I can’t believe I haven’t done a lore post yet on the Rill Stone. It is only the first artifact to appear in the series and it appears in every book. Sometimes a lot. Of course readers might want to know more about it. Plus I have this gorgeous illustration!
So what is the Rill Stone?
The Rill Stone, like the Wall Stone, was created by the Entity to whom it is attached. Before he underwent his transformation, Derlon Sordaneon, one of the Three—the omnificent god sons of Leur and Amynas Malyrdys—created four rings. He crafted three Rings of Order to facilitate communication with the Rill. Lastly he created the Rill Stone ring, which he gifted with a portion of his lifeforce by plucking out one of his eyes and fashioning that to be its core. The green jewel of the Rill Stone is sometimes called Derlon’s Eye.
After he created the rings, Derlon gave them to the eldest of his seven sons, Deben. The remainder of Derlon’s body entered and permeated the Rill Entity. The Rill Stone ties directly to the Entity but, unlike the Leur’s Ring, it can be removed by the wearer. Doing so lessens but does not eradicate the connection.
Deben gave the three Rings of Order to the first three Epoptes. Because the Rill Stone connection is unique to Derlon’s descendants and once imprinted cannot be passed to another while the bonded wearer lives, Deben I Sordaneon established that the Rill Stone would be worn by the ruling Hierarch of Sordan. Therefore the Rill Stone on a man’s hand marks the wearer as Sordaneon and Hierarch.
What does the Rill Stone look like?
The ring is large. The main gem is dark green and clasped in eagle talons; if looked at closely the gem shows a silver eagle in flight within. Other smaller green gems, thought to also be connected to Derlon, adorn the ring. The ring setting is believed to be fashioned from the same unknown metal Derlon created to make his invincible Armor.
What does the Rill Stone do?
The Rill Stone creates a direct bond with Sordaneon cells. Little is known about how exactly this is accomplished but the prevailing thought is that the connection is, at least initially, neural. Once the Rill has achieved entry into an imprinted Sordaneon individual, the Entity can proliferate separately from the Rill Stone.
Once the Rill Stone is worn, it will not accept another wearer while the current wearer lives. The Hierarchs of Sordan have put to good use this singular quality.
· Gain entry to locked down Rill nodes and secure areas of existing nodes
· Achieve contact with the Rill Overlay for communications
· Seal correspondence with Eagle insigna that will be invalidated if opened
· Place an indelible mark on Epoptes to consecrate them for Rill service
· Impress Hierarchal approval on official documents
Much about Sordaneon use of the Rill Stone with their Entity is mysterious. Deben I Sordaneon may have used the Rill Stone in destroying the Aryati fortress of Iddolea. His son, Deben II Sordaneon, is said to have used the Rill Stone to summon sufficient Rill energy to create fluid rock, which he used to craft the Vermillion Aqueduct. It is almost certain Tarlon Sordaneon used the Rill Stone to open the Rill node at Randpory.
Shows of power using the Rill Stone have been rare. One reason for this is that, once established, the Sordaneon connection to the Rill is not dependent on the ring, but can suffice without it. Delos Sordaneon, who was neither Hierarch nor ever wore the Rill Stone, used one of the Aryati coronals when he summoned enough power to destroy the Vermillion Aqueduct—a thousand years after his famed ancestor Deben II raised it.