Warpstone
Encyclopedia
Warpstone is a fictional mutagen
found in the Warhammer
world, and also in the Warhammer 40,000
universe during the first and second editions. Humans and most other races in Games Workshop
’s campaign game Mordheim
refer to it as Wyrdstone.
Warpstone is solidified Dark magic
(Chaos Energy
, aethyr
), and as such it holds tremendous transmutatory
and alchemical
powers. In its unrefined
form, it is a stone
that emits “black
ness”, appearing to swallow all light from its surroundings, and so creates a patch of darkness around itself that makes it impossible to see its exact shape. It is sometimes described as “still emitting its own green glow”, which would result in a rather complex optical illusion
. Everyone in the vicinity of a lump of unrefined Warpstone for more than a few hours is in danger of gaining a mutation. Refined Warpstone is considerably less dangerous. It takes the form of translucent crystal
s or a grey
powder that must be ingested (or otherwise enter the body) to even get a chance of causing any mutations. Its long-term effects, though, seem to be similar to those of some psychoactive drug
s.
Judging by the statements in the history of some races (such as the Lizardmen), warpstone was most likely created by the collapse of the polar warpgates created by the Old Ones; pieces of warpstone are most likely to be the remaining fragments of the gates after Chaos entered the world (the fact that Chaos entered the world with the collapse of the polar gates might indicate the origin of warpstone's mutagenic properties).
: Warpstone can be used to turn base metal
into gold
. After being devastated by a comet
made of the stuff, Mordheim is quickly besieged by adventuring gangs hoping to strike it rich. After Emperor Magnus the Pious ascends the throne, it is discovered that Wyrdstone, once believed to have all manner of beneficial properties, is actually a creation of Chaos, and so its use is outlawed. The recipe for the transmutatory elixir
has been forgotten, though some still attempt to rediscover it, and now it is mostly wizards who have any dealings with this substance, as it is a key ingredient in many magical spells
.
who use it as fuel
and regard it as sacred
. Unknowing human scholars often class them as Beastmen, who are a degeneration of man
, but Skaven are rather an evolution
of rat
, created by exposing ordinary rats to Warpstone.
Warpstone is used extensively by the Skaven, and Warptokens are generally recognized as their major form of currency (and sometimes sustenance) but each clan utilizes it in a different way. Perhaps the most recognized use is that of Clan Moulder, to mutate creatures into unnatural forms for their diabolical purposes by dissolving it into a paste that can ‘glue’ disparate body parts together. Clan Skryre uses the magic-infused stone to run huge war engines and strange inventions out of a mad scientist’s worst nightmare. The Clans Pestilens and Eshin use it for slightly more mundane purposes, to increase the potency of their poisons and toxic brews.
Some Skaven, such as Grey Seer Thanquol use Warpstone as a narcotic in a similar manner to snuff.
and Tomb Kings
) also use warpstone extensively. It was used by Nagash in his early life preserving elixirs along with human blood, and it is from these elixirs that vampire
s were eventually created. It was also used by Nagash in his first experiments at animating corpses. His fortress was built atop a mountain rich in warpstone. Here he employed his undead workers in mining it. This warpstone also attracted Skaven and started a tradition of warfare between the two races over the magical substance.
Corpse Carts in the Vampire Counts army make use of bells with clappers composed of Warpstone or magical flames, called Balefire, fed with warpstone powder.
” of the Warhammer 40,000
universe. It is filled with pure energy, and is the realm of Chaos
.
Some fictional elements and fictional chemical substances (including fictional toxins) have properties similar to those of Warpstone:
The maban
(magical essence) of Australian Aboriginal mythology
is by some tribes identified with tektite
s, black or olive-green natural glass objects that most scientists believe to have been formed by the impact
of large meteorite
s on Earth
’s surface.
The black sword Stormbringer
also is of chaotic origin and is sometimes described as radiating blackness.
