Skyrock

This massive, floating boulder is a piece of the Needle of Heaven that Zarosh broke off in a rage. As Skyrock was of pure magic, it was repelled by the earth and so it floats several hundred feet above the plains of Middenberg, in northern Heide. Skyrock is also called the Throne of Rukh, an irony considering the Sky Goddess' feud with the Scourge. Long ago, the Tir Urdun dwarves created a series of lifts to get to the top of Skyrock and found ways to remove parts of it. This 'skybone' can be shaped into incredible implements, including weapons and armor. Skybone can also be floated in water and will always point towards the Worldspine Mountains, where the now-invisible Needle is said to rise. These compasses are naturally a great boon to sailors and travelers. Skyrock is guarded by a small clan of dwarves called the Cloudtreads. They have protected Skyrock since the days of the Hundred Clans, and while they respect both dwarven kings, they pay fealty to neither. Clan Cloudtread uneasily coexists with a Zaroshi cult that venerates Skyrock as the ultimate manifestation of the Scourge's awesome rage. The presence of the Black Cloud Society at least deters those who would try and rob the merchants who gather to trade for skybone. During the warm months of Greentide and Flamefall, many merchants gather in a sprawling tent city beneath the shadow of the looming rock. The markets are lively and loud, and everything from horses to slaves to looted artefacts from Middenberg barrows can be bought. The stern Cloudtread dwarves and the veiled Zaroshi cultists keep order. For a small price, the dwarves will escort visitors to the top of Skyrock, though removing anything from the rock's surface is strictly forbidden. The dwarves keep a careful eye on the many 'scholars' who come to study Skyrock. Only Clan Cloudtread recalls the technique to break off chunks of skybone, which they do at great expense, albeit sparingly. But despite millenia for mining, Skyrock remains largely intact, which suggests that its magical, divine nature essentially allows it to regrow. Indeed, some believe the rock is alive, charged with spiritual force and awareness. There is an odd cult known as the Stone Hearers who attempt to 'listen' to Skyrock and fulfill its no doubt inscrutable will. The Stone Hearers are tolerated by the Cloudtreads, but watched carefully, for they have been at the center of a few disturbances where they have attempted to stop 'defilers' ascending to the Throne of Rukh.