Lore:Standing Stones

Throughout the wilderness of   lie various types of standing stones, stones of power which are often attuned to the heavens. The origins of these stones are a mystery for the most part, but they have been known to grant great power to those deemed worthy enough.

All-Maker Stones
thumb|right|An All-Maker Stone
All-Maker Stones are a type of standing stone found on  . They were created by the  , and maintain the balance of nature on the island. There are six stones: Beast, Earth, Sun, Tree, Water, and Wind. The   keep the stones free of corruption to empower their nature magic. The Stones themselves can grant powerful blessings. In  ,   attempted to harness the power of the Stones to free himself from  , but the Last Dragonborn used the power of the   to cleanse them.
 
Doomstones
thumb|right|A Doomstone
Doomstones (or Doom Stones) are a type of runestone found throughout  . They are marked by red glowing runes, and often surrounded by crude stone circles. Each Doomstone is attuned to a specific celestial object, such as the major constellations (Birthsign Doomstones), as well as other astronomical bodies such as the moons, the  ,  ,  , and   (Heavenly Doomstones).  The Doomstones grant great power to doom-driven heroes of significant renown, but appear inert to common mortals. As such, their apparent magical nature was of great interest to the  . It is commonly believed by scholars that the Doomstones were sites of ancient sky-worshipping cults of   before the ages of  . 
 
Mundus Stones
thumb|right|A Mundus Stone
Mundus Stones are a common type of standing stone found throughout Tamriel. They are attuned with the thirteen  , and grant powerful blessings. The magical resonance of the stones comes from strong Aetherial currents, which flow directly from Aetherius through the stars and radiate outwards to form a continental web. The origins or purpose of these stones are unknown,  although it has been speculated that they were erected by ancient star-worshipping  s who imbued them with   to attune them with the power of the stars. With sufficient skill, sapphires can be integrated into pieces of clothing and armor; these items are then blessed by the  , and can increase the power gained from a Mundus Stone when worn.
 

Runestones
:This section is about a type of standing stone. For information on the runes used in enchanting, see Rune-Language and Runic Alphabet.
thumb|right|A Runestone
Runestones (or Rune Stones) are a type of standing stone found throughout Cyrodiil. They are marked by green glowing runes. There are four types of Runestones: Hestra Runestones, Reman Runestones, Sidri-Ashak Runestones, and Fort Runestones'''. The former three are named after Empress Hestra, Emperor Reman, and Potentate Sidri-Ashak respectively. Fort Runestones are found in ancient   ruins such as  . Doomstones are also considered a type of Runestone. It is theorised that the Runestones are related to   and date from the  , but competing theories say they originated in the   or early  . In any case, it is believed that they were then moved to their current positions by the First and Second Empires to serve as magical beacons. This is supported by the fact that all three Emperors associated with the Runestones were involved with improving Cyrodiil's roads.  The Runestones grant bound Daedric weapons and armor to doom-driven heroes, but appear inert to common mortals. As such, their apparent magical nature was of great interest to the Mages Guild.
 

Standing Stones
thumb|right|A Standing Stone
Standing Stones can be found throughout   and in Northern Cyrodiil. They are attuned with the thirteen birthsigns, and grant powerful blessings. The three Guardian Stones are found together, while the others are scattered throughout the province. They are well-known to the  s of Skyrim and legends speak of them allowing heroes of old to rewrite their fate.    can be used to harness the power of the stones.  The stones can also be used to create powerful scrolls due to them emitting large amounts of magicka, enhancing the scrolls' powers. 
 

Gallery
 

Notes
The residents of the Shivering Isles also call Obelisks of Order "standing stones".
There are a series of lectures on Runestones and Doomstones in TES IV: Oblivion. A single lecture surrounding Doomstones is featured in TES V: Skyrim.

See Also
For game-specific information, see the Bloodmoon, Oblivion, Skyrim, Dragonborn, ESO, and Legends articles.

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