Warpstone shares some characteristics with real-life radioactive
substances like Plutonium
or Uranium
: It is a mutagen that is also being used as a power
source or in weapon
s.
video game: a giant made out of rock, capable of warping Fox
, the main character, to different locations.
Mutagen
In genetics, a mutagen is a physical or chemical agent that changes the genetic material, usually DNA, of an organism and thus increases the frequency of mutations above the natural background level. As many mutations cause cancer, mutagens are therefore also likely to be carcinogens...
found in the Warhammer
Warhammer Fantasy (setting)
Warhammer Fantasy is a fantasy setting, created by Games Workshop, which is used by many of the company's games. Some of the best-known games set in this world are: the table top wargame Warhammer Fantasy Battle, the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay pen-and-paper role-playing game, and the MMORPG...
world, and also in the Warhammer 40,000
Warhammer 40,000
Warhammer 40,000 is a tabletop miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop, set in a dystopian science fantasy universe. Warhammer 40,000 was created by Rick Priestley in 1987 as the futuristic companion to Warhammer Fantasy Battle, sharing many game mechanics...
universe during the first and second editions. Humans and most other races in Games Workshop
Games Workshop
Games Workshop Group plc is a British game production and retailing company. Games Workshop has published the tabletop wargames Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000...
’s campaign game Mordheim
Mordheim
Mordheim is a tabletop game produced by Games Workshop. It is a skirmish variant of the company's popular Warhammer Fantasy game set on a smaller scale with players fielding 15-20 models each, rather than the 150-200 models allowed in Warhammer Fantasy....
refer to it as Wyrdstone.
Warpstone is solidified Dark magic
Magic (gaming)
Some role-playing games or game systems can include a set of rules that are used to portray magic in the paranormal sense. These rules simulate the effects that magic would have within the game context, according to how the game designer intended the magic to be portrayed...
(Chaos Energy
Chaos Energy
In various fantasy games and other fiction as well as in occultism, the term Chaos Energy describes some sort of magical energy.In some fictional universes, it can be found solidified in the form of stones...
, aethyr
Aether (classical element)
According to ancient and medieval science aether , also spelled æther or ether, is the material that fills the region of the universe above the terrestrial sphere.-Mythological origins:...
), and as such it holds tremendous transmutatory
Transmutation of species
Transmutation of species was a term used by Jean Baptiste Lamarck in 1809 for his theory that described the altering of one species into another, and the term is often used to describe 19th century evolutionary ideas that preceded Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection...
and alchemical
Alchemy
Alchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
powers. In its unrefined
Refining
Refining is the process of purification of a substance or a form. The term is usually used of a natural resource that is almost in a usable form, but which is more useful in its pure form. For instance, most types of natural petroleum will burn straight from the ground, but it will burn poorly...
form, it is a stone
Rock (geology)
In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
that emits “black
Black
Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...
ness”, appearing to swallow all light from its surroundings, and so creates a patch of darkness around itself that makes it impossible to see its exact shape. It is sometimes described as “still emitting its own green glow”, which would result in a rather complex optical illusion
Illusion
An illusion is a distortion of the senses, revealing how the brain normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. While illusions distort reality, they are generally shared by most people....
. Everyone in the vicinity of a lump of unrefined Warpstone for more than a few hours is in danger of gaining a mutation. Refined Warpstone is considerably less dangerous. It takes the form of translucent crystal
Crystal
A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituent atoms, molecules, or ions are arranged in an orderly repeating pattern extending in all three spatial dimensions. The scientific study of crystals and crystal formation is known as crystallography...
s or a grey
Grey
Grey or gray is an achromatic or neutral color.Complementary colors are defined to mix to grey, either additively or subtractively, and many color models place complements opposite each other in a color wheel. To produce grey in RGB displays, the R, G, and B primary light sources are combined in...
powder that must be ingested (or otherwise enter the body) to even get a chance of causing any mutations. Its long-term effects, though, seem to be similar to those of some psychoactive drug
Psychoactive drug
A psychoactive drug, psychopharmaceutical, or psychotropic is a chemical substance that crosses the blood–brain barrier and acts primarily upon the central nervous system where it affects brain function, resulting in changes in perception, mood, consciousness, cognition, and behavior...
s.
