Dwarven Memory Stone - enchantment for DMs

This is a highly obscure enchantment, not even known about by
some groups of dwarves, and almost never by non-dwarven masters
of lore, but it may prove useful to DMs who wish to add more
'flavour' to SJ settings with dwarves.

With minimal edits, the corresponding Elven Memory Tree
enchantment could be used, which might explain why elves are
very, very, protective of some trees, and why both dwarves and
elves don't like to move their homes. Memories are made of this
...


Dwarven Memory Stone - ROM/JDG, 17/Oct/05

Living rock is rock that is still attached to bedrock, and hasn't
been worked on more than two sides. Earth and rock may have been
removed to expose it, but it has never been separated from the
rock where it formed. For example, a house made of stone blocks
is not living rock, nor is a statue carved in place. However, the
walls, floor and ceiling of a tunnel driven through living rock
are themselves living rock (even if carved as a work of art), as
are the walls and floor of a quarry. Any rock that is currently
inhabited by an Earth Elemental is also living, and this is how
dwarven spelljamming ships made of rock become living.

Lock/Unlock Teaching Stone: this effect is only useful with the
teaching variety of Dwarven Memory Stone. It allows the stone to
be locked, so that the memories it stores cannot be read, nor can
further memories be added to it. The stone will still detect as
magical, but those unfamiliar with these enchantments will
usually have to go to some lengths to find out what it is. The
point of this is to allow an immovable stone to be abandoned,
without its nature being obvious, when an enemy captures a
stronghold. The reverse of the effect unlocks the stone, and can
be done by any caster who knows the spell. Duration:
Instantaneous.
Level: 5th.

Dwarven Memory Stone: enchanted onto a piece of living rock - a
definable feature, at least 100lbs weight - allows any dwarf of
9th or higher level to selectively transfer his memories into the
rock, where they will be kept safely and indefinitely unless the
rock is damaged. Minor damage will simply remove detail from the
deposited memories; breaking off large pieces will render the
memories fragmentary and shattering it will destroy them. If the
rock is detached from living rock, it becomes unusable unless and
until reattached. One dwarf can have memories deposited in the
rock per 10lbs of its weight; a single dwarf may deposit as many
memories as he likes. The depositor may chose to transfer a
memory entirely, loosing all recollection of it, or to be able to
remember, when a subject related to a deposited memory comes up,
that he should consult a memory stone. The enchanter can
designate the rock as a "private stone" or a "teaching stone". A
private stone only allows memories to be retrieved by the
depositor, or the enchanter, while their owner is touching the
stone, without transferring them into the dwarf's mind; if he
wishes to take them away, they must be transferred to his mind,
removing them from the stone. A teaching stone allows the
deposited memories to be consulted without the depositor being
present, and improves the speed of learning deposited skills
ten-fold; dying dwarves can deposit their skills to be used thus,
and some public-spirited ones deposit their skills and then learn
them back at high speed. Memories can't be removed from a
teaching stone, except by damaging it. Duration: Permanent
Enchantment only, often keyed to a particular family, clan or
tribe. Strengthen and Bind Rock are often used to reinforce
important stones.  Note that Elven Memory Tree is very similar.
Level: 7th.


For reference:

Strengthen: applied after Enchant, gives an item +5 to any saving
throw against being damaged, applying in addition to any saving
throw bonuses for its plusses. Duration: permanent enchantment
only.
Level: 3rd (Dwarven Spell Smith).

Bind Rock: takes the form of either a controlling enchantment
over a rock object upto 1 ton in weight (doubled/level above
16th) or a binding spell strengthing rock walls (doubles
structural points) of an area 100 square feet (quadrupled/level
above 16th). The controlled rock mass will move as one object (no
bending) and hence best for portals, movable roofs etc; it must
always be in contact with another piece of fixed rock. As an
enchantment the controlled mass may have a word or phrase of
command. Duration: control- 2 turns/enchantment, binding-
permanent.
Level: 8th (Dwarven Spell Smith).

-- 
Dreamer
dreamer@??????.?????.??.uk
http://www.romsys.demon.co.uk/