Tuesday Magic Item – Intelligencer’s Hive

Voddick shooed a bee away from his drink.  “The bees are particularly busy today.”

“Price you pay for good mead,” replied Gollaon with a smile.

“Truth.”  Voddick nodded.

“But it does seem a bit late in the season,” mused Gollaon.  “And it is a little odd to see them around so many people.”

Voddick frowned.  “It is magic, isn’t it?  It is always magic.”

Intelligencer’s Hive

This magic item consists of two components, a piece of jewelry (usually a broach) emblazoned with a bee, hive or hexagon pattern and a gold disc with a matching pattern.  The disc must be placed in a bee hive to function.

Tuesday Magic Item – The Three Brothers’ Swords

“Watching the conflicts between our leaders, I am put to mind of the legend of the three brothers who all went to the same court wizard to get magic swords forged to allow them to seize the throne,” said Gollaon pouring himself another goblet of wine.

“That’s no legend,” replied Voddick after a drink of ale, “my great-uncle forged the swords that were used.  They all ended up cursed by the brothers fratricidal ambitions.”

“And these swords, the resembled each other, yes?”

“Yes.  Three identical blades except for the gems set in the hilts. “

“Not ruby, sapphire and emerald?”

“Yes, why?” Voddick glanced over at the senior captain’s sword.  “Ah.  This is not going to end well.”

The Three Brothers’ Swords

These fine swords were forged for a trio of royal brothers, each of whom thought that only he was the proper successor to the reigning monarch.  Each, separately, approached the court wizard for a weapon to make them king, the wizard agreed to all of their requests giving each an identical sword, except for the gems decorating the hilt.  The three brothers, as the wizard had hoped, ended up killing each other off allowing the lone daughter to inherit.  But the swords retain both the ambition and hatred of the others that led to them being made.

Tuesday Magic Item – Zarya Cloak

“It seems a dangerous plan to cross this ancient battlefield,” said Voddick, glancing around his crossbow ready, “especially at night.”

“What could go wrong?” asked Gollaon, hand resting on his sword hilt.  “Besides the obvious of course.”

“Well, I am glad the sun priestess is with us,” added Voddick.  “Such people always have useful tricks if we met ghosts or ghoulies.”

“Agreed.”

Zarya Cloak

These fine cloaks have an outer layer of deep midnight blue while the interior lining is the graduated colors of the dawn.  The cloak clasp incorporates a sun disk and silver stars set with crystals.

Tuesday Magic Item – Gambara’s Desk and Seals

“It is not like you to be so excited about a simple courier job,” said Voddick as he adjusted the saddle.

“It is not the job, it is who we are delivering the letters to,” said Gollaon who was already mounted and ready to ride.

Voddick pulled himself up.  “Yes?  Who?”

“The incompatible Duchess Veronika, poet, politician and patron.”

“Ah, sounds like a charming woman,” nodded Voddick.

Gambara’s Desk and Seals

These portable writing desks, if the set is intact, have inkwells, pen knifes, quills and pens, sand for blotting, paper and six seals.  It also has a fine lock.

Tuesday Magic Item – Imago Amulet

Voddick threw a casual salute to the passing guard. Gollaon did the same a bit more slowly, a puzzled expression on his face.

“What is it my friend?” asked Voddick.

“Did we not just see that fellow entering the stores tent?”

Voddick paused and looked back after the guard.  “I fear you are right.”

Gollaon was already turning and launching into a run.  “Come on!”

Imago Amulet

These amulets are intaglio of a bust carved on semi-precious stone usually set in silver or rarely more valuable metals.  They are valuable but not too valuable in appearance.

Tuesday Magic Item – Hart’s Crossbow

“I knew that one-eyed woman was trouble,” said Voddick after catching his breath,

“I knew so too, but I did not expect her to be the leader of a band of bandits,” he said looking around the side of the tree.  He yelped as a crossbow bolt buried itself in a branch a handspan above his head.

“More running?”

“More running.”

Hart’s Crossbow

Named after the crossbow of a famed bandit queen, which was probably lost, of course every one of them is claimed to be the one used by the Hart in her famous last ride before she disappeared. They are always light crossbows of good quality and usually decorated with carved panels, often made of mother of pearl, showing deer often in hunting scenes.

Tuesday Magic Item – Library Bane

“Don’t let him tear that!” shouted Gollaon, throwing a dagger at the spy.  Who ducked beneath it but momentary lost the firm grip on the paper needed.

“Right!” said Voddick feinting toward the paper and then driving his knee into the spy’s stomach.

“Bastard!” wheezed the spy trying to tear the paper only to have it snatched away from by Gollaon.  Voddick clocked the spy on the chin and they went down.

“What would that paper do?” asked Voddick kneeling to bind the spy.

“Destroy every book here,” he answered with a gesture to the shelves of the library.

Library Bane

Originally designed as a way for a commander to quickly destroy vital papers so they would not be of use to the enemy, spies then got hold of it and used it to protect their secret intelligence from falling into the hands of the rivals, but soon enough, someone realized that it could be used as an offensive weapon.  This item is a complex magical formula written on sturdy material, it is activated by deliberately tearing the formula.