Adder Stones

Geological Curiosities

Have you seen these unusual stones on the shore? If not, they may have seen you.

“Adder stones” are naturally occurring on the island: over millennia, the relentless ocean waves caused the center of these stones to erode. This glacial process also polished the stones, which can be found in a variety of dark hues.

For a time, island visitors would adorn their belongings with the stones, or use the Post Office to send the stones back to their homeland. In recent years, these practices have ceased.

Spiritual Totems

The first people to discover the adder stones imbued them with deep cultural significance. The Carcosans believed that adder stones were gateways to another world, and that brief glimpses through the stones could reveal fundamental truths about their world.

The art of “stone-peering” was widespread until 18██, when sentiment toward the stones abruptly shifted. Records indicate a sudden, coordinated effort by the islanders to return the stones to the sea:

This is the final mention of adder stones in the historical record. However, the stones still wash up on the shores of Kharnym, and those that go looking will certainly find them.