Moonstone

Moonstone is a potassium rich feldspar and a type of orthoclase. These stone have a brilliant internal shimmer that appears similar to the light of the full moon, which is how these stones got their name. Moonstones can be transparent to opaque and come in a variety of colors, with blue and white being the most common colors encountered in the Kingdoms of Cassel.

Mana from moonstones have an affinity for fire, water, gravity, and ice magic, and will increase the power of these spells by roughly 50%. There doesn't seem to be any noticeable effect from charging these stones with mana. Excess mana charged in the crystal is slowly bled off as a dim white light.

Moonstones can't be charged with aether can comes from the light of the Greater Moon. To charge a moonstone with aether, simply leave it outside at night. Aether from the moon washes over these stones over time, charging them. the amount charged depends on the phase of the moon. During a full moon, a moonstone can reach aetheric saturation in just one hour. Moonstones will glow when charged with any amount of aether, the color of this glow dependent on the color of the stone itself. This glow will brighten until it reaches saturation.

Similar to other Orthoclase type minerals, moonstone does become lighter when charged with aether but the effect is negligible compared to actual Gravity Stones.

When aetheric saturation is reached, moonstones will glow at the same intensity as a full moon and are bright enough to cast shadows at night. Moonstones can maintain aetheric saturation for most of the lunar cycle except on the night of a new moon. Once saturation is lost, moonstones will gradually dim throughout the night and go out completely before dawn.

Light from moonstones are also impossibly comfortable at any time of the year. During the hot summers, the light feels cool and refreshing, and during cols winters, the light feels warm instead. The cold and warmth given off by this light seems to only affect living things. Snow won't melt from a moonstone's light for example.

When a ground up moon stone is added to steel during the forging process, it creates a bright bluish-white metal known as Moon Steel, though different colored moonstones can give a subtly different hue. This blade shimmers in moonlight. It also amplifies fire, water, gravity, and ice magic slightly. When a person with the Moon Trace uses one of these blades, their magic takes on a brilliant bluish white hue, even if it makes no sense, such as with fire magic.

Moonstones are used by the Elves of Lyonne in their street lights and interior lighting. This gives their cities a soft bluish glow. In nearby human kingdoms, very large moonstones are set on the top of Moon Towers, that can light up several city blocks and be used as navigation markers from travelers.

The Kingdom of Rinea uses moon steel and fashions them into short swords for traditional ceremony. Some people with the moon trace, such as Raini and Lucia, have weapons made with moon steel. Raini owns a pair of short swords, while Lucia owns both a greatsword and a mace. While moonstones can slightly amplify certain types of magic for all users, it can powerup a spell many times over for people with the moon trace.

In Cassel, white moonstone is very common in the Mountains of Cil and the Serosie mountains. Blue moonstone can be found in the Island of Rosika. Large deposits of moonstone are also common in the Dark Lands and the Continent of Tensen.