Leestones are a common type of Tan'kindi capable of diverting attention away from a particular person or location. They are frequently used by the Wardens for protection; no new Keeper leaves a Warden warehouse without a leestone.
Description[]
Ravens' Eyes[]
Ravens' eyes are a weak but common type of leestone. They take the form of a large marble containing a dark cloud. This slowly fades to purple, and then shrinks, as the leestone is used. When one is shattered, it releases a cloud of purple smoke and a shrieking cry.
Other Leestones[]
Ravens' eyes seem to be the only type of leestone that fades with use. Several permanent leestones appear throughout the series:
- The Andrews family leestone is a black stone statue of a shining-eyed raven atop a turtle's back. It can protect anyone who sleeps in the Andrews House, regardless of where else they go.
- Every functioning cloister contains a leestone, each corresponding to a distinct corvid, including a raven and a magpie.
- There is a powerful leestone in the Mazzoleni Academy, taking the form of a black statue of a raven leaping from a gnarled branch, wings outstretched.
- Mr. Meister keeps a small raven statue leestone in his office.
- Chloe had a leestone for many years- the keel, or breastbone, of a raven. This leestone was flat, shaped like a shark fin, and engraved with markings.
Properties[]
Leestones soak up unwanted attention, diverting the focus and perception of others to protect the holder. This prevents the holder from being noticed by those who are hunting them, even when they are plainly visible. Sometimes a hunter may even be compelled to go out of their way to avoid the holder, without noticing that anything is altering their perception.
Ravens' eyes seem to function by maintaining a reserve of a dark purple cloud which reacts with attention to form a transparent substance. When the supply of the purple substance is depleted, the leestone is no longer able to effectively absorb attention and thus can no longer function. However, when a leestone is shattered, the reaction proceeds in reverse, and both the dark cloud and the unwanted attention are released, causing the hunter to have a burst of intense fixation on the shattered leestone.
Trivia[]
- In The Box and the Dragonfly, Horace searched the internet and found no mention of leestones. In fact, in addition to a number of "Leestone Street"s, there is a well-known "Leestone Point" in Ireland as well as a leestone item in several Final Fantasy RPGs released years before the series is set.