Lore: Forged in the shadow of an ethereal moon, the Veil of Absence whispers of forgotten realms and forgotten selves. It is said to have been woven by a hermit who sought not only solitude but the erasure of his very existence. Though the hermit has long since vanished, the Veil remains, a tangible echo of his yearning for nothingness.
Tier: 1
- Slot: Face
Skills:
- Deception +1: Your very presence becomes a distraction, drawing eyes away from your true intentions.
Passive Magics:
- Echoing Whispers: You are harder to notice when you are not actively engaged in conversation or combat.
- Ephemeral Form: You have advantage on saving throws against spells and effects that target you directly.
Active Magics: (1/Long Rest)
- Shroud of Obscurity: As an action, you can momentarily fade from sight and sound, becoming invisible and inaudible for one round.
Tags: Ethereal, Illusion, Stealth
Roleplay Emphasis – Absence: The Veil of Absence is not merely a tool for hiding; it is a catalyst for exploring themes of identity, memory, and the nature of existence. Those who wear it may find themselves drawn to quiet contemplation, seeking to understand the delicate balance between being and non-being. The veil may also evoke feelings of loneliness or isolation, as its wearer grapples with the implications of fading from the world.
Additional Notes:
- The Veil of Absence is best suited for characters who value subtlety and introspection. It encourages players to consider the psychological and philosophical aspects of their character’s journey.
- The veil’s powers can be used creatively to avoid conflict, gather information discreetly, or escape dangerous situations.
- As a common item, the Veil of Absence is relatively easy to acquire, but its true value lies in the unique roleplaying opportunities it presents.
The Veil of Absence, given its common rarity and tier 1 status, would not be found in opulent magic emporiums or high-end auction houses. Instead, it’s more likely to surface in the following types of establishments:
- Dusty Curiosity Shops: These quirky shops are often tucked away in alleyways or on the outskirts of bustling markets. They are run by eccentric proprietors who have a penchant for the unusual and forgotten. The Veil of Absence might be found draped over a chipped mannequin head or nestled amongst a collection of odd trinkets. The shopkeeper, recognizing its potential, might offer it for a modest sum, perhaps 10-20 silver pieces, or even barter for a unique item or a captivating story.
- Traveling Merchant Stalls: These nomadic vendors traverse the land, setting up their makeshift stalls in villages and towns. They offer an eclectic assortment of goods, often acquired through their travels or through dubious means. The Veil of Absence might be presented as a “family heirloom” or a “lost relic,” accompanied by a tale of mystery and intrigue. The merchant might ask for a higher price, perhaps 30-40 silver pieces, but would be open to haggling.
- Shadow Markets: In the hidden corners of Saṃsāra, where the lines between legality and morality blur, shadow markets thrive. These clandestine gatherings cater to those seeking illicit goods or items of questionable origin. The Veil of Absence might be offered by a cloaked figure in hushed tones, its price determined by the buyer’s desperation or the seller’s perception of its value. Here, the cost could range from a handful of gold coins to a favor or a secret.
- Inherited or Found: Given its common rarity, the Veil of Absence might also be passed down through families as an heirloom, its significance fading with each generation. Alternatively, it could be discovered in the attic of an old house, buried in a forgotten chest, or unearthed in the ruins of an ancient temple. In these cases, the veil’s value would be purely sentimental or based on the finder’s own assessment.
Regardless of where it is found, the Veil of Absence is a unique item that offers more than just magical properties. Its connection to themes of absence and identity makes it a valuable tool for roleplaying and character development, making it a worthwhile addition to any adventurer’s inventory.
Roleplay scenarios utilizing the Veil of Absence in different environments:
- Defense:
- Crowded City Streets: Amidst the hustle and bustle, your character slips into the shadows, unnoticed by pickpockets and thugs. You become a phantom, weaving through the throngs of people, their attention drawn elsewhere as you deftly evade unwanted confrontations.
- Political Gathering: In a tense negotiation, your character uses the veil’s powers to become an unseen observer. You blend into the background, listening intently to whispered conversations and subtle cues, gaining valuable information without arousing suspicion.
- Arcane Duel: As magical energies clash around you, you activate the “Shroud of Obscurity,” vanishing from sight and sound just as your opponent unleashes a devastating spell. The attack passes harmlessly through the empty space where you once stood, leaving your foe vulnerable and disoriented.
- Offense:
- Noble’s Mansion: Your character, cloaked in the veil’s ethereal embrace, infiltrates a lavish estate. Guards and servants fail to notice your presence as you silently navigate the corridors, seeking a hidden document or a clandestine meeting.
