The Cult of Stone
It began with a dying caravan. Lost in the Tinderlands and resigned to death by thirst, they made camp beside the Stone Circle and waited for the end. During the night, the stones murmured. Water trickled around them. The caravan drank, refilled their canteens, and moved on. Most forgot the incident within a week.
Simon Barrows did not forget. He returned to the stones alone and waited for days in the blistering Tinderlands heat. Eventually, the stones spoke again. The words he recorded were simple: "Go, find someone else." Simon took this as a calling rather than a dismissal. He went out into the world and began preaching about the speaking stones.
The Cult of Stone is still small, but Simon continues to attract followers. Each year the faithful make a pilgrimage to the Stone Circle, hoping to hear the stones for themselves. Sometimes the stones speak; sometimes they remain silent. No pattern has been identified, and no explanation offered. Those who hear words describe them as personal, spoken for their ears alone.
Whether the stones are truly communicating, whether they channel something ancient or simply reflect the needs of the desperate, is a question the cult does not try to answer. The faithful come, and sometimes the stones answer. That is enough.
Simon Barrows did not forget. He returned to the stones alone and waited for days in the blistering Tinderlands heat. Eventually, the stones spoke again. The words he recorded were simple: "Go, find someone else." Simon took this as a calling rather than a dismissal. He went out into the world and began preaching about the speaking stones.
The Cult of Stone is still small, but Simon continues to attract followers. Each year the faithful make a pilgrimage to the Stone Circle, hoping to hear the stones for themselves. Sometimes the stones speak; sometimes they remain silent. No pattern has been identified, and no explanation offered. Those who hear words describe them as personal, spoken for their ears alone.
Whether the stones are truly communicating, whether they channel something ancient or simply reflect the needs of the desperate, is a question the cult does not try to answer. The faithful come, and sometimes the stones answer. That is enough.
History
The cult's origin is inseparable from a single event. A caravan, lost and dying of thirst in the Tinderlands, stopped beside the Stone Circle with no expectation of survival. The stones murmured through the night and water appeared. The caravan survived. Only Simon Barrows was moved enough to return, wait days for a second contact, and build a faith around the words he heard: "Go, find someone else."
