Wand of Finding

This wand was made by an apprentice for his master mage.  The mage was so forgetful and misplaced so many things, that once the apprentice became a master mage of his own he created this Wand of Finding.  Though simply a finding spell in a wand, it can be very helpful.  The wand must be attuned to the person who is using it for at least a week and then when a person asks, "where is such and such", the wand will point in the direction the item is.  It will glow brighter the closer it gets to the item and will keep tracking that item until the person finds it.  A wand can only find a dozen items a day that belong to the user before it has to rest for a day.  The apprentice made a good two dozen for his master, since he was so bad about losing things.

Ring of Invisibility

Though no one knows for sure how many of these rings were made, the original maker, one Carl Swift, was a man who needed to get to places he shouldn't be.  He wasn't a thief, but a mage on a mission, trying to sneak into noble women's bedrooms.  He researched the ability to be unseen and had to look long and hard for the right ingredients to make it possible.  After he got too old to pursue his "hobby" he began to sell the rings discretely.  And when he was on his death bed he gave the ring recipe to his favorite apprentice.  Now these rings are everywhere, but still guarded and very expensive.  The ring allows a person to be unseen, but not unheard, for a period of ten minutes per day.  After twenty four hours the ability returns.  Foot prints are still left, voices can still be heard, and things touched by the person still move, so a person wearing the ring can be "seen" if not careful.

Horn of Return

Despite what this sounds like, this horn is meant for farmers and ranchers to gather their livestock without having to chase them.  Made by a mage who had grown up as a rancher's son and hated having to round up the livestock, the mage made sure that as many farmers as possible had them. Though he charged for materials, after awhile they got too expensive except for ranchers who worked for the nobles.  The way it works this small horn, which looks like a curled ram's horn, is blown and all the livestock in the area will return to the blower.  This does cause issues if someone else is grazing their livestock nearby, but for the most part it just returns the blower's livestock.  There have been cases of livestock rustlers using it, but they are usually caught quickly since the horn is loud and most farmers know who should be blowing horns and who shouldn't.  And if they hear a horn they haven't heard before they go to investigate, with weapons and many sons.

Fog Horn of Guiding

Near the coast there is always a problem of fog, heavy fog.  So the mages of Weatherworn have created a magic item which can help clear the fog enough to allow ships to come into harbor even on the worst of foggy days.  The Horn, which looks like a giant, curled ram's horn, sits on a high spot in the harbor and on foggy days is activated to guide ships in.  One ship at a time will be locked on to by the magic once the horn is blown and guided unerringly toward the docks. Once the ship is docked then another ship is brought in.  This can only be done for a dozen ships before the horn has to rest about 12 hours, though usually by then the fog has broken up enough for other ships to dock on their own.  There is always six guards and a mage in attendance of the horn, with a small building nearby to allow them to rest in the warmth when the horn is not in use.

The Waters of Seeing

Near Goldleaf is a small pond filled with beautiful fish and water a person can see to the very bottom through.  Around the pond are trees and shrubbery which are always green and full of birds who sing with every sun rise, even in the middle of the winter.  The waters are warm and snow never covers the area, even in the deepest of winter.

Rumor has that a sprite lives here and loves the glorious colors of summer and spring and thus has cast a magic upon the pond and area to keep it so lovely and warm.  Many people will leave little gifts of food or items to gain the favor of this spite, if they can.

There is a sprite, who does care for the grove, but because the pool is magical.  The pool, if the water is drunk for three days straight with no other food or drink, allows the drinker to see the future.  The clip of the future is short and may not be clear to the person seeing it, but it is usually accurate.  It can be changed by those who see it by doing something different in their path of life.  The sprite makes sure only the worthy can sit at the bank and gain the magic of the future and has been known to chase people off that he or she doesn't like.