- Battlefield: While your allies engage the enemy head-on, you utilize the veil to become a spectral scout. Unseen by the opposing forces, you gather vital intelligence on their positions and movements, relaying the information to your comrades, giving them a tactical advantage.
- Temple of Shadows: Within the sacred halls, you seek an audience with a reclusive oracle. The veil’s powers allow you to bypass the temple’s guardians and wards, granting you access to the oracle’s chamber, where you seek answers to a cryptic prophecy.
- Roleplay Considerations:
- The Veil’s Limitations: Remind players that the veil’s powers are not foolproof. It may not work against those with exceptional senses or magical abilities specifically designed to detect illusions or hidden presences.
- Ethical Implications: Encourage players to consider the moral implications of using the veil for deception and subterfuge. Does the character’s use of the veil align with their personal values? What are the potential consequences of their actions?
- Character Development: The Veil of Absence can be a catalyst for exploring themes of identity, morality, and the nature of existence. How does the character’s use of the veil shape their worldview and their relationships with others?
By embracing these roleplaying opportunities, players can fully immerse themselves in the world of Saṃsāra, using the Veil of Absence not merely as a tool for stealth, but as a means of exploring their character’s depths and motivations.
Perception of Activation: Veil of Absence
- Five Senses:
- Sight: The intricate patterns on the veil shimmer and writhe, as if moonlight were trapped within its delicate threads. The world around the wearer seems to soften and blur slightly, like a fading memory.
- Sound: A gentle rustling, like leaves stirred by a phantom breeze, accompanies the veil’s activation. The wearer’s own breathing seems to quiet, becoming barely perceptible.
- Touch: The veil feels cool and weightless against the skin, as if woven from mist. It seems to meld with the wearer’s features, becoming an extension of their own being.
- Smell: A faint scent of lavender and ozone fills the air, reminiscent of a moonlit garden after a summer storm.
- Taste: A metallic tang, like the taste of starlight, lingers on the tongue, leaving a sensation of both emptiness and potential.
- Extra-Sensory Perceptions:
- Empathic Sense: The wearer’s connection to the emotions of others becomes muted, as if a veil has been drawn over their hearts and minds.
- Spiritual Awareness: A sense of detachment from the material world washes over the wearer, as if they are drifting between realms of existence.
- Temporal Perception: Time seems to slow down, allowing the wearer to observe the world with heightened clarity and focus.
- Positives:
- Heightened Awareness: The wearer’s senses become more attuned to subtle details and hidden patterns, granting them a deeper understanding of their surroundings.
- Emotional Detachment: The veil’s dampening of emotional connections can provide clarity and focus, allowing the wearer to make difficult decisions without being swayed by sentimentality.
- Spiritual Connection: The sensation of drifting between realms can lead to profound insights and spiritual awakenings.
- Negatives:
- Isolation: The veil’s ability to dampen emotional connections can also lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation, as the wearer becomes increasingly detached from the world around them.
- Disorientation: The altered perception of time and space can be disorienting, making it difficult for the wearer to interact with others or navigate unfamiliar environments.
- Dependency: Prolonged use of the veil can lead to a reliance on its powers, making it difficult for the wearer to function without its assistance.
Crafting Recipe: Veil of Absence
- Materials Needed:
- Mooncloth: A rare fabric woven from moonlight, known for its ethereal properties and shimmering appearance. (1 yard)
- Silver Thread: Fine, shimmering thread imbued with lunar energy, used for embroidery and enhancing magical properties. (1 spool)
- Lavender Essence: A concentrated extract of lavender, known for its calming and protective properties. (1 vial)
- Obsidian Shard: A small, polished fragment of obsidian, a volcanic glass associated with grounding and protection. (1 shard)
- Hermit’s Tear: A single tear shed by a reclusive hermit, said to contain a fragment of their yearning for solitude and nothingness. (1 tear)
- Tools Required:
- Silver Needle: A fine needle crafted from pure silver, ideal for working with delicate materials and imbuing them with magical energy.
- Lunar Loom: A special loom attuned to the phases of the moon, used to weave mooncloth and other ethereal fabrics.
- Alchemy Kit: A set of tools and ingredients used for brewing potions, extracts, and other alchemical concoctions.
- Enchanting Table: A flat surface inscribed with runes and symbols, used for imbuing objects with magical properties.