Judging by the statements in the history of some races (such as the Lizardmen), warpstone was most likely created by the collapse of the polar warpgates created by the Old Ones; pieces of warpstone are most likely to be the remaining fragments of the gates after Chaos entered the world (the fact that Chaos entered the world with the collapse of the polar gates might indicate the origin of warpstone's mutagenic properties).
History
During the time period detailed in the Mordheim game, Warpstone is discovered to be the catalyst in a working philosopher's stonePhilosopher's stone
The philosopher's stone is a legendary alchemical substance said to be capable of turning base metals into gold or silver. It was also sometimes believed to be an elixir of life, useful for rejuvenation and possibly for achieving immortality. For many centuries, it was the most sought-after goal...
: Warpstone can be used to turn base metal
Base metal
In chemistry, the term base metal is used informally to refer to a metal that oxidizes or corrodes relatively easily, and reacts variably with diluted hydrochloric acid to form hydrogen. Examples include iron, nickel, lead and zinc...
into gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
. After being devastated by a comet
Comet
A comet is an icy small Solar System body that, when close enough to the Sun, displays a visible coma and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena are both due to the effects of solar radiation and the solar wind upon the nucleus of the comet...
made of the stuff, Mordheim is quickly besieged by adventuring gangs hoping to strike it rich. After Emperor Magnus the Pious ascends the throne, it is discovered that Wyrdstone, once believed to have all manner of beneficial properties, is actually a creation of Chaos, and so its use is outlawed. The recipe for the transmutatory elixir
Elixir
An elixir is a clear, sweet-flavored liquid used for medicinal purposes, to be taken orally and intended to cure one's ills. When used as a pharmaceutical preparation, an elixir contains at least one active ingredient designed to be taken orally....
has been forgotten, though some still attempt to rediscover it, and now it is mostly wizards who have any dealings with this substance, as it is a key ingredient in many magical spells
Magic (gaming)
Some role-playing games or game systems can include a set of rules that are used to portray magic in the paranormal sense. These rules simulate the effects that magic would have within the game context, according to how the game designer intended the magic to be portrayed...
.
Skaven
Warpstone has a special tie to the SkavenSkaven
Skaven are a race of man-sized anthropomorphic rat-creatures in Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy setting. They were officially introduced as a new Chaos race in 1986 by Jes Goodwin....
who use it as fuel
Fuel
Fuel is any material that stores energy that can later be extracted to perform mechanical work in a controlled manner. Most fuels used by humans undergo combustion, a redox reaction in which a combustible substance releases energy after it ignites and reacts with the oxygen in the air...
and regard it as sacred
Sacred
Holiness, or sanctity, is in general the state of being holy or sacred...
. Unknowing human scholars often class them as Beastmen, who are a degeneration of man
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
, but Skaven are rather an evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
of rat
Rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
, created by exposing ordinary rats to Warpstone.
Warpstone is used extensively by the Skaven, and Warptokens are generally recognized as their major form of currency (and sometimes sustenance) but each clan utilizes it in a different way. Perhaps the most recognized use is that of Clan Moulder, to mutate creatures into unnatural forms for their diabolical purposes by dissolving it into a paste that can ‘glue’ disparate body parts together. Clan Skryre uses the magic-infused stone to run huge war engines and strange inventions out of a mad scientist’s worst nightmare. The Clans Pestilens and Eshin use it for slightly more mundane purposes, to increase the potency of their poisons and toxic brews.
Some Skaven, such as Grey Seer Thanquol use Warpstone as a narcotic in a similar manner to snuff.