Candleholders of Listening

Though this magical ability could be placed upon any item, Sierra likes them on the most unlikely of sources.  Thus she has had most of the candle sconces in hallways and rooms enchanted with this ability.  The candle holders can be "turned on" by using a magical stone that corresponds with that candle holder.  Each one has to be turned on separately, and though they can be listened to simultaneously, it is easier to only have one at a time.  Sierra uses these items to listen in on private conversations and then report her findings back to her contact in the Empire.  These are average for cost, though Sierra's were expensive since she wanted fined candle holders, but anything can be enchanted as a "listening device".

Fairy Jewels Part II

The abilities of a Fairy Jewel can vary greatly, depending on how powerful the person makes them or can make them.  But here are a few ideas of abilities.

1) Normally, a magical Fairy Jewel, in game terms, gives a +1 to +6 to a main stat.  Purple gems are usually Intellect, blue Constitution, green Strength, red Dexterity, yellow Wisdom, and orange Charisma. They don't have to follow this rule, but mages and priests usually try to.

2) Magical Fairy Jewels can also give bonuses to non stat items, such as skills or the ability to see a far distance, or even float in the air.  These gems are usually clear.

3) These are not cheap items, since they enhance the character, usually starting at several thousand gold and working up from there.

4) As GM you can let any sort of enhancement be placed on a Fairy Jewel, but be cautious about giving your players too much power.

Fairy Jewels

Fairy Jewels are small gems which float in the air around the person who owns them.  They were common in the early years of the Empire and Tridon as decorations for wealthy women to accent their dress or costumes.  But a wizard thought about using such things to augment his and his companions powers and came up with a useful combination of decoration and ability.  Normal fairy jewels just sparkle and float around the person, but Magical Fairy Jewels can have one of many abilities.  The size and shape do not dictate what ability they have, but they usually stick a type of gem to dictate ability.

Tomorrow, I will go over abilities.

Bell of Notification

With so many coming and going through the doors of the Dandy Lion, Seth Vonderhorn wants to know who is coming through his door.  He found a mage who could enchant items and together they created a Bell of Notification.  The purpose of the bell is to let Seth know whether or not the person coming in may be trouble.  It allows him to know whether the person may be a little on the rough side or will be sweeter then his mother.  In game terms it lets Seth see their alignment aura for about 30 seconds so he can see if they are good or evil or somewhere in between.  Unless a person has a spell upon them to alert them to such intrusions, the person doesn't even notice.  This has allowed Seth to watch those who may be trouble and trust those who ask for something extra but are very good.

Cloak of Warmth

Many travelers get stuck out in the wilderness in some pretty bad conditions.  A guide named Scout, was no exception.  Traveling all over the wilderness near the Tsalagi Mountains, Scout got stuck in some pretty awful snow storms.  So he and a mage friend came up with a cloak that could keep you warm in all sorts of weather.  This cloak appears to be normal size, with a hood.  Scout's cloaks were normally made of sturdy wool and lacked much decorations.  Later on his friend made cloaks of fine silk and with many decorations for this richer clients.  The cloak itself doesn't do much until the wearer speaks a key word (usually designated when made), then the fun begins.  The cloak does several things.  One, it keeps the wearer at a constant temperature of 65 degrees, regardless of the weather outside. Two, it turns into a small, one person tent that will keep out the weather.  It isn't comfortable, a person really can not spread out, but only curl up inside, but better then nothing.  Third, the cloak allows fire to be made inside and the smoke magically disappears without harming the person inside.  So if water needs to be melted or something needs to be cooked, a person could do so.  This cloaks are fairly common, especially near the Tsalagi Mountains, but it one is commissioned it will cost nearly 2000 gold.

Shouting Stone

Though few in the north know of such an object, those of the Empire use a Shouting Stone regularly.  A Shouting Stone is usually a small, round stone with a hole in the middle to have a rope or necklace run through.  Magical runes run all over the stone (or other small object the maker of a Shouting Stone wants to make it) and it glows faintly.  The stone is used to allow a person be heard a longer distance away then shouting would allow.  Most generals use these stones in battle and the general assembly uses it to be heard during debates.  As long as a person is holding the stone in their hand they project their voice up to five hundred yards away.

