"The Heartstone Orb"

One of the most powerful and mysterious magical artifacts in all of Alwaus, the existence of the strange orb known as "The Heart Stone" is a secret so great that even Jaenesa prime Virtutem, Empress of Alwaus is unlikely to know of its existence. Discovered at the bottom of a lake in the Starücken Mountains during The 1st Immortal War, the orb was named "The Heartstone" due to the rythmic pulsing the orb gave off every few moments - as if it was a brilliant glass heart in the palm of your hand. The name of the orb's discoverer is unknown - whether by design or simply due to the millenia that have passed since that day - but the orb remained in control of the alvain for the next twelve thousand years - passed among those considered worthy to learn of the orb's secrets and brave enough to study it's awesome power.
Seemingly capable of producing an unlimited supply of arcane energy, The Heartstone was unfortunately far too unpredictable to be used as a reliable power source - at least not until the erratic nature of it's abilities could be better understood. The orb reacted violently to direct magical influence and was known to maim or even kill those who delved too hard into it's secrets. The Heart is believed to have been lost in the early conflicts of The Inheritance War, and it's current condition and location have been lost to time.

Mechanics & Inner Workings

The Heartstone Orb is an artifact without comparison. Incomprehensibly powerful and nightmarishly unstable, only the bravest and most determined of researcher would even consider risking their survival to better understand this mysterious artifact. Even after millennia of study those trusted to examine the Heartstone know only a fraction more than they did when the orb was first discovered in the waters beneath the Starücken Mountains. What little knowledge has been gained, has been purchased in death - with an unknown numbers of immortal alvain forever removed from this world in an effort to better understand it.
The Heartstone's composition is rarely static. Nearly constantly in a state of flux - pulsing with a rythmic surge of magical energy ever few moments, the light it produces dances between shades of yellow and blue, and varies in intensity from a dull pulse to a blinding maelstrom of kaleidoscopic colour. Beneath the orb's glow however, is a smooth - almost glasslike finish that shifts in opacity and reflectivity over time. This outer shell is completely impenetrable by physical probing, however it reacts almost violently to nearby magical influences or spellcasting - often with deadly effect.
Even the material composition of the artifact seems in constant flux, with it spontaneously rippling and dripping apart like a melting liquid - only to reform itself an instant later without provocation. One alvain researcher even claimed to see the orb evaporate into a glowing mist only to have reformed itself back into its solid state by the time she could find another researcher to collaborate what she was witnessing. Regardless of whether or not this truly happened or not, the fact that this story is even taken into consideration should be considered a reflection of the almost mythical lore that surrounds this artifact.
Whether or not the artifact is truly an unstable magical artifact is a matter of both debate and concern, and until this can be understood the artifact can only be studied in remote areas away from population centers, as a detonation from an artifact with this much power could annihilate half of Alvantes; A blow from which The Alvain could never recover.

Significance

I am sorry my love, but you must accept the risk I am undertaking by studying this artifact. While I know you fear losing me and facing the eternity alone, I cannot remain idle when we could very well be upon the precipice of revolution and discovery. If only you come here and bear witness to what we found, you would surely understand that the risk of oblivion is nothing compared to what we as a people stand to gain if we are able to unlock the secrets within this sphere. I promise to you that I am taking every precaution available to me to ensure that I remain safe, and I request that you refrain from further conversation with your sister about such matters. While I know she mourns for her husband he understood the risks just as I do - and we have learned from his arrogance miscalculations. We cannot allow his destruction to be without purpose. This orb is imperative to our future - of this I am certain.
_{- A ruined parchment recovered from an alvain ruin in 14,861 AoA, believed to have been written by Iccarius para Invantis, now deceased.} 

Considered a mere curiosity when first discovered by the early alvain, the true power contained within this strange glowing orb was not recognized until the rise of The Wächtammer at the end of The 2nd Immortal War in 3475 AoA. With The Alvain's attention suddenly through on the dangers of synthetic arcane life; efforts were made to determine whether the Heartstone Orb was a similar lifeform to the early ironclads used in The 2nd Immortal War.
With renewed academic interest in The Heartstone, new approaches to understanding the artifact were taken; unorthodox and experimental techniques that isntead of revealing the stone's origin - instead revealed it's theoretically endless source of arcane power. With such a power source under the control of The Alvain it would cement the specie's immortal legacy in Alwaus and reassert their domination against the now emboldened Kinderstarke. Perhaps it is a good thing that the Heartstone is missing; one can only worry about what The New Eternal Empire of The Alvain would with the power of The Heartstone under their control.

Item type

Unique Artifact

Owning Organization

The Eternal Empire (Organization)

Weight

Flucatatues are seemingly random intrevals, however most commonly drifts around 20 lbs

Dimensions

The stone constantly seems to be contracting and expanding slightly, however it's average size is approximately 14' in diameter

Base Price

Priceless

Raw materials & Components

Unknown material, found nowhere else in Alwaus