Dragonglass
Volatile Relic Substance
Overview
- Type: Alchemical / Arcane Substance
- Rarity: Extremely Rare
- Known Uses: Explosive energy release, arcane amplification, structural collapse
- Known Dangers: Unpredictable detonation, instability, corruption of matter
- Status: Poorly understood; highly sought after
Dragonglass is a crystalline substance of immense power and equally immense danger. Though its name suggests draconic origin, no living authority agrees on its true source. What is agreed upon is this: dragonglass does not behave like any other known material.
It remembers something.
Physical Description
Dragonglass appears as jagged crystal shards or refined blocks, ranging in color from deep emerald to smoky black shot through with inner light. When exposed to stress—heat, pressure, magic—it emits a faint resonance, like distant ringing glass or breath caught in stone.
Freshly broken pieces often frost over briefly before warming again.
Those who carry it for extended periods report:
- A subtle vibration through bone
- Difficulty sleeping
- Dreams of heat, flight, or falling stone
Known Properties
Dragonglass is inherently unstable.
From observed encounters, it has been shown to:
- Detonate with catastrophic force
- Fail to detonate entirely under identical conditions
- Amplify magical effects unpredictably
- Shatter stone, metal, and living tissue alike
- Leave behind residue that warps surrounding material
No two detonations behave the same way.
Attempts to categorize or standardize its use have consistently failed.
Observed Behavior (Sea Spray Records)
Based on firsthand accounts from the survivors of The Sea Spray and subsequent events in Osweg:
- Dragonglass was present aboard the Sea Spray despite never appearing on official manifests
- The ship’s destruction did not resemble fire, lightning, or mundane explosion
- Stored dragonglass within coastal caverns behaved inconsistently—some barrels detonated violently, others remained inert
- Structural collapse caused by dragonglass often exceeded expected blast radius
- Exposure appears to attract attention—from bandits, slavers, and forces yet unidentified
Its presence rarely remains secret for long.
Handling & Transport
Those with experience strongly advise:
- Never storing dragonglass near heat or active magic
- Avoiding enclosed spaces when transporting it
- Keeping it isolated from other volatile materials
- Never assuming safety based on prior behavior
Several groups have attempted to weaponize dragonglass.
Most no longer exist.
Value & Demand
Dragonglass is worth far more than gold to the right buyer. Its value lies not only in its power, but in what it represents:
- Access to lost techniques
- Proof of ancient forces
- Leverage over those who fear it
Rumors persist that entire conflicts have been fought to control a single intact cache.
Cultural & Historical Notes
Legends across multiple cultures speak of:
- “Dragon Tears”
- “Stone Fire”
- “The Breath That Does Not Fade”
Many scholars now believe these accounts refer to dragonglass, though none can agree on whether it is:
- A byproduct of dragonkind
- A weapon forged against dragons
- A remnant of a fallen age best left buried
The lack of consensus is troubling.
Warnings
Those who have survived exposure to dragonglass often repeat the same cautions:
- Do not trust it
- Do not assume mastery
- Do not linger near it
- Do not let it decide when it is used
Dragonglass does not forgive mistakes.
Current Understanding
Dragonglass remains an unsolved threat.
It is powerful enough to destroy ships, topple structures, and alter the course of local conflicts—but unstable enough to betray its handler without warning.
That it exists in quantity suggests forethought.
That it is moving suggests intent.