The heart of a Stone Giant was a vital alchemical ingredient for second-tier apprentices attempting to ascend to the third tier.
It was extremely rare and almost never available for sale.
Why?
Because for it to be used in alchemy, the heart had to be kept alive, submerged in a specialized potion to preserve its properties for two months.
A second-tier apprentice attempting to advance had only that two-month window to consume the elixir and break through to the next level.
Thus, Stone Giant hunts were a carefully planned affair—
Apprentices only sought one out when they were ready to ascend, ensuring they could immediately extract the heart, process it, and consume the potion before its magic faded.
The proper handling of a Stone Giant's heart was one of the case studies in Introduction to Potion-Making.
During the practical classes,Hutson had performed multiple simulated extractions using models.
