the black stones

[fitzyfitz]

In City of dragons the elderlings find memories of "elder" elderlings wich are stored in black standing stones... Are they the same stones that Fitz and Dutiful use to "teleport" via the skill? And if they are, why the elderlings in CoD don't "teleport"??

['thul]

they are not the same, that is why.

[fitzyfitz]

Ok but how is it possible that the elderlings in CoD and BoD doesn't find the "skill stones"??
And is there any link between the memory stones and the fact that, in Kelsingra (supposing this is Kelsingra) Fitz, when he touches the walls of the buildings, make the city come to life??

['thul]

there is (probably) but one travel stone in each city. They have no need to travel yet. Also, the dragons know the dangers of using the stones, Fitz did not. He could awaken minor sections, not the city as a whole. Also, don't forget that kelsingra is a massive city, on the level of a metropolis. finding a single place within the city when you're not specifically looking for it and do not know what it looks like is practically impossible.

[fitzyfitz]

Ok!!! And there is something more : in Assassin's Quest, Verity says that the stone only obey to the Skill....But what do you think of the black stone-carved dragons that the people of the 6 duchies consider as elderlings.... Some were made by coteries but, in Fool's Errand (or maybe at the end of Assassin's Quest) Fitz says he saw more ancients dragons and think they are the original Elderlings..... Do you think the Elderlings used the black stone to make dragons, or is this something more ancient??

['thul]

Elderlings made the first simulacrum dragons, that much has been mentioned in the books. Some of them might be young, while others might truly be ancient. Also, with the disappearance of dragons, many Elderlings might have taken that route as escape from the loss of dragonkind.

[fitzyfitz]

Interesting theory.... I like it!! But in all cases this stone has strange properties..... And I answer to your comment where you said there would be only one skill stone in any city, yes but remember the Witness stones in Buck duchy : there's four of them.... But this was maybe not a city, it could have been some sort of crossroads...

[joost]

I think someone here made a list of known pillars. From the top of my head:
- Aslevjal
- Witness stones in Buck
- Other's island
- Kelsingra
- Quarry
- The one that Fitz used to go to Kelsingra the first time. Was that around the place he saw the market with the rooster crown?

[fitzyfitz]

But I think the one where Fitz and the Fool saw the rooster crown is a memory stone....
But I think there is much more pillars: for each pillar there is four sides with one destination in every side, knowing the witness stones are pillars there must be eighteen destinations possible....

['thul]

The pillars are made of the very same stone as the memory storage stones.