Mindstone

Source:

On the rare occasion that a being of considerable power is slain and its corpse dissected, the slayer may be fortunate enough to find within the still-intact brain of their prey that rarest of jewels; Mindstone.   A Mindstone is a rare and precious thing, only forming within the bodies of creatures which through either a supreme intellect or their existence on a higher plane of reality have achieved a level of psionic might that grants them a state of near-divinity. Creatures that achieve this level of power are very difficult to kill, and as such the Mindstone that forms within them are treasures of peerless value, coveted by all.

Appearance:

Mindstones are often incredibly beautiful, displaying kaleidoscopic colors that constantly shift in the light and sometimes seem to contain unnameable hues unfamiliar to the viewer's eyes. These gemstones can take a variety of shapes, but symmetrical forms are common. The size of a Mindstone varies depending on the size of the host in which it grew, the largest ever recorded being an incredible 14-foot tall boulder of a gemstone discovered amidst an immense skeleton of an unknown being discovered in the depths of Ichamur.  

Properties:

Although these stones are very beautiful, the true reason for their value is the metaphysical properties each Mindstone possesses. When held by a creature these stones enhance the psionic abilities of that creature manifold, as well as granting them other powers that depend on the individual stone. It is for this reason that Mindstones are so prized, as the possession of powerful psionics offers a clear military advantage, as well as a political and social advantage by virtue of the benefits gained by elevating ones consciousness.   Despite the incredible power of these stones, they are not universally sought out, due to the frequency of side-effects resulting from possession of a Mindstone. The owner is often mutated or warped in strange ways, sometimes to a degree where they no longer resemble their original form. In other circumstances the Mindstone may yet possess some of the consciousness and memory of the creature which it was harvested from, which has the power to dominate the weak-willed to serve as vessels for that consciousness. As such, the dangers of wielding a Mindstone are almost as great as the powers they grant the wielder, and they are universally shunned by those who reject the dominion of the psionically powerful.   Despite these drawbacks, many of the prominent societies of Ichamur are organized by virtue of the possessions of powerful Mindstones.