Banestone

The Banestone is a legendary Overstone and one of the two key parts to interface with the Eternity Spire, alongside its counterpart the Endstone. Since the beginning of the stoneverse, the Banestone has been fabled as the most powerful overstone.

The Banestone was last seen embedded in the severely damaged console at the Eternity Spire, shortly before said console exploded. As few know the SPIRE's location, and fewer still would seek the Banestone intentionally, its current fate is unknown.

## Powers

### Super strength

The rocker of the Banestone is granted strength great enough to punch through thick walls.

### Invulnerability

On par with super strength, the rocker of the Banestone is also granted physical invulnerability, meaning no harm can be done to the user by conventional means. However, ingenious advanced stonecraft techniques can still pierce through the invulnerability, such as Pablo Montaine's LASER Lightstone technique.

### Energy blasts

The Banestone rocker can launch blasts of destructive energy, which superficially resemble arcing, purple bolts of lightning.

### Time Suspension

Probably its most powerful asset, the rocker of the Banestone can freeze time for all but himself for a limited period of time (relative to himself). However, this ability uses a considerable amount of a Stoner's energy, and thus must be used sparingly.

### Insanity

The Rocker of the Banestone is afflicted with a form of high-functioning insanity. The most noticeable effects of this are warped morality and increased susceptibility to the manipulations of GATES (see below).

Interestingly, during his brief reign of freedom, GATES was able to rock the Banestone without displaying the usual insanity it causes. It is unknown if the insanity was in fact caused by him, or if he was simply immune.

### Pocket Dimension

The Banestone has the ability to manifest a sort of "pocket universe" to its rocker. GATES (see below) sometimes uses this dimension to communicate with the Banestone rocker, as it has the ability to manifest The Window.

The exact nature of this pocket dimension is unknown. Jon says is appears every instance he Suspends Time with the Banestone, while Cole is able to Suspend Time without it appearing. It is additionally caused to manifest during the Battle of The Arch, where Kyri Thunderhead it drawn in alongside Jon.

## GATES

Until recently, the Banestone served as a prison for the entity known as GATES. Although trapped, GATES was able to appear to the Banestone rocker at will. A skilled manipulator as a result of his millennia of imprisonment, GATES drove the Banestone rocker to seek the Endstone, and to unite the two Overstones at the Eternity Spire.

Although unable to affect the material world directly, GATES was able to show "visions" to the Banestone rocker by use of The Window, usually knowledge of the "Modern Day" world that GATES sought to re-create using the SPIRE, Banestone, and Endstone.

The presence of GATES within the Banestone was largely unknown until recently, the drive to acquire The Endstone and unite the two Overstones at the Eternity Spire thought to be caused by the Banestone itself.

## Wielders

Drakhyl stole the Banestone from the Montaine clan, killing his friend Pablo Montain in the process, in an act of pure power hunger. This made him the first Banestone rocker known so far.

Later, years after Drakhyl's death, Jon Montaine would be tempted repeatedly by Simon from within the Banestone and eventually would give in, becoming Drakhyl's successor and ironically the second most successful Banestone rocker in History, having succeeded in his mission twice (although the first time was halted mid-process by Kyri Thunderhead).

Colindra Montaine would be forced to rely on the Banestone to defend herself against Elden le Blanc's Charmstone attack, causing her to resume her father's work 15 years later.

Finally, after Jon briefly got the Banestone back and succeeded this time in bringing the stones together, only to have the process changed because he had brought them and Kyri into the special dimension to try and convince her, Simon was freed from the Banestone. This prompted him to do the work himself, and indeed he succeeded in rewriting the world, only to have it rewritten back shortly after. Still, Simon was in the end the most successful Banestone rocker, probably because of his stonecraft helmet and inherent knowledge, as well as the fact he had no mind control upon him (arguably being naturally insane)