A Treatise on Transmutation VIII: Stones of Blood and Communion
A strange yet enjoyable facet of transmutation inhabits the twin isles of Zandalar and Kul Tiras. There, stones of transmutation are not tools for alchemists alone - but stones made and used by the community at large. Transmutational stones are there used more as personal boons and local offerings than tools of alchemy. The base stones of transmutation known to the isle people are largely available at any bustling market, and are carried in many a pocket as an indispensable asset during travel or adventure. Indeed, each village, town, and port boasts its own unique boon to these stones, in quite a clever manner: a village cauldron of transmutation. It is not the alchemist that transfigures the stone, but the cauldron, and thereby the place or community one finds oneself within. Many townships, from industrial to rural, pride themselves immensely on their ceremonial, communal cauldrons of transfiguration. Some have been far brewing longer than the average lifespan of a human, I am told. If one has demonstrated skill in transmutation using the stones and methods above, it should be a grand adventure to procure a market stone and explore the following cauldrons with said stone.
Eternal Alchemistâs Stone - Also called a Market Stone. This is a brilliantly turquoise stone, faintly glowing like shining seaglass. It is a powerful transmutational aide for reagents found on the isle, but is more commonly used for the purposes stated above. These are sold for a gold coin or so in Tradewinds Market or the Zocalo. For the purist and purpose of study, this stone can be transmuted by combining seventy blooms of the herb Winterâs Kiss with an equal portion of the herb Akundaâs Bite. This combination grants the stone its glassy blue hue. To this is then added twenty-five Anchor Weed pods with twenty-five motes of the volatile, sanguine substance Expulsom. This mixture tempers the stone, and grants it the ability to retain power. Finally, it is treated with two hundred motes of a substance aptly named the âBreath of Bwonsamdiâ.
This chilly fog of death gives the stone its characteristic, ghostly glow, and allows it to be transfigured to other things with ease when dipped in an Isle Cauldron. This substance sounds like a fable, but then again, a form of transmutational stone owned by no other than Silas Darkmoon is also said to haunt this isle. When traveling in the Twin Islands, it is best to believe everything - especially in rural areas - until given empirical or intuitive proof of falsehood. I did overhear some young man say transmutation is âthe only part of alchemy worth learningâ while transmuting some isle shrubs to bubbles. This is assuredly false, as I assume the young man will remember when he is no longer a newt in a few hours.
The rest of the transmutations listed below can be acquired by simply dipping a Market Stone in an Isle Cauldron with significant intention. Almost any of these stones can be transmuted from another, depending on the intended purpose of the alchemist. The cauldronâs locations, origins, and effects are listed below. I do caution against using most of these without the permission of their owners.Some of the wards placed on these Isle Cauldrons can be quite ... severe.
Sanguinated Alchemist Stone - By far the most dangerous stone to seek. The rusted, foul red brew of this Isle Cauldron seethes in the Blood Troll village of Zalamar, Nazmir. Â This village houses many hungry Blood Trolls, Crawgs, and the Sanctum of Midnight, the loa Hir'eek's lair. It should go without saying that much blood is freshly brewed in this cauldron. There is speculation of Anchor Weedâs inclusion in this brew, due to its rejuvenating properties. Dipping a Market Stone within this bloody cauldron will transmute it to a glowing, brooding stone of crimson best suited to blood magicks and fleshcrafting.
Emblazoned Alchemist Stone - A proud and kingly stone, arising golden and bejeweled from a spectacular cauldron in the Zocalo of DazarâAlor. The Zandalari take great pride in this cauldron, the brew inside ancient and the recipe closely guarded. This terra cotta and golden cauldron is easy to spot, for the brew within is a liquid gold and steams like glowing fireflies into the night sky. Market Stones are often transmuted here by artisans, as they are quite useful in both the cutting and transmuting of precious metals and gems. This cauldron is rumored to be powered by something called a Sanguicell, used for radical experimentation within the cursed halls of Uldir.
Imbued Alchemist Stone - Â Whomever first put a Market Stone into this cauldron must have received quite a fright. It is a small, dark, and unassuming iron object nestled deep within the tree Gol Inath. This hallowed tree, located in the Crimson Forest of Drustvar, was worshipped by the ancient Drust. It is rumored to hold a path to the Shadowlands within its depths. Upon dipping a stone into this cauldron, which appears empty, it will be positively surrounded by turquoise light. This light explodes to a volley of screaming souls within moments. If the transmuter screams as well, the stone will turn to a useless lump of coal. If they do not, the stone will become a rounded phial filled with spectral light. This ghostly ichor can be imbibed to heal grievous or minor wounds, and takes only a minute to refill when used.
