waystone

A waystone is a stone or marker placed along a route to indicate a path, distance, or boundary and to guide travelers. It may serve as a waypoint, a boundary marker, or a reference point in cartography and local travel.

Historically, waystones have appeared in various cultures as milestones or boundary markers. They were often inscribed with place names, distances, or heraldic symbols and placed at crossroads, along long roads, or at borders to aid navigation, mark jurisdiction, or denote rights of passage. In some regions they functioned as communal or legal markers, linking travelers with local routes and settlements.

In fantasy literature and role-playing games, waystones are frequently depicted as magical or enchanted stones that enable travel between locations. They may require activation, attunement, or the maintenance of a network linking multiple stones, turning them into teleportation hubs, quest devices, or protective sigils within a world’s geography and lore.

In modern video games and related mods, waystones often act as fast-travel anchors. Players discover and activate waystones to teleport between unlocked locations, creating a navigable network across an open world. A well-known example is the Minecraft Waystones mod, which adds waystones that players can craft and use to travel quickly between established sites.

Etymology-wise, the term combines “way” and “stone,” reflecting its function as a marker along a route. Related concepts include milestones, boundary stones, and teleportation devices.