Elfstones
From The World of Shannara
Elfstones are powerful magical artifacts created by Elves during the time of Faerie. They were most often found in groups of three, one stone each for body, mind, and spirit. Each set of Elfstones had a different color, with each having different properties or uses associated with that color, though all Elfstones could assist the user in defense of himself from magic. For the stones to work, the user must be an Elf or a significant portion of Elf blood.
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Black Elfstone
The Black Elfstone is a large black gem, combining all the elements of three normal Elfstones into one stone. The Black Elfstone is one of the most potent magics that nothing can stand against. a powerful magic that nothing can stand against, for it has the power to negate other magics. However, there is a price to be paid, as the magics that are negated are transferred to the holder of the Stone.
Use in the Novels
First King of Shannara
A quest for the Black Elfstone was a central theme in the Novel First King of Shannara in which the Elfstone first appears. Bremen understood the heavy price that is paid for using the Elfstone, but he also understands the incredible destructive force that it wields and what that would mean if in the hands of the Warlock Lord. He asks Tay Trefenwyd to embark on a quest to find the Elfstone and keep it from the Warlock Lord.
Tay journeyed with a group of Elves organized by his childhood best friend Jerle Shannara to the Breakline and eventually found it in an ancient castle called Chew Magna. Tay successfully used his magic to retrieve the Black Elfstone. The surviving members of the group fled as the castle crumbled to dust around them. At they escaped from the castle, their way was blocked by a group of two Skull Bearers and nearly one hundred Gnomes.
Tay uses the Black Elfstone at this point. Within seconds he destroys all the forces arrayed against he and his friends. They all disappear, and all the evil, power and magic they possess moves into Tay. He immediately feels himself changing, and not for the better. Rather than become evil and powerful, he chooses to kill himself.[1]
Jerle Shannara returns to Arborlon with the Elfstone, hiding it until Bremen's return. Jerle then gives the Elfstone to Bremen, who in turn keeps it until he death. At that time he hands the Elfstone to Allanon.
Blue Elfstones
| Blue Elfstones | |
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 The Seeking Stones falling out of a pouch |
The Blue Elfstones where also referred to as the Seeking Stones. Their main purpose was to be used to find things that where lost. All a user need do when using the stones would be to hold them, and concentrate on what it was that they sought. A place, a person, and item, it did not matter what it was. The Seeking Stones would flare to life and shoot a blue beam of light off into the direction of where the sought after thing was. As the light shot off, the user and those around them would be transported in a way with the light to the end location, and could see where, how and in what condition the sought after thing was.
Use in the Novels
The Sword of Shannara
The Elfstones of Shannara
The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara
High Druid of Shannara
Loden Elfstone
Use in the Novels
Elf Queen of Shannara
References
- ^ Brooks, Terry (1996). First King of Shannara pp. 243-245
| Major Artifacts with the Shannara world |
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Elfstones · Ildatch · Sword of Shannara · Weapons |