A Typical Gypsy Wagon

Several of my characters that I actually write about are gypsies or come from gypsies.  Gypsies usually have at least one wagon to carry their or the groups gear in as well as live in.  The wagon is usually bigger then a typical wagon, covered with solid sides and rough.  It requires at least two horses, (some of the bigger ones require teams of four) to pull.  Inside are bunk beds on one side, cupboards on the other to store everything from food to clothing.  They also carry cooking pots and trade goods inside.  Some gypsies actually carry around blacksmithing equipment, as well.  Anywhere from a single gypsy to a family of gypsies live in the wagon. If there are too many people some will sleep under the wagon.  In bad weather a tent like structure can be pulled out from the side to cover those who can't sleep inside.

The wagons are brightly colored, some times covered in bells, and travel slowly.  Horses are highly prized by gypsies, because without them they could not take their home with them and move on to the next great adventure.

Wand of Purification

The water keepers of Tayke, though having magic of their own, also had the aid of a magical wand.  This wand, known as a Wand of Purification, could do several things.  The first was make sure water was free of any impurities, such as sand, bacteria, and diseases that might be in water.  Second, the wand could rid of any poisons, whether intentional or not, put in the water.  This took a long time and several "charges" of the wand.  The third and final ability was to locate the source of any contamination.  It did no good to clear the water if it would just become contaminated once again.  The wand has 50 "charges", but is special in the fact with each new week it would become renewed and will once again have 50 "charges".  Only the water keeper or his/her apprentices will use or keep the wand.

Chair of Warming

Since so many mages are also scholars, they spend a lot of time sitting in hard, wooden chairs.  Toran Silverwand was one of those mages.  But as he aged the wooden chairs got hard and his old bones easily got cold, so he devised a chair to keep him comfortable.  First he created a fine wooden chair, (he was a carpenter's apprentice when he was younger), then had his wife sew him nice, padded seats and back.  To this he added a spell to keep them perfectly preserved and clean.  (He had a tendency to spill food and drink while he worked.)  After that he added a warming spell to the cushions so they would warm him on those chilly days he was studying.  Though a simple, day to day magic item, Toran's idea took off and he was able to sell the idea not only to other mages and priests, but to nobles who also had to sit and do book work so many hours a day.

Swords of Varanath

In the story I write about Sebastion and Noshi, Sebastion comes upon a magical sword which can be sheathed in flame while in battle.  In truth it is a standard sword issued to the mage blades of Varanath.  These blades, usually long swords, can be sheathed in flame when called upon.  They deal extra damage, especially if the person struck is in flammable clothing or armor, and do give off some light that a person could use to see by.  The also give extra defense to the wielder, almost like a magical shield which slows down the blades which are meant to strike them.  The blades have runes up the center, spelling out "Varanath's Flames of Protection".

In game terms they do fire damage (what ever you deem appropriate for campaign and level), are a +3 magical weapon, and if the first time a user is attacked a shield spell (or something similar) springs to life around the wielder for the spells duration.  Also the light given off is dim, so a person can't see very far with the light of the sword.

Spellbook of Spellstoring

The problem with mages and wizards is that they have to carry around spellbooks full of their spells they have researched so they can study them everyday.  Kinda like they are studying for a quiz everyday, only with real world applications.  If a mage lives long enough they acquire quite a lot of research and spells, thus translating into many books that are likely to get lost.  Master Marba was a man who liked to travel out of necessity.  Something to do with his relationships with women, the history books think, and thus needed his stuff to be easy to transport.  Thus, after much research, he came up with a single book which could hold all his spells.  The book appears to have fifty or so stout pages which are fire and water proof.  The only pages that has writing upon it, though, is the first few pages.  These pages are a list of spells, but no spells follow.  If the mage knows the activation phrase, which is created with the book, they may speak the phrase and the spell name and the spell will appear on the next few pages until the book is closed.  To write a spell in, first the phrase has to be spoken, then the title of the spell written in the list and then the spell copied into the next few pages.  The phrase is spoken again and then the book is closed.  There after it will be in the book.  No one knows for sure how many spells can be held in a spellbook of storing, but they are certainly a prize for any mage.

