Power Stones

Although Warpstone is forbidden by law and tradition of the Colleges of Magic, this has not stopped many of the Colleges experimenting with ways to store amounts of pure magic for future usage. Although every one of the Colleges practice some form of runecraft, Human Magisters are far from expert in the ways of binding magic to items through means of runes. Unlike the Dwarfs, Human runecraft tends to have a limited effect and lifespan, and so is not therefore the best way to store large amounts of magical energy.

It was the Golden Order that first theorised power from a single Wind of Magic could be isolated and forced under an intense and artificial pressure, making it into a tangible "stone" of that colour of magic. This stone would not have the raw and dangerous power of Warpstone, as it would only possess the powers and predilections of one of the strands of magic, not all of them. It would be of manageable power and not blinding to Magisters.

The Wizards of the Empire learned the secret of solidifying magic into Power Stones from Teclis himself. It was the third Patriarch of the Golden Order, Magister Patriarch Theodor Habermas, who first succeeded in devising a way to fold a strand of Yellow Magic in upon itself again and again, somehow imposing physical laws upon it, until eventually is became like a glistening yellow mist, then a sparkling yellow liquid, then eventually a kind of semi-translucent golden stone that shone with an inner light. The properties of this stone were marvellous, for it could be used in different quantities as a reagent for any alchemical experiment, and could also be used to power certain devices and magical implements used by the Magister Alchemists of the Golden Order.

The Philosopher's Stone
Patriarch Habermas regarded the stone he had created as the ultimate facilitator of the studies of his Order, and so named it the Philosopher's Stone. Since that time, all kinds of wondrous capabilities have been ascribed to the Philosopher's Stones of the Golden Order, including an ability to turn base material into gold and even grant immortality. These stories are patent exaggerations, but this has not kept privately studying alchemists from trying to reproduce the Philosopher's Stone using non-magical alchemical means alone—an impossible and fruitless venture.

Such is the power of the stories surrounding the Philosopher's Stone that the Golden Order now refer to compressed nuggets of yellow magic as 'Goldstones' instead.

Over the centuries since the Patriarch’s breakthrough, leading Magisters of other Colleges have found ways of achieving the same end with the other Winds of Magic. The Bright Order has managed to find a way of compressing Aqshy into what it calls Fire Rubies, which they have been known to set into rings, staffs, and the hilts of weapons along with an activation rune. These items are amongst the most powerful, destructive, and rare items in the Old World, as are any and all magic items produced by the Colleges of Magic.

Creating the Power Stones
Each College has its own way of creating stones of power like those mentioned above, though the basic principle of doing so is one of imposing physical laws onto a small fragment of a Wind of Magic. With a Power Stone, a Wizard can focus the Wind of Magic to cast some of the most powerful spells with ease. It is important to note that only the most powerful and experienced Magisters of the Orders can even attempt to create stones of power. They do so only rarely as it is one of the most exacting and exhausting endeavours that a Magister can embark upon. The complex rituals and processes involved in doing so take anywhere from weeks to months. As a result, very few items would have such a stone attached to it, and only full Magisters (Master Wizards) and Wizard Lords would be likely to possess one.

High Elves and Power Stones
The mages of Ulthuan have been creating stones of solidified magic for millennia. Their abilities at doing so far surpass anything that Human Magisters could hope to duplicate. Elven power stones are absolutely flawless and can be of almost any size. The enchanted sword that Loremaster Teclis forged for himself at the time of the last Great Chaos Incursion is fabled to have had eight such gems upon it; one for each of the Winds of Magic. Only such a powerful Elven archmage as Teclis would be able to unlock the power of such a weapon without causing great harm to himself.

Source

 * Warhammer Fantasy RPD 2nd ED -- Realm of Sorcery
 * pg. 44
 * pg. 45
 * pg. 206

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