Why "ioun"?

[Augmental]

I really like the concept of Ioun Stones - a little gemstone that orbits around your head, making you more powerful. My question is, why are they called "Ioun Stones"? Does the word "ioun" have some significance?

[Kelb_Panthera]

I don't have an answer for you, but I too am interested in this.

[Temotei]

Google searches aren't giving much up in terms of the word itself. Apparently, in 4e, they made Ioun a goddess, if that interests you.

[Aegis013]

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.aspx?x=dnd/drfe/20100319b From Dragon 348 based on the heading. Though that's well past the creation of the Ioun stone.

I'd guess they just thought it looked/sounded cool/magical.

[Mnemnosyne]

Because they were originally created by Congenio Ioun, a Netherese Arcanist, in the year 397 in the Netherese calendar (-3642 Dalereckoning).

He originally called them "Congenio's Pebbles", but later changed the name to "Ioun's Stones" in the year 451 (-3408 Dalereckoning).

[Alleran]

I'm moderately sure that the name originally came from Forgotten Realms background when it was first released in that first boxed set. Gygax may have used them as well, but I think even then, Greenwood and Gygax occasionally compared notes (after Greenwood started using his homebrew-at-the-time setting for D&D games).

[Kelb_Panthera]

Because they were originally created by Congenio Ioun, a Netherese Arcanist, in the year 397 in the Netherese calendar (-3642 Dalereckoning).

He originally called them "Congenio's Pebbles", but later changed the name to "Ioun's Stones" in the year 451 (-3408 Dalereckoning).

huh...... well there ya go. Of course, I'm now wondering where Ed Greenwood got the name.

[Thurbane]

The name dates back to AD&D 1E. The name was lifted directly (and with permission AFAIK) from Jack Vance's excellent Dying Earth series of novels. In the books (and it's been a few years since I read them), they are gathered from the surface of dying suns.

As many would know, D&D also got the "memorised casting": system from the same series of books.

I would recommend any D&D fan read these books. :smallsmile:

[Khedrac]

I will try to remember to check when I get home, but...

As most people know the magic system is called "Vancian" because it is based on a series of books by Jack Vance - Rialto the Marvellous, Cugel's Saga, etc.
In these books one of the sources of the wizards' magic (enhancers might be a better term) are things called "ioun stones". Where they come from is the subject of one of the stories, but I am pretty sure that they are where D&D gets the name from. As to where Jack Vance got it from, that's another question.

Edit: Swordsaged, but iirc there is more to their source than given above - read the books if you want to knwo more

[Umbranar]

Ioun is the Goddess of knowledge and her followers want to find as much ancient knowledge as possible and spread it, unlike Vecna who wants to hoard it.

There was an adventure written about the greatest of the Ioun stones: The Tear of Ioun. Im not sure about the title anymore.

In 4e she returned as a Deity.

[GreenSerpent]

Ioun --> I oun --> I own?

"I own stones"... *facepalms*

[LadyLexi]

Ioun --> I oun --> I own?

"I own stones"... *facepalms*

Clearly the actual origin.

[GenghisDon]

The name dates back to AD&D 1E. The name was lifted directly (and with permission AFAIK) from Jack Vance's excellent Dying Earth series of novels. In the books (and it's been a few years since I read them), they are gathered from the surface of dying suns.

As many would know, D&D also got the "memorised casting": system from the same series of books.

I would recommend any D&D fan read these books. :smallsmile:

bingo

hilarious how much BS gets tossed out there first. forgotten realms indeed!

[Mnemnosyne]

That's kind of interesting. Congenio Ioun, then, must have been a character primarily made up to explain the name. He's also noted as the first great arcanist of Netheril.

[Keld Denar]

Ioun --> I oun --> I own?

"I own stones"... *facepalms*

I prefer "Iwin" Stones.

[Arcanist]

That's kind of interesting. Congenio Ioun, then, must have been a character primarily made up to explain the name. He's also noted as the first great arcanist of Netheril.

"He is noted as one of the greatest early Arcanist of Netheril" and "was considered the first major arcanist to come out of Netheril and was always looked upon as a genius before his time". After the Mythallar Age and up until the casting of Karsus' Avatar; Ioulaum would be the undisputed greatest Arcanist of Netheril (After that it's no debate seeing as how... Karsus killed a God, destroyed a nation, converted a powerful creature of good to evil, re-awoke the Tarrasque, and effectively changed the rules of magic forever all in about 5 minutes) :smalltongue:

But yeah, for Pre-Mythallar Age it is no debate that Congenio Ioun REALLY made the largest impact on the Magical World at the time. I can't remember but did he read the Nether Scrolls?