Very strange, these two answers were not there the other day, but now they are. Even stranger is that an answer to a long standing Lore question has finally and unequivocally answered.
Backstory – Why did Thorsten Cragstone die?
Asked by Konnir on 12/21/2001
In the opening movie, we see Thorsten Cragstone get killed by the Olthoi Queen. Why did he not resurrect at a lifestone like other Isparians?
Answered by Ken Troop on 01/03/2002
Asheron had not yet created the lifestone system at this time.
Yikes! There is absolutely no room for doubt about who created the Lifestones now. It has been hinted though, recent Virindi death messages and the fact they first appeared after the death of the Olthoi Queen, seemed to indicate he was behind them. The fact that they didn’t seem to work right when they first appeared, reanimating the dead corpse instead of resurrecting the user, always seemed to point to another source to me. I guess just another case of Asheron working the bugs out of the system.
Anyway, you can read the other question that popped up over on the ACDM Q&A.
