Stone of Unbroken Messages
Stone of Unbroken Messages
Wondrous Item The Stones of Unbroken Messages are rare and powerful magical devices used for long-distance communication in the world of Dawn. These stones, divided into Masters and Bonds, form networks that allow communication between members of a single domain. They are invaluable tools for kingdoms, noble houses, and other powerful organizations. Master Stones Master Stones are the core of any communication network. Each Master can support a number of Bond Stones, serving as the central hub through which all messages are relayed. The cost of a Master Stone is prohibitive, ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 gold pieces, depending on the complexity and strength of the network it controls. However, ownership of a Master confers great power, as it allows its owner to manage and monitor communications within the network.Key Features:
- Master and Subordinate Relationships: Each Master controls the Bond Stones within its network, allowing communication between the Master and any connected Bond. All messages must first pass through the Master before being relayed to the intended recipient.
- Message Auditing: The owner of a Master Stone can, if they choose, audit or "spy" on communications between Bond Stones within their network. This makes the Master Stone a powerful tool not just for communication, but for surveillance.
- Fragility: Master Stones are extremely fragile and highly adverse to movement. Even small changes in their location or environment can disrupt their magical integrity, potentially causing them to stop functioning. As a result, they are typically kept in highly secure, fortified locations. Moving a Master Stone requires careful planning and considerable magical effort.
- Costly Upkeep: The power of a Master Stone requires constant maintenance. Magical rituals and rare materials must be periodically supplied to keep the stone functional. The more Bonds connected to a Master, the higher the upkeep. This ensures that only the wealthiest or most resourceful individuals can afford to maintain large networks.
- Cross-Network Limitations: Master Stones have strict limitations on cross-network communication. They maintain a record of which stones can potentially connect with other networks, but direct communication between different Masters is typically impossible, unless special agreements or permissions are in place.
Bond Stones
Bond Stones are the subordinate devices within a Master’s network. They are far less expensive than Master Stones, typically costing hundreds of gold pieces depending on their capabilities. Bond Stones can send and receive messages through their Master but have no direct control over the network itself.Key Features:
- Message Types: Bond Stones can relay both visual and audio messages (Multi-Media-System). Depending on the quality of the Bond, messages may include images, written text, or even recorded sound. Higher-tier Bonds allow for more advanced message types, such as sending visual representations of written documents.
- Private Encryption: To protect their privacy, owners of Bond Stones can use magical encryption methods. This prevents unauthorized individuals, including the Master’s owner, from reading their messages. However, encrypting a message adds an additional cost or requires specialized knowledge, making it less common except among the most cautious or paranoid.
- Vulnerabilities: Though more durable than Masters, Bond Stones are still susceptible to tampering or sabotage. A broken Bond Stone can render a message undeliverable, and while Bonds are easier to move, they require regular maintenance to remain functional.
- The 12’s Private Network: This exclusive network is reserved for the kings of the 12 most powerful kingdoms and their closest allies. It operates independently from the kingdoms' other networks, allowing the kings to communicate without interference.
- Kingdom Networks: Each of the 12 kingdoms maintains its own network, connecting the king to their 2nd houses and, in some cases, select 3rd houses. These networks are tightly controlled, and the kings often monitor communications to ensure loyalty.
- Rumored Networks: It is believed that the High-Elves maintain their own secret network between their royal families and higher-ranking nobles. The Dwarves are rumored to have a network, guarded by ancient runes. The Orcs reportedly stole a Master stone long ago, though its status is unknown—some believe it was destroyed in a power struggle, while others think it remains hidden. The Desert Kings may also have a network, though no cooperation between them has been observed.
Independent Masters
Powerful 2nd houses occasionally possess their own Master Stones, though these are still doctrinally tied to their king’s Master. This allows them to operate their own networks without routing all communications through the king’s stone, giving them a level of independence and privacy. However, such autonomy can raise suspicions, especially in more authoritarian kingdoms where the king tightly controls the flow of information. In contrast, less powerful houses and organizations rarely possess Master Stones due to the prohibitive costs and the risk of drawing unwanted attention. However, shady operations and conflict-prone groups may try to acquire Master Stones, though these often become casualties in internal power struggles. Masters held by such groups are highly vulnerable to destruction as rivals vie for control.Stolen Bondsphere
A Stolen Bondsphere is a Bond Stone that has been illicitly acquired, often through theft or betrayal. While it maintains its connection to its Master Stone and functions like any other Bond Stone, its unlawful possession makes it both valuable and dangerous. These stolen stones are sought after by those wishing to bypass traditional lines of communication, but their use is fraught with risks.Characteristics:
- Subtle Discoloration: Stolen Bondspheres carry a faint but noticeable discoloration—often a darker, more shadowed hue than legitimate stones. This serves as a subtle mark for those familiar with the system, indicating its suspicious origins. While not immediately obvious to the untrained eye, those in the know can spot this telltale sign.
- Persistent Connection: Despite being stolen, the Bondsphere remains linked to its original Master Stone, enabling the thief to send and receive messages as though they were a legitimate user. However, this connection is precarious, as the original owner or the Master’s keeper may detect its continued use.
- Unstable Magic: The enchantments binding a Stolen Bondsphere are prone to disruption. This instability is the result of a weakened bond with the Master Stone, making the stolen stone more susceptible to being severed from the network if detected.