- Skill Requirements:
- Tailoring: Proficient in working with delicate fabrics and intricate embroidery.
- Alchemy: Knowledgeable in the creation of extracts and potions, and understanding the properties of various ingredients.
- Enchanting: Skilled in imbuing objects with magical properties and weaving enchantments into fabric.
- Crafting Steps:
- Weaving the Veil: Using the Lunar Loom, weave the mooncloth into a thin, delicate veil, ensuring that its edges shimmer with an otherworldly light.
- Imbuing with Moonlight: Hang the veil in the light of a full moon for three nights, allowing it to absorb the lunar energy and enhance its ethereal properties.
- Embroidering with Runes: Using the Silver Needle and Silver Thread, carefully embroider the veil with swirling runes and symbols that represent solitude, protection, and the fading of identity.
- Enchanting the Veil: Place the veil on the Enchanting Table and imbue it with the following enchantments:
- Echoing Whispers: Grant the wearer the ability to blend into the background when not actively engaged in conversation or combat.
- Ephemeral Form: Provide the wearer with advantage on saving throws against spells and effects that target them directly.
- Shroud of Obscurity: Allow the wearer to momentarily fade from sight and sound as an action, becoming invisible and inaudible for one round.
- Infusing with Lavender Essence: Dip the obsidian shard in the Lavender Essence and gently press it against the center of the veil, imbuing it with calming and protective properties.
- Adding the Hermit’s Tear: Carefully stitch the Hermit’s Tear onto the back of the veil, using a single strand of Silver Thread. This will infuse the veil with a fragment of the hermit’s yearning for solitude and nothingness.
Once all the steps are complete, the Veil of Absence will be fully activated and ready for use.
Fable of the Vanishing Weaver
In an age before time was counted, when the moon was but a babe in the sky, there lived a weaver of great skill and even greater sorrow. His name was lost to the ages, forgotten like a whisper on the wind. They called him simply “the Weaver,” for his craft was all he had, all he was.
Each night, beneath the silvery gaze of the moon, he would weave. His threads were not of silk or wool, but of moonlight itself, captured and spun into shimmering cloth. His loom was not of wood or metal, but of dreams and shadows, powered by the yearning of his heart.
The Weaver wove not for wealth or fame, but for solace. Each stitch was a tear shed for a love lost, a memory faded, a life unlived. With every thread, he sought to unravel his own existence, to become one with the emptiness that haunted his soul.
As the moons waxed and waned, so too did the Weaver’s spirit. His creations grew ever more ethereal, his touch ever lighter. His form began to fade, his voice to echo, as if he were already a ghost in the world of the living.
One night, under the fullest moon, the Weaver finished his final work. It was a veil, shimmering and delicate, woven from the essence of moonlight and sorrow. He draped it over his face, and with a sigh that was barely a whisper, he vanished.
Some say he ascended to the heavens, becoming one with the celestial tapestry. Others claim he descended into the abyss, his essence dissolving into the void. But most believe he simply ceased to be, his existence erased as if he had never been.
The veil remained, a testament to the Weaver’s craft and his yearning for nothingness. It was said to possess the power to grant its wearer a taste of the Weaver’s fate, to allow them to fade from the world and become one with the shadows.
The Moral: To vanish is not to die, but to transcend. To embrace the void is not to surrender, but to become whole. For in absence, there is power. In nothingness, there is peace.
Suggested conversions to other systems:
Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)
Name: Veil of the Forgotten
- Type: Arcane Artifact
- Description: A shimmering, moonlit veil that grants the wearer a measure of anonymity and protection from the horrors of the Mythos.
- Skills: Stealth +10, Disguise +5
- Sanity Loss: 1/1D4 when first worn (the wearer briefly glimpses the abyss of nothingness)
- Effect:
- The wearer gains a +20 bonus to Stealth checks.
- The wearer gains a +10 bonus to Disguise checks.
- The wearer gains a +10 bonus to Sanity rolls against spells and supernatural effects.
- Drawback:
- Prolonged use may lead to feelings of isolation and detachment from reality.
- If the veil is damaged or destroyed, the wearer suffers 1D6 Sanity loss.
Blades in the Dark
Name: Veil of Shadows
- Tier: I
- Description: A wispy veil that obscures the wearer’s features and presence, aiding in stealth and deception.
- Effect:
- When worn during a Stealth action, the wearer gains +1d to their roll.
- When worn during a Skirmish action, the wearer can spend a stress to become momentarily invisible, allowing them to reposition or escape unnoticed.
