Keystone

The Keystone was an Imaskari enchanted device that granted access to the pathways within the Celestial Nadir, and mastery of its contents, and portal or transport magics.

Description
In the, by Mirtul 19, the Keystone was a polished, amber-like stone with a natural-looking hole through it. Though it was clear enough to see through, by Tarsakh 17 of the, the Keystone more closely resembled amethyst, maybe because of a hazy darkness that had been growing inside it, making the crystal no longer clear enough to see through.

Powers
Before 1373 DR, the druid Briartan used the Keystone to control the portals in the Mucklestones standing stone circle; the Talontar blightlord Gameliel took the stone from him in order to use the same power. After his death in that year, Ususi Manaallin determined the Keystone could be used, as she suspected, to reroute one of the Mucklestone's doors into the Celestial Nadir. Even after using it for a short time, Ususi became sensitive to the paths piercing the Nadir. The Nentyar hunter Fallon employed the Keystone in order to allow the external influence of the Talontar blightlord Anammelech into the Nadir. After recovering the Keystone from Anammelech, Ususi also used the hole in the keystone to peer for leftover seams due to teleportation spells, and employed its power over extradimensional spaces and transport to follow Damanda's teleportation with one of her own, despite not knowing the end location. Finally, she was able to use it to initiate a teleportation of her own, taking her a short distance away.

In 1374 DR, Ususi carried the Keystone with her while exploring several Imaskari ruins across the Unapproachable East along the way to Vaelan, looking for new entrances into the Celestial Nadir. The forces of the Elder Evil Pandorym sought out Ususi in order to wrest the Keystone from her, as it believed the artifact had the power to fully open Pandorym's prison within the Imperial Weapons Cache. Ususi herself also discovered that the Keystone could be used to "burn out" the influence of the Elder Evil from those it had claimed, effectively destroying them, amongst other abilities it granted with its mastery of the Celestial Nadir. While inside the Celestial Nadir, it could also be used to officiate burials and scrape away stone (presumably through supernatural means).

It also could be used to give off light, like a lamp.

History
Numerous Keystones had been created in the times of Imaskar, though all were thought to be lost by 1374 DR. In fact, one Keystone was in the care of Briartan, a druid in charge of the Mucklestones by decree of the Circle of Leth, until it was wrested from him by the Talontar blightlord Gameliel in 1373 DR, who was planning on using the Keystone to extend the reach of the Rotting Man's forces. Before he had the opportunity, however, he was disintegrated by the Deep Imaskari wizard Ususi Manaallin, who seized the Keystone.

Ususi employed the Keystone to open a path into the Celestial Nadir, through which she reached Yeshelmaar. Though she surrendered the Keystone to the Nentyarch there, he chose to return Briartan's stone to Ususi, apparently aware of her heritage. A different servant of the Rotting Man, Fallon, tricked her into giving him the Keystone, which he carried to Anammelech; Ususi had the stone once more in her keeping after the cleric Marrec slew the blightlord.

Later that year, Ususi discovered a fragment of Celestial Nadir crystal in a store within Two Stars. Throughout the rest of 1373, and until Tarsakh of 1374, Ususi carried the Keystone while searching throughout the Unapproachable East for entrances to the Celestial Nadir located in Imaskari ruins along the way to Vaelan, which she decided to leave for last. The Elder Evil Pandorym sent forces after her, most likely because it required the Keystone.

Notable Owners

 * Briartan
 * Gameliel
 * Nentyarch
 * Fallon
 * Anammelech
 * Ususi Manaallin

Appearances

 * Novels
 * Lady of Poison • Darkvision