Undead
The undead (see Vampire CountsVampire Counts
Vampire Counts are one of the two factions of the Undead playable in the tabletop wargame Warhammer Fantasy Battle, the other being the Tomb Kings, from the sixth edition onward when Games Workshop divided the old Undead forces...
and Tomb Kings
Tomb Kings
In Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy fictional universe, Tomb Kings is the name given to a series of kingdoms, and an army in the Warhammer Fantasy Battle game. Up until and including the fifth edition of Warhammer, there was an all-inclusive Undead army, with the skeletons and mummies being the...
) also use warpstone extensively. It was used by Nagash in his early life preserving elixirs along with human blood, and it is from these elixirs that vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
s were eventually created. It was also used by Nagash in his first experiments at animating corpses. His fortress was built atop a mountain rich in warpstone. Here he employed his undead workers in mining it. This warpstone also attracted Skaven and started a tradition of warfare between the two races over the magical substance.
Corpse Carts in the Vampire Counts army make use of bells with clappers composed of Warpstone or magical flames, called Balefire, fed with warpstone powder.
See also
The Immaterium, also called the “Warp”, is the “hyperspaceHyperspace (science fiction)
Hyperspace is a plot device sometimes used in science fiction. It is typically described as an alternative region of space co-existing with our own universe which may be entered using an energy field or other device...
” of the Warhammer 40,000
Warhammer 40,000
Warhammer 40,000 is a tabletop miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop, set in a dystopian science fantasy universe. Warhammer 40,000 was created by Rick Priestley in 1987 as the futuristic companion to Warhammer Fantasy Battle, sharing many game mechanics...
universe. It is filled with pure energy, and is the realm of Chaos
Chaos (Warhammer)
In Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000 fictional universes, Chaos refers to the often stereotypically malevolent entities which live in a different timespace, known as the Warp in Warhammer 40,000 and as the Realm of Chaos in Warhammer Fantasy...
.
Some fictional elements and fictional chemical substances (including fictional toxins) have properties similar to those of Warpstone:
- Chaos Emeralds are mystical items of various colors (appearing in the Sonic the Hedgehog seriesSonic the Hedgehog seriesSonic the Hedgehog is the best selling video game series released by Sega starring and named after its mascot character, Sonic the Hedgehog...
of video games) that also have certain transmutational powers. - Magestone from the Mage Knight miniature wargameMiniature wargamingMiniature wargaming is a form of wargaming that incorporates miniature figures, miniature armor and modeled terrain as the main components of play...
is a magically-infused mineral that, in unprocessed form, produces highly dangerous radiation. - MateriaMateriaGaia is the fictional world in the 1997 console role-playing game Final Fantasy VII. The game's setting follows in the footsteps of Final Fantasy VI by presenting a world with considerably more advanced technology than the first five games in the series...
are small balls of crystallized Mako energy (the ‘substance’ of Gaea) used in the magic system of the computer role-playing game Final Fantasy VIIFinal Fantasy VIIis a role-playing video game developed by Square and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series. It was originally released in 1997 for the Sony PlayStation and was re-released in 1998 for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers and in 2009...
. They have some mutagenic properties and allow the user to cast various magic spells and use special abilities. - H. P. LovecraftH. P. LovecraftHoward Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
’s colours out of spaceColour out of space (species)A colour out of space is a fictional extraterrestrial in the writings of the horror fiction author H. P. Lovecraft. It first appeared in Lovecraft's short story "The Colour Out of Space" .-Description:...
are mutagenic non-humanoidHumanoidA humanoid is something that has an appearance resembling a human being. The term first appeared in 1912 to refer to fossils which were morphologically similar to, but not identical with, those of the human skeleton. Although this usage was common in the sciences for much of the 20th century, it...
alien creatures that arrived in a meteorMETEORMETEOR is a metric for the evaluation of machine translation output. The metric is based on the harmonic mean of unigram precision and recall, with recall weighted higher than precision...
with odd properties. - Phazon, from the Metroid PrimeMetroid PrimeMetroid Prime is a video game developed by Retro Studios and Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube, released in North America on November 17, 2002...
video game series, is a mutagenic mineral that possesses “lifeLifeLife is a characteristic that distinguishes objects that have signaling and self-sustaining processes from those that do not, either because such functions have ceased , or else because they lack such functions and are classified as inanimate...
