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Jet is a glossy, transparent black stone that is
difficult to distinguish from glass. Jet can
be found along the eastern side of the DragonSpine, in various small
deposits throughout the southern part of the Turamzzyrian Empire,
and in limited areas in the Sea of Fire.
Some of the human desert tribes that inhabit the
Sea of Fire consider jet a material that is sacred to the most evil
of spirits, and members of these tribes will not speak with those
who wear jet for fear that they are possessed by such spirits.
Knowledgeable Hendoran traders whisper that this has something to do
with the doom that befell the accursed Tehir city of Bir Mahallah.
The Tehir themselves will not discuss the story with outsiders, and
some react quite violently if it is mentioned.
Outside the Sea of Fire, traditional human lore
holds that jet will aid people in hiding, sneaking about, and
blending into the night. As a result, jet talismans are often
favored by thieves, snipers, and others who require the cover of the
shadows. Because of the gem's glossy shine, however, these talismans
are usually worn inside clothing or otherwise concealed, because
they will otherwise draw attention to the person who is trying to
hide!
Current elven lore also relates jet to the art of
concealment. In Ta'Nalfein, if a person wears a jet earcuff or a
pair of jet earrings, it is a signal that someone practices
undercover arts and is currently available for hire. Such pieces of
jewelry are often enchanted with potent charms to assist in stealth,
hiding, and eavesdropping. In any of the elven cities, particularly
Ta'Nalfein, a gift of jet jewelry should be taken as a direct
threat; symbolically, it means, "I know what you are trying to hide
from me."
In contrast to their city cousins among the elves,
the Sylvans mistrust jet, and this is due in large part to its
resemblance to amber. They consider amber to be a sacred stone, and
they believe that jet is a cursed form of amber. More than one
sylvan tale exists in which some poor innocent's soul is sucked away
by wearing a piece of jet against the skin.
The Sylvan belief most likely dates from the year
-15,188, and some of the other beliefs may stem from that time as
well. In that fateful year, Faendryl sorcerers lost control of their
summoned creations and demons decimated the sylvan legions along
with the armies of Despana. To distinguish the demon-summoners from
the other Faendryl spell casters, each of the Faendryl sorcerers
wore a signet ring set with a gleaming jet stone. At the time, the
logic went that jet was cheap, attractive, and could easily be
marked with the crest of House Faendryl. Afterward, the memory of
light gleaming off so many jet rings remained with the survivors as
a mark of taint.
Despite the many negative associations of jet, it
is also called “the sleeper’s friend,” for jet is the sacred stone
of Ronan. Parents of many cultures will set a carved jet statue
beside a child’s bedside and speak a prayer over the statue to keep
nightmares away. These statues are traditionally unicorns or mounted
knights, but any shape that the child finds comforting and
reassuring is beneficial. Wearing a bracelet or anklet of jet can
also aid with insomnia, perhaps due to the gem’s faint magical
affinity for warding the mind against intrusion.To distinguish true
jet from glass, jewelers place a sample of the jet in a candle
flame. True jet produces white smoke and turns white about the
edges, while glass bursts from the heat. If it is true jet, the
residue upon its surface can be cleaned away with a damp cloth after
it cools, and the gem will be undamaged by the test. |
