Witchbone

A name for a strange, bone-like material that can be harvested from slain Entities. Slaying an Entity is nearly impossible, as they are creatures of dreamstuff; proto- or pseudo-gods made partially real in the material world. But occasionally, with enough collective will and manpower, the nearly impossible has been achieved. When Entities manifest, they must take on some physical properties to interact with the world. The temporary skeleton they form persists, a matrix of collected Ethereal energy and magic held together by hard material, like local metals or silica.   Witchbone is always translucent, usually a smoky version of the predominant color of the Entity's living form. It is supernaturally durable, requiring concentrated magic and rituals to shape. This material retains some essence of the emotions that caused an Entity to be formed in the first place, and whisper to the bearer. Those who have worked witchbone always say they have received terrible insights into the world: past atrocities, secrets that should have been lost and buried, and impending disasters. They agree on one thing above all- that someday the dead spirits will come to reclaim their stolen bones.