Stone Spirits of the Deep

The Stone Spirits of the Deep… they are not the Stone Golems of Karak-Ungol, constructs of dwarven artifice, nor are they the Shadow-Goblins, twisted mockeries of life. Rather, these entities appear to be a manifestation of the mountain itself, a localized sentience arising from the Auric Resonance that permeates the Iron-Grip Mountains. They are guardians, watchers, and, perhaps, judges of those who delve too greedily or carelessly into the earth's embrace, similar to The Gaze of the Deep.

Sightings are rare and unreliable, often reported by miners driven to the brink of madness by isolation and the crushing darkness. Those who claim to have encountered them describe fleeting glimpses of vaguely humanoid forms coalescing from the very stone, their eyes glowing with an inner light akin to the Gloomfungus. They do not speak in words, but rather communicate through vibrations, subtle shifts in the surrounding stone, and, some claim, through direct telepathic impressions, detailed in a new Chapter of Spirits.

It's theorized that the Spirits are most active near places of geological significance, such as the Silent Forges, the Glimmering Caverns, or the Aetherium Fount. They may also be tied to the Veins of Whispers, serving as conduits for the mountain's memories and emotions. A new location, The Spirit Pools, might even be where they regenerate.

Their motives are, of course, inscrutable. Some believe they are protectors of the earth's natural balance, punishing those who disrupt its delicate equilibrium through reckless mining or the misuse of Resonance Weaving. Others claim they are simply curious observers, drawn to displays of ingenuity or acts of great emotion. There are stories about them guiding Lost Pilgrims back to the Runes of Return. Perhaps, most alarmingly, some whisper that they are the harbingers of some coming cataclysm, sent to warn the dwarves of impending doom, or to make way for the Chitinous Swarm. They are also repelled by the Sunstone of Aethelgard. Terra Vitae may also be tied to the spirits. Further exploration into the new entity Korgoth may reveal a connection. Perhaps the Crimson Cartographers have found a map to them. It is unknown how the Cobalt Corsairs would react to these spirits. The Forgotten Smith may have known them, too. It may even be possible that they act as guides for the Skyclaw Griffons. The Silent Monks of Durin's Peak would meditate on this point.