It is not known exactly when the first Traveller forged the Runic Pendants, or whether the Eight were even created simultaneously. What we do know is that the Pendant of Zi'Chara™ was the first to be created. It was forged in the pure fires of the Caverns of Tyme, and was worn as a constant reminder of the true power of Man to create his own destiny: "Though many powers attempt to alter the course of my life, some in a seemingly contradictory way, I blame them not for my current place. I alone have chosen my path, have chosen to react to these influences in the way I have, and in so doing, I continue to envision and forge my future, my destiny, with certainty." It is said the Traveller recorded these words upon completion of the first Zi'Chara™ talisman, and for the rest of his days, he was known to have worn the amulet whenever he found need for solace of Being.
     The search for the remaining seven pendants continued successfully over the years, and the rumor of a Ninth deemed to be the most powerful has kept the archaeologists and historians at Stoneclave extremely busy. These recent discoveries allow us to present, for the first time anywhere, replicas of the Eight Power Pendants available for sale at Stoneclave. The original runes that form the basis of these designs were recently discovered in the hill country of Anad Doran and are believed to have been used by the earliest settlers of Stoneclave over 1,500 years ago.
     Historians have been able to piece together the relationship between the Eight Runes. What they have discovered is a direct correlation between the runes and the human life journey (see diagram at left). Each runic pendant was bordered by an octagonal shape: eight sides, one for each rune in the circle.
     The first group of runes were known as the "Essence Runes" and represented the different traits of being: Mind (gi'Chara™), Body (du'Chara™) and Spirit (zi'Chara™). Together, these three form the Essence of who we are (Mind + Body + Spirit = Essence), and create the power of the fourth rune, Chara™ (Essence).
     Directly related to the first group of runes is the second grouping known as the "Creation Runes", which represent the creative process that allows us to become the person we wish to be. Together, they are Vision (gi'Lirach™, also known as the Augury Rune), Action (du'Lirach™, or Translation) and Realization (zi'Lirach™).  Together, these three form the base of our creative power (Vision + Action + Realization = Creation), and this power is represented by the Creation rune, Lirach™.
     Note that the Mind-Body-Spirit and Vision-Action-Realization processes occur in groups of three, known to be a sacred number among the old Celtic peoples. Archaeologists have used this discovery as the basis of their theory that a ninth rune exists, one that follows in what would become the third grouping, Essence-Creation-???. They believe the ninth rune to be a representation of Life's balance and totality, and recent journal discoveries hint that this rune may have been regarded as the One Rune, the most powerful of all, containing not only the Essence and Creation processes, but also the process of Life, Death and Transformation.

It is also interesting to note that each rune of the second group is a physical manifestation of a rune in the first group (diagram 2 at right). The Mind creates a Vision, the Body then takes Action on that Vision in an effort to make it reality, and if successful, our Spirit becomes infused in the Realization or manifestation of our creation.

Life is about balance - indeed, life is the act of maintaining balance day to day. Just as an airline pilot spends most of their flight correcting their course, so we will spend a great deal of our lives re-aligning the balance among our chosen pursuits. The Stoneclave Runes represent this "balancing act". Consider: the Essence of Being consists of Body, Mind and Spirit. Together, these define who we are at any given moment in our lives. As we create and re-create our lives and our selves, we must first envision our desired outcome, then take positive Action to make that vision a reality, and finally we will reap the harvest of our creation, the final Realization which has been brought into being as a representation of our inner Spirit. Essence and Creation - who we are NOW, and the process of becoming who we desire to be - meld together in our final achievement - the ultimate transformation of our consciousness into the whole that we have envisioned. This is the power behind the rumored Ninth Rune which archaeologists hope to uncover.