Spirited Alchemist Stone - Also quite a difficult stone to procure. The cauldron that produces this stone is in the heart of  the Temple of Bwonsamdi, Nazmir. It is a recipe only the Temple acolytes know, and should likely remain as such. The liquid inside is an inky black, and will stain the hands for roughly one year if touched. Dipping a stone in this liquid will produce a deeply black stone with an opalescent sheen. This stone is miraculous for communing with the dead, soul magicks, and the transmutation of death, water, and undeath. It should be noted that it is impossible to dip a stone in this cauldron without staining the hands, marking someone as what the Zandalari call a âBlackpalmâ. Blackpalms are known to work with death, marking them as ally to some and foe to others.
Tidal Alchemist Stone - This stone can be transmuted in most places Tortollan are found. The great âMother Cauldronâ is found in Little Tortolla, in the city of DazarâAlor. It is the shell of a great apothecary, seemingly filled with simple seawater. Like all Tortollan innovations, these shell-cauldrons are far more than they first appear to be. When used properly, a brilliant stone of glowing azure is produced, rippling like seawater. This stone may be held in the left palm to take on the form of a Tortollan for an hour or so - which may be a lifesaving act in certain circumstances.
Siren's Alchemist Stone - This stone is highly useful for transmuting elemental water, air, and the making of isle potions. It is made from the Cauldron of Storms, a Tidesage cauldron found deep within Stormsong Valley. Specifically, it is in an area called the âMotherâs Mouthâ within the Shrine of Storms. In the shrine is a mountain carved into the shape of the Tidemother's face. In her mouth is a barnacle and salt crystal-encrusted cauldron, a deep indigo brew swirling within.
Surging Alchemist Stone - This is a highly useful stone, and perhaps one of the most commonly sought cauldrons. It is transmuted from an Expulsom-rich brew deep in the Prickly Grove of Volâdun. This Isle Cauldron is Vulpera in origin, brewed in the stump of an ancient barrel cactus. Dipping a stone within the vermillion waters will produce a glassy, warm, and glowing crimson stone. True to its name, this stone brings not a surge of water, but a surge of wind. Using it within the desert or isles will produce a cloud of shrouding sand, transporting the alchemist to somewhere safe and elevated nearby. Similar stones are said to exist amongst the tribes of Tanaris and Uldum.
Interestingly enough, the realm of Nazjatar reportedly has similar methods for the making of their own transmutational stones. They are apparently not dipped within cauldrons, but uniquely tempered pools within the waterâs depths and enhanced with naga machinery and power cores. Some of the oceanic herb Zin'anthid was brought back by those that delved below, now used in the following Isle Cauldrons to create the following stones:
Abyssal Alchemist Stone - A smooth, silky blackish-purple stone brought back from Nazjatar in droves. These plentiful stones were used as enormous freshwater pearls along the Isles until their true purpose was discovered. Suffice it to say: this stone should not be taken on a cursed ship if one likes being alive. Use, aside from plummeting ships to the depths of the ocean, is unknown. Isle superstition now makes these hard to sell amongst merchants, but some are used as display pieces or sold as trinkets.
Crushing Alchemist Stone - Formed by dipping an Abyssal Alchemist stone in the Mugambalaâs Tidepool Cauldron. This cauldron is stationed in the Mugambala to specifically prevent certain individuals from forming this stone, as its properties are tenuous understood at best by the Zandalari. The warriors of the Mugambala seem to enjoy using this stone as a battle focus to strangle naga in an instant, and turn murlocs to ash. It shows promise as a weapon of war.
Ascended Alchemist Stone - An arrogant name given by an arrogant, seafaring ruler that shall remain precisely unnamed. This stone is rumored to be formed by dipping an Abyssal Alchemist Stone in a cauldron somewhere deep within Proudmoore Keep, with predictably disastrous results. It is perhaps more unwisely sold at market as a âcleansedâ version of the Abyssal stone. Looking at the properties of the stone, it seems to mirror the alchemical properties of Azerite usage on a potion. Strangely, when placed near a vein or portion of Azerite, the stone will draw it inward before violently expelling it back towards the ground.