Though acquiring it was a long and arduous task, wrought with expensive deals and difficult choices, Bane finally has a completed Darkstone at its disposal. The purpose of this entry is to share what knowledge we have of these artifacts with whoever wishes to learn it, hopefully laying to rest a few rumors that I know have circulated.
Though we don't have very much information to work with, Darkstones may very well may be the "tainted Moonstones" that the Dar'shak Theocracy is reported to use in various incantations and rites. Deep violet, roughly the same size as a regular Moonstone, seething with necromantic energy and obviously tied to the cult, they fit Hulapop's description very well. This is a theory I hope to explore more thoroughly in the future.
An exile can obtain a Darkstone by trading four different shards to Necro's apprentice. This apprentice will only work with mystics, and can be found north of the Sage's hut in Necro's conference room. Though dealing directly with a sworn enemy makes my stomach churn and the fur on my neck stand on end, some evils are necessary in the scope of things.
When placed inside the Dark Temple's pentacle, a Darkstone opens a portal to the Sanctum, a large complex beneath Ash that's filled with elite Dar'shak fighters and undine. It is also the home of the High Priests, which can be identified by their blood red robes and powerful fire magic. A Darkstone's portal is, unfortunately, the only way to enter the Sanctum.
Additionally, and much more malevolently, Darkstones can be used to resurrect a fallen fighter as an undine. I prefer not to write the specifics of that hex, for fear that it might be abused.
While some people may find the idea of staging miniature feasts of T'srrin at their whim exciting, it's important to keep a few things in mind. Necro is very eager to "help" us by forging the stones for free. This, in and of itself, should raise a red flag. The foul priest has never shown us anything but malice before this, and there's no reason to believe he's showing us anything less than that now. Secondly, those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it. The last time something this suspicious was widely distributed to exiles, it sparked the Ripture War.
I don't think I can stress enough that it's important to treat these vile stones with the utmost caution. They can be put to great good by opening the Sanctum to attack, as Bane hopes to do. Conversely, though, they can be put to great evil with their second ability. I hope most vehemently that those exiles who currently have Darkstones or manage to obtain them in the future use them only as a tool to open the Sanctum beneath Ash, never to flippantly turn their fellows into undine.
--Largo
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