Item from Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson
A seed that can grow into a new Azath House — one of the rarest objects in existence, capable of sprouting a living prison wherever power threatens to destroy the balance.
The Azath seed is a potential Azath House compressed into something that fits in a palm. When planted near a sufficient concentration of dangerous power, it grows — rapidly, violently — into a full Azath House, sending roots into the earth that seek out and imprison whatever threat triggered the growth. The seed in Darujhistan grew the house that imprisoned Raest; other seeds have grown houses across the Malazan world wherever the balance required correction. The seeds are impossibly rare and their origin is unknown — they may be produced by existing Azath Houses, they may grow naturally in certain warrens, or they may simply exist because the world needs them to. Carrying one is both a weapon and a responsibility: the seed will grow when it's ready, whether the carrier intended it or not.
A small, dark seed — acorn-shaped, warm to the touch, and heavier than its size suggests. The surface has a faintly organic texture, as though it's breathing very slowly. In the presence of dangerous concentrations of power, it vibrates with eagerness.
Also known as: Azath Seed, the Acorn, Azath acorn