.

Purpose
Most scholars agree that the stavasten allows the dragon to harness and channel ambient magical energy, tapping into geomantic flows and rhythms and repurposing that energy to fuel the dragon's spells and allow the dragon to perform feats such as semi-magical flight, natural spell casting and spirit sight.

Appearance
In young dragons, the dragon stones are quite small - a hatchling's dragon stone is typically no larger than a poppy seed. As the dragon matures and grows, so grows the stavasten. A typical adult dragon has a stavasten the size and shape of an eagle's egg.

Most stavastenar are egg shaped, ranging in size from less than a millimeter across in hatchlings to over 12 centimeters across in ancient dragons.

Typically colorful and speckled or veined, the pattern and color of a dragon stone is unique to the dragon it grew in. Chromatic dragons (green, red, blue) and metallic dragons (brass, silver, bronze) typically have their outer scale coloration reflected to some extent in the stavasten.

The surface of a stavasten is smooth and shiny like highly polished marble, and there are no apparent organic connections or junctures.

Postmortem Uses
Dragon stones make potent spell reagents, and are in high demand among mortal spellcasters as primary components in talismans, staves and other wondrous items.

Members of the Arcanum at the Academy of Rauni in Jumala have developed a way to use stavanstenar in the creation of airships. This magical technology is in its infancy, and is currently unknown outside Kotime.

Dragons typically take offense to the use of Pontes Ex Animo in what they consider the vulgar magic and talismans of the younger races.

Many dragons will go out of their way to recover stavastenar that have fallen into the hands non-dragonic mortals, preferring to either consume them after a short ritual or keep them as trophies or mementos.