-like qualities”. - TiberiumTiberiumTiberium or Ichor is a fictional substance that is central to the plot of much of the Command & Conquer series of real-time strategy video games...
, from the Command & ConquerCommand & ConquerCommand & Conquer, abbreviated to C&C and also known as Tiberian Dawn, is a 1995 real-time strategy computer game developed by Westwood Studios for MS-DOS and published by Virgin Interactive. It was the first of twelve games to date to be released under the Command & Conquer label, including a...
video game series, is a green/blue plant/crystal that bears mutagenic properties. - Lyrium, from the Dragon AgeDragon AgeDragon Age: Origins is a single-player role-playing video game developed by BioWare's Edmonton studio and published by Electronic Arts. It is the first game in the Dragon Age franchise...
franchise, is a magical substance used to enchant items, allow mages to travel to the Fade, and can also be prepared as a potion to restore a mage's mana points.
The maban
Maban
Maban or Mabain is a material that is held to be magical in Australian Aboriginal mythology. It is the material from which the shamans and elders of indigenous Australia supposedly derive their magical powers.-References:...
(magical essence) of Australian Aboriginal mythology
Australian Aboriginal mythology
Australian Aboriginal myths are the stories traditionally performed by Aboriginal peoples within each of the language groups across Australia....
is by some tribes identified with tektite
Tektite
Tektites are natural glass rocks up to a few centimeters in size, which most scientists argue were formed by the impact of large meteorites on Earth's surface. Tektites are typically black or olive-green, and their shape varies from rounded to irregular.Tektites are among the "driest" rocks, with...
s, black or olive-green natural glass objects that most scientists believe to have been formed by the impact
Impact event
An impact event is the collision of a large meteorite, asteroid, comet, or other celestial object with the Earth or another planet. Throughout recorded history, hundreds of minor impact events have been reported, with some occurrences causing deaths, injuries, property damage or other significant...
of large meteorite
Meteorite
A meteorite is a natural object originating in outer space that survives impact with the Earth's surface. Meteorites can be big or small. Most meteorites derive from small astronomical objects called meteoroids, but they are also sometimes produced by impacts of asteroids...
s on Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
’s surface.
The black sword Stormbringer
Stormbringer
Stormbringer is the name of the infamous black sword featured in a number of fantasy stories by the author Michael Moorcock. Created by the forces of Chaos, it is described as a huge, black sword covered with strange runes carved deep into its blade...
also is of chaotic origin and is sometimes described as radiating blackness.
Warpstone shares some characteristics with real-life radioactive
Radioactive decay
Radioactive decay is the process by which an atomic nucleus of an unstable atom loses energy by emitting ionizing particles . The emission is spontaneous, in that the atom decays without any physical interaction with another particle from outside the atom...
substances like Plutonium
Plutonium
Plutonium is a transuranic radioactive chemical element with the chemical symbol Pu and atomic number 94. It is an actinide metal of silvery-gray appearance that tarnishes when exposed to air, forming a dull coating when oxidized. The element normally exhibits six allotropes and four oxidation...
or Uranium
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
: It is a mutagen that is also being used as a power
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
source or in weapon
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
s.
Star Fox Adventures character
Warpstone is also the name of a minor character in the Star Fox AdventuresStar Fox Adventures
Star Fox Adventures is an action-adventure video game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube as part of the Star Fox series. It was released in North America on 23 September 2002, Japan on 27 September 2002, Australia on 15 November 2002 and Europe on 22 November 2002...
video game: a giant made out of rock, capable of warping Fox
Fox McCloud
is an anthropomorphic video game character and the main protagonist of the Star Fox series. He was created by Shigeru Miyamoto and designed by Takaya Imamura. As his name implies, he is a red fox and the main player character of the series....
, the main character, to different locations.