The pillar that holds up the sky · seven rune-circles, one black flame · put out its fire and the kingdom falls

The Wardstone

For six hundred years it was just there — a pillar in a chamber nobody thought about, quietly keeping the venin out of everything. Then one cadet put out its flame, and the whole kingdom found out at once what it was for.

A luminary-forged alloy pillar carved with seven nested rune-circles: the stem of the wards that shield almost all of Navarre. It runs on all seven dragon breeds and the black iron flame that crowns it — and the entire war turns on whether it's lit.

At a glance

What it is: A towering runed alloy pillar that projects the wards — a barrier blocking all magic inside it except a dragon's and its rider's.
What it keeps out: Venin and their wyverns. The enemy the wards were built to make impossible.
How old: The First Six raised the original at Basgiath over six hundred years ago. The wards stretch from it across nearly all of Navarre.
How it's lit: Two stages. Signet-wielders imbue it until it hums, then all seven dragon breeds breathe fire across it and crown it with the iron flame.
The black flame: What sits on top when it's working — a cold black 'iron flame.' Put it out and the wards drop everywhere at once.
The Aretia problem: A second wardstone under Aretia fires on only six breeds, not seven. It runs weak and slowly fails — the crisis of the whole war.
The missing seventh: The absent breed is the irids. Andarna is one — left behind, it turns out, precisely to breathe fire for a wardstone.
Its weakness: It's a single point of failure the size of a kingdom. Everyone who knows that is either guarding it or hunting it.

Tied to the stone

The ones who lit it, broke it, and are hunting to hold it.

Swipe to meet them all

Lilith Sorrengail General of NavarreLilith Sorrengailspent her life relighting itEnter Lilith Sorrengail →

Andarna The Seventh BreedAndarnathe missing fireEnter Andarna →

Jack Barlowe The Venin in LeathersJack Barloweput out its flameEnter Jack Barlowe →

Brennan Sorrengail The MenderBrennan Sorrengailmended the shattered stoneEnter Brennan Sorrengail →

Violet Sorrengail Lightning-WielderViolet Sorrengailimbued it past burnoutEnter Violet Sorrengail →

The Luminary The Forge-HeatThe Luminarysmelts its alloyEnter The Luminary →

Runes The Warding CraftRunescarved seven circles deepEnter Runes →

Aretia The Rebel CityAretiahides the second stoneEnter Aretia →

The long versionRead its whole storyEverything, in one place.Enter the full story

We're Caffeine and Curses. The Library started as my design research — I can't put the wardstone on a shirt without knowing the flame that burns on top of it is black, not orange — so we keep the notes here where everyone can use them. The pages are fan-made, not official; the licensed designs are in the shop.

Officially licensed

Become a member

Join the Library.

Admit one obsessive reader.

For library updates and new releases.

Made by fans who never left.

These pages are fan-made. For officially licensed merch, see our shop.

SHOP

THE LIBRARY