- Diplomatic Liability: Possession of a stolen Bondsphere can be a diplomatic nightmare. Those caught using one risk angering not just the stone's original owner but the broader network associated with it. In kingdoms where trust is the foundation of communication, the use of a Stolen Bondsphere can permanently damage alliances and ruin reputations.
- Network Vulnerability: The Master Stone, once aware of the theft, can cut off the stolen stone from the network entirely, leaving its current possessor unable to use it. This creates a constant threat of discovery, as the rightful owner may hire agents to track and recover the stolen item. Users of Stolen Bondspheres must tread carefully, knowing their access can be revoked at any time.
Tracker Stones
Tracker Stones are specialized magical devices used to locate and recover Stolen Bondspheres. Crafted by highly skilled mages, Tracker Stones are entrusted to elite individuals or organizations hired to retrieve stolen communications devices. The use of Tracker Stones is a delicate and often dangerous endeavor, ranging from diplomatic negotiations to aggressive retrieval operations.Characteristics:
- Intricate Design: Tracker Stones are easily distinguishable by their unique markings, a combination of arcane symbols and precise engravings known only to their makers. These intricate designs not only enhance the stone’s magical potency but also serve as a mark of authenticity, indicating its specialized purpose.
- Advanced Enchantment: Unlike regular Bondspheres, Tracker Stones are imbued with powerful tracking enchantments. These enchantments allow the stone to locate a specific Bondsphere to which it has been attuned. The tracking magic provides real-time information, enabling the user to follow the Bondsphere’s location, even across long distances.
- Expert Trackers: Tracker Stones are only entrusted to skilled individuals, known as Trackers, who specialize in the retrieval of stolen Bondspheres. These experts are often employed by powerful houses, governments, or organizations to recover their lost communications devices discreetly—or forcefully, depending on the circumstances.
- Variable Methods: Trackers operate under different contracts, ranging from peaceful negotiation to violent extraction. Depending on the needs of the client, a Tracker may aim to reclaim the Bondsphere through diplomacy or covert means, or they may be instructed to neutralize the possessor, ensuring the stolen stone is no longer a threat. In some cases, they are tasked with capturing the thief or saboteur for interrogation or punishment.
- High Cost and Risk: The use of a Tracker Stone, and the hiring of a skilled Tracker, is expensive. The recovery of a Stolen Bondsphere is often worth the cost, as it prevents sensitive information from falling into the wrong hands or being used to destabilize a network. However, the risk of such operations, particularly when infiltrating hostile or well-defended locations, makes each retrieval mission a delicate and dangerous affair.
Crafting Process and Cost Breakdown
The creation of a Stone of Unbroken Messages involves an intricate magical process that binds a Master Stone to its subordinate Bondspheres. These stones form a communication network, allowing messages to pass between individuals who possess the linked stones. Due to the complexity and power involved, crafting these stones is an expensive and time-consuming endeavor.Materials Required:
1. Master Stone Core:Crafting Process:
1. Master Stone Preparation: - Select a clear gemstone or crystal to serve as the Master Stone core. This core is the heart of the network and must be engraved with intricate arcane runes and symbols of communication and connection. This delicate process ensures that the Master Stone can effectively bind to and relay messages between its Bondspheres. 2. Bondsphere Creation: - For each Bondsphere, smaller gemstones or crystals are carefully chosen. These stones must be engraved with corresponding runes to resonate with the Master Stone. Each Bondsphere is enchanted to connect with the Master Stone, creating a secure, magical link that allows the passage of messages between the two. 3. Binding Ritual: - The central step in the crafting process is the Binding Ritual, in which the Master Stone is linked to each Bondsphere. This ritual involves the chanting of spells, the application of arcane reagents, and the drawing of runic symbols that connect the stones together. The ritual can take several hours to complete, depending on the number of Bondspheres being linked to the Master Stone. This connection allows messages to flow freely between the Master and its subordinates. 4. Assimilation Enchantment: - To ensure stability, the Master Stone is enchanted with a special Assimilation Enchantment. This enchantment prevents the Master Stone from being overloaded by the volume of messages from its Bondspheres, ensuring that messages are stored and delivered efficiently. 5. Quality Assurance: - After the ritual is complete, the network must be tested to ensure that all Bondspheres are properly linked to the Master Stone. Each Bondsphere is tested for range, message clarity, and security to confirm that the magical bonds are stable and functioning as intended. ---Cost Breakdown:
Final Considerations:
Master Stone
Very rare and powerful, almost exclusively held by influential entities. It can relay messages between Bondspheres and may filter, gatekeep, audit, or spy on the communication if needed. Messages can be encrypted for privacy. Cost: 1,000–10,000 gp, with regular upkeep and maintenance required.
Bondsphere
Given to trusted individuals for diplomatic or operational purposes. If privacy is a concern, messages can be encrypted, but the risk of interception remains. Cost: 100–500 gp, depending on its messaging capabilities.
Stolen Bondsphere
A Bondsphere stolen by nefarious individuals for blackmail or illicit gains. It may be used to extract gold, influence, or power from the recipient. Can be locked out or tracked by the rightful owner.
Tracker Sphere
Used by bounty hunters or officials to track down a stolen Bondsphere. The Tracker Sphere is keyed specifically to the stolen Bondsphere, and while it can track its target, a thin sheet of lead can block both communication and tracking.
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