Stonesteps

Stonesteps
City	Kar-Thal
Realm	Terasil
Function	Initiation Spiral and Ritual Trial Site

The Stonesteps are a sacred and perilous spiral stair carved along the inner face of a vast vertical chasm within Kar-Thal. Formed entirely from obsidian-glass, the structure descends deep into the city’s lower strata, and is used exclusively for trials of endurance, spiritual attunement, and civic initiation. The Stonesteps are among the most revered—and feared—rites of passage in Orasian society.

Function

The Stonesteps serve as the official path of initiation for those seeking entry into the ranks of the Rite-Keepers, Stonewardens, and other resonance-bound civic roles. The journey along the spiral is both physical and spiritual: a test of stillness, breath control, tonal clarity, and resolve under pressure.

Each step is deliberately uneven and acoustically reactive, forcing initiates to maintain balance and harmonic silence while exposed to vertiginous depth. The path is also used for certain civic vigils and commemorative rituals, but never for ordinary passage.

History

Believed to have been carved during the late Era of Isolation, the Stonesteps were shaped not by tools but by focused harmonic resonance. Echo-seers and early Rite-Keepers guided the formation of the stair through sustained tone, gradually etching each step into the vertical obsidian shell of the mountain.

The structure became central to Orasian rites following the first successful trials, with legends recording early aspirants who faltered and fell—now considered cautionary spirits who echo faintly in the depths below. Over time, the Stonesteps became encoded into Orasian civic law as the final threshold before recognition within sacred orders.

Notable Locations

• The Descent Gate – A sealed entry chamber guarded by the Rite-Keepers, where aspirants undergo breath alignment before the trial begins.
• The Midline Echo Ring – A narrow landing halfway down the spiral where oaths are sometimes paused and resonance is recalibrated. Not all initiates reach this point.
• The Final Step – A smooth platform at the base of the chasm. No words are ever spoken here; only silence is held as the rite concludes.

Cultural Practices

Initiates enter the Stonesteps alone and unarmed. They are forbidden from speaking, humming, or marking the stone. Descent and ascent must be completed in a single attempt—pausing is allowed, but retreat is considered failure unless sanctioned by a guide.

On certain days of harmonic convergence, senior Rite-Keepers descend partway in full silence, known as the Stillwave Vigil, believed to recalibrate the city's spiritual alignment. Those who have completed the Stonesteps wear a narrow obsidian band on their left arm—a symbol of endured silence and earned resonance.

Some Orasians leave offerings of powdered basalt or echo-glyphs near the Descent Gate during memorial days, in remembrance of those who did not return.