Stone of Advancing
A Stone of Advancing is one of fifty one petrified scales previously belonging to Golden Firedrake Draco Maxima Irizutákor. These scales were knocked off the dragon after a battle with Corian Fyreborne, and hidden away within the Glixis Chasm in Nienearcl, Euthora. The scales generate and store Excess for the use of Euthoran dragons. The Excess generated is primarily used to condition a dragon to the changes involved in Burst Mode, and often hastens the process of them being able to access it.
Structure
A Stone of Advancing is a rather large object, at the size of an average Golden Firedrake scale. It also has somewhat of a similar appearance to a dragon scale. However, it is slightly thicker, and has somewhat of a stone-like appearance as a result of becoming petrified. The scale is semi-transparent, and is a brilliant gold in color. It remains completely gold until its initial usage. Afterward, a wavering white silhouette of the dragon it has been used for will appear within the scale.
Formation
Function
The Excess stored within one of these scales can only be utilized by a Euthoran dragon. Once in one's possession, the dragon can attempt to stimulate the Excess within it, causing it to surge into and throughout the dragon's body. This will trigger a transformation, resulting in the dragon accessing a form known as Advanced Formation. Advanced Formation, while similar to Burst Mode, is actually a bit weaker than it. It also has a much shorter duration, with the dragon only being able to stay in it for a maximum of one hour. The cooldown for this form is also shorter, being only a period of several hours during which the scale becomes unusable while it generates and stores the Excess necessary to trigger the transformation again. The first time the dragon exits this form, the scale will sample the Prana produced by the dragon's soul to ensure that the scale can only be used by that dragon afterward. This also results in the scale splintering should the dragon die, becoming completely unusable after that point.
Through continued use of the scale and time in Advanced Formation, the user is conditioned to the process of enter and the changes involved in Burst Mode. While the scale is meant to be used until the dragon is able to generate the Excess necessary to access Burst Mode on their own, they can still use it to their leisure after this point.
Lore
Alter Timeline
In the Cult of Ustream canon, the dracoimperist Lord X-Giga-X and the Armored Wyvern-Hydra hybrid Grodisflare explored Nienearcl and came across Glixis Chasm. This prompted an investigation of the chasm, resulting in them discovering the Stones of Advancing within a temple at the bottom of it. Lord X-Giga-X removed twenty of the fifty scales from their resting place, activating a trap in the process. Grodisflare utilized one of the scales they had taken as an escape attempt for the two of them. They returned to Ustream with the scales in their possession. Shortly after returning, Lord X-Giga-X performed experiments to gain further information on their functioning, during which Deathstorm was given one of the remaining nineteen scales. Meteor Dexus was given a scale while he and Lord X-Giga-X were under the influence of Drake Kuro. Cassiel, Charos, Mimring Thunderscale, and Pyrros were each given a scale during the progress of Seasons Zero and One.
After the battle with the antagonistic group The Sealbreakers at Kuro's Castle following the destruction of the third Seal of Ustream, Lord X-Giga-X and Jason Shaver had a brief encounter with Quasma Eleko, who had noticed Mimring's Stone of Advancing, referring to it as "one of her master's scales" when she pointed it out. While it did catch their attention, they did not discuss it any further. They have yet to get an opportunity to discuss this with Quasma since then.
