Item Appearance: A delicate silver pendant shaped like two entwined hands, representing unity and companionship. When the user forms a contract, a tiny sapphire gemstone appears in the center of the pendant, glowing softly.
Lore: In the earlier times of Saṃsāra, when the understanding of magic was still nascent, a wise enchantress named Liora discovered the power of affection. She realized that the bonds formed between sentient beings could be channeled to create protective barriers and offer solace. Drawing inspiration from the warm embrace of a loved one, Liora crafted the first “Contract of Gentle Embrace.” It was said that those who wore it always found solace in the most trying times and that their allies felt an inexplicable sense of safety when near them.
Stats:
- Defense: +1 to any saving throws when the user is defending someone they have affection for.
- Offense: Grants a +1 bonus to spell attack rolls if the target has harmed someone the user has affection for in the past 22 hours.
Slot: Neck (worn as a pendant)
Roleplay: When wearing the pendant, the user feels a constant warmth around their heart, reminding them of the bonds they’ve formed and the affection they hold for others. The pendant also subtly encourages acts of kindness and empathy, making the wearer more likely to form meaningful connections with others. During interactions, the user might find themselves more attuned to the emotions of others and more eager to forge friendships or mend strained relationships.
Costs: To form a contract with the pendant, the user must recall a cherished memory of a loved one and whisper it to the pendant during a quiet moment at dusk. The memory is then locked within the sapphire gemstone. The cost of this is twofold: the memory becomes hazy to the user and can only be vividly recalled when touching the pendant. Additionally, breaking the contract (e.g., betraying the spirit of the pendant by causing undue harm out of spite) might result in the user feeling an overwhelming sense of loneliness until amends are made.
Magics:
- Affectionate Shield: Once per day, the user can call upon the power of the pendant to create a protective barrier around an ally. This shield lasts for one minute and grants the ally +2 AC. The shield is more effective when the user has deep affection for the ally, potentially absorbing a portion of the damage taken.
- Bonded Strike: If an ally whom the user has affection for is in danger, the user can channel the power of their bond to enhance their next spell or attack, adding an additional 1d4 of damage.
Tags: Affection, Protection, Bonding
Usage in Different Environments:
- Defense:
- In a forest environment, the pendant might cause nearby trees and plants to form a barrier or cushion to protect the wearer or their loved ones from harm.
- In a city or urban setting, the pendant’s magic might create a soft glowing barrier, reminiscent of the comforting walls of a home, around the wearer or their allies.
- Offense:
- In a desert, the pendant might heat the sand beneath an enemy who harmed a loved one, making it difficult for them to move.
- In a mountainous terrain, the pendant might resonate with the echoes of the mountains, disorienting foes with a soft, melodic hum, especially if they’ve harmed someone the wearer has affection for.
Perception of Activation:
- Sight:
- Perceived: A soft blue aura surrounds the user and the pendant.
- Description: The aura appears ethereal, like wisps of a gentle morning mist. As it envelopes the user, it intermittently glimmers, reflecting emotions tied to the cherished memory within the pendant.
- Positives: The aura can act as a light source in dim conditions, allowing the user to see better in low light. The beautiful display also offers a sense of wonder and might awe onlookers.
- Negatives: The glow can draw unwanted attention in situations where stealth or hiding is necessary.