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, silence, and civic initiation. The Stonesteps are among the most revered—and feared—rites of passage in Duranthi 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 roles that require ceremonial clarity and ancestral discipline. The journey along the spiral is a test of balance, memory, silence, and resolve.

Each step is deliberately uneven and lightless, forcing initiates to maintain presence of mind and inward focus while exposed to vertiginous depth. The path is also used for civic vigils and carved memorial rites, but never for ordinary passage.

History

Believed to have been carved during the late Era of Isolation, the Stonesteps were shaped by sustained heat-channeling and pressure-guided scoring techniques, likely guided by the earliest Duranthi stone-keepers. Legends speak of aspirants who faltered during descent—now remembered as cautionary figures within memorial carvings lining the chasm's upper rim.

The structure became a formalized initiation path following the first concord rites and remains a threshold of personal transformation in Duranthi tradition.

Notable Locations

• The Descent Gate – A sealed entry chamber guarded by the Rite-Keepers, where aspirants undergo ritual stilling and ancestral preparation before the trial begins.
• The Midline Alcove – A narrow landing halfway down the spiral used for rest and silent reflection. Some initiates carve brief ancestral marks here before continuing.
• The Final Step – A smooth platform at the base of the chasm. No movement or sound is permitted here; only the weight of presence is held before return.

Cultural Practices

Initiates enter the Stonesteps alone and unarmed. They are forbidden from speaking, carving, or leaving marks during the trial itself. Descent and ascent must be completed in a single attempt—pausing is allowed, but withdrawal is considered failure unless accompanied by a guide.

On sanctioned days, senior Rite-Keepers descend partway in complete silence, observing the Stillmark Vigil—a ritual believed to realign personal and civic memory. Those who complete the Stonesteps wear a narrow obsidian band on their left arm—a symbol of endured silence and unbroken lineage.

Offerings of powdered basalt or inscribed stone tokens are sometimes left near the Descent Gate in remembrance of those who did not return.