Tapestries of Spying

These tapestries, usually very elaborate with people gallivanting about hunting, or singing, or making war, were once what every Leader wanted in the castles of their rivals.  There was a link between one of the figures on the tapestries and a stone the user would have in their possession.  The figure usually had a smaller, matching gem sewn somewhere into the cloth.  The user of the stone could activate the magic once every day for an hour, or sacrifice a few days for additional hours.  For every day it has to recharge another hour of spying may be used.  The user can see and hear everything the figure in the tapestry can see and  hear and nothing else.  The figure can not move, but does have 180 degree view from its position on the tapestry.  After the user is finished he can do nothing strenuous for an equal amount of time he spied because of the draining effects of the magic.  (In game terms there is a huge minus to attack, dodge, spell casting, etc.)  There are few of these tapestries still in exsistance, and ones with the matching user stone is even rarer.

Stone Bed of Sleep

This sounds comfortable, right?  The Stone Bed of Sleep was made to let people who were deathly ill to sleep in a sort of hibernation until someone of magical strength could come and help them.  The people of Janesh had at least one of these in each village, town or city, so those who could be helped with a little healing, could be helped.  The Bed is magically enchanted to put a person in stasis for however long they are upon the bed.  This could be minutes are years.  Though capable of saving a person's life, not every person wanted it used upon them and chose to die from their wounds or illness.  It can not cure anything and if the person is dead, the bed will not bring them back to life.

The mechanics of this item is simply a stasis spell, (or the roleplaying systems equivalent) cast upon the stone bed and anyone who is placed upon the bed is placed in the stasis spell.  The cost is enormous, as is the magical cost.  Don't let your players just make one of these everywhere they go.  It takes blood from a dragon or other magical creature, as well as months of magical incantations by mages or healers.

Horseshoes of Flight

Flight is not unheard of in Martapa.  After all, people use to fly upon dragons and pegasi.  Most flight in the time of the High King's Sword, though, has to be magical.  About two hundred years prior there was a Knight who took the winged horse as his standard and thus really wanted his mount to fly.  He consulted some mages and after some research and lots of gold passing hands the mages created him a set of magical horseshoes which allowed his mount to fly.  He would charge onto battle fields from above, frighting foes and winning the day.  It was said, that one day he was in a battle and his horse was slain as he tried to fly in and he was killed, as well.  The fate of the horseshoes are unknown, but many copies have popped up around the realm through the years.  The horse must be fitted with four shoes, all enchanted together, for the flying to work.  And when the horse is told to fly the first few times the riders must make a difficult riding check since the horse will not be happy about being off the ground.

Sleeping Rolls of Warmth

Mages don't travel often.  They have too many tomes and research that can't be carried around easily and they'd rather be researching then riding.  But for those mages who have to travel or just want to want to travel want to be comfortable.  One of those was the royal mage Sentorian.  He had to travel with the High King often, but was always cold in his sleeping rolls, no matter how many blankets he added.  Thus, after returning from one long adventure with his High King, he created a sleeping roll of warmth.  The roll emanates low amounts of magic aura, but works wonderfully.  It keeps the sleeper at a constant temperature, determined by the user.  It works for about 10 hours then has to recharge itself for at least 10 hours before it can be used again for anything other then a normal sleeping roll.  They used to be very common, but people aren't as interested in paying so much money for a sleeping roll, so they are harder to find.