- When worn during a Social action, the wearer gains +1 effect level to their roll when trying to manipulate or deceive others.
Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)
Name: Veil of the Ethereal
- Rarity: Uncommon (requires attunement)
- Type: Wondrous Item
- Description: A silken veil that shimmers with a faint, otherworldly glow.
- Properties:
- The wearer gains advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
- The wearer has resistance to psychic damage.
- As an action, the wearer can become invisible for 1 minute. The invisibility ends early if the wearer attacks or casts a spell.
Knave
Name: Whisperveil
- Type: Gear (Armor, Head)
- Armor: 0
- Tags: Stealthy
- Effect: When you attempt to be stealthy, roll twice and take the higher result.
- Special: Once per day, as an action, you can become invisible for one round.
Fate (Accelerated Edition)
Name: Veil of the Unseen
- Description: A shimmering veil that grants its wearer a subtle aura of anonymity and detachment.
- Aspect: Hidden in Plain Sight
- Invokes:
- Spend a Fate Point to gain a +2 bonus to any Stealth or Notice roll.
- Spend a Fate Point to create an advantage that allows you to blend into the background or disappear from immediate notice.
- Compels:
- The veil’s ethereal nature may draw unwanted attention from spirits or other supernatural entities.
- Prolonged use of the veil may lead to feelings of isolation and alienation.
Numenera & Cypher System
Name: Veil of the Hidden Path
- Level: 1
- Type: Artifact
- Form: Worn Item
- Effect:
- While wearing the veil, you gain a +1 bonus to Speed Defense and Intellect Defense.
- Once per day, you can spend 1 Intellect point to become invisible for one round.
- Depletion: 1 in 1d20
Pathfinder (Second Edition)
Name: Veil of Whispering Shadows
- Aura: Faint illusion
- CL: 5th
- Slot: Head
- Price: 500 gp
- Description: This fine, gauzy veil shimmers with a faint silver light. While wearing it, you gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Stealth checks and a +1 circumstance bonus to saving throws against divination effects. Once per day, you can use the veil to cast invisibility (self only) as a spell-like ability.
Savage Worlds
Name: Veil of the Forgotten
- Description: A tattered veil that seems to flicker in and out of existence.
- Type: Arcane Background (Magic)
- Rank: Novice
- Power Points: 5
- Powers:
- Shadow Walk: The character can spend a Benny to reroll a failed Stealth check.
- Ethereal Form: The character gains a +2 bonus to Soak rolls against magical attacks.
- Vanish: Once per session, the character can spend 3 Power Points to become invisible for 1d6 rounds.
Shadowrun (Sixth World)
Name: Veil of Whispers
- Category: Gear (Cyberware, Bioware, or Magical Focus)
- Essence Cost: 0.1
- Rating: 2
- Capacity: 1
- Effect: The Veil of Whispers allows the user to blend into their surroundings, gaining a +2 dice pool modifier to Stealth tests and Social tests involving deception or manipulation. It also provides a +1 dice pool modifier to resist attempts to detect or track them through magical or technological means.
- Negative Effect: The Veil of Whispers can make the user feel isolated and disconnected from others, leading to a -1 dice pool modifier on Social tests involving empathy or emotional connection.
Starfinder (First Edition)
Name: Veil of the Starfarer
- Level: 1
- Price: 1,000 Credits
- Bulk: L
- Activation: Swift (Mental)
- Category: Technological
- Description: This shimmering veil is woven from an unknown material that seems to bend light and distort perception. While worn, the user gains a +1 circumstance bonus to Stealth checks and can attempt a DC 15 Culture check to blend in with a specific social group. The veil also provides a +1 circumstance bonus to saving throws against divination effects.
Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)
Name: Veil of the Void
- Skill: Deception +1
- Type: Personal
- Description: This shadowy veil obscures the wearer’s features, making them harder to identify. It also grants a +2 DM to Stealth checks and a +1 DM to Persuade and Deception checks.
- Special: The wearer may activate the veil once per day to become invisible for 1d6 rounds.
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)
Name: Veil of Morr
- Description: A dark veil said to be blessed by Morr, the god of dreams and death.
- Type: Arcane Artefact
- Effect: The wearer gains a +10 bonus to Stealth tests and is considered to be under the effects of a concealment spell. Once per day, they may activate the veil to cast a shadow step spell (as described in the Warhammer rulebook).
- Corruption: Using the veil may attract the attention of Morr’s servants, potentially leading to encounters with ghosts, wraiths, or other spectral entities.