Obscure Reagents: Iris Lake & the Lunar Lachryma
Mundane Uses: Emotional catharsis | Mental clarity
Magickal Uses: Corruptive purging | Banishing
A sister to the many holy lakes of Ashenvale Forest, Iris of the northwest is yet another where the realms of earth and spirit converge. This islet long served as a repose for the shed tearstones of Elune, often manifesting on nights of especially heavy rain and unusually radiant moonlight. These lunar lachryma are powerful sources of clarification; both on the mind, and against profane forces.
Many believe that they fall when the Goddess Herself cries, though the reasons are widely contended. Some purport that the stones appear after the spread of corruption in the natural world, or perhaps from Elune taking the grief and burdens of Her devotees upon Herself. Lunar historians note from records that some tearstones of yore have curiously fallen on ill-fated anniversaries of past events, such as the coronation date of Queen Azshara, the eve of the Sundering, the creation of the Scythe of Elune, and so on; though no one is certain if this is mere coincidence or not.
Philosophers maintain, however, that Elune’s tears are poignant reminders on the purifying nature of weeping, and the healing which can arise from relinquishing one’s sorrows. These ideas are further solidified by the demonstrated properties of the lunar lachryma. In a mundane sense, their uses are primarily two-fold: emotional catharsis, and mental clarity. For example, one might seek a tearstone for temporary and gradual reprieve when emotional wounds run exceptionally deep, or completely consume one’s thoughts. The same could be said for severe mental and physical stressors; such as delirium from illness, Her tears reportedly washing away such ailments with an ephemeral calm. Magickally, the tears are particularly robust in the purging of corruption, as well as the banishment of extraplanar beings back to their dimensions of origin. Historically, Iris Lake and the lachryma became a pivotal location for rousing those trapped in their slumber across Ashenvale and Darkshore during the War Against the Nightmare.
There are a multitude of uses for the tearstones. The most common is to boil them for someone under corruptive magick in a stew-like concoction, the broth to be later imbibed by the afflicted. Those of the Elunian faith might affix one of the lachryma to glyph-drawing implements such as blessed chalk holders, the end of prayer beads, atop phials of moonwater, or into the covers of lunar librams. Naturalists specialized in the reclamation of corrupted earth may secure a tearstone to the base of their staves or armaments; or otherwise use them as a spell reagent in the pursuit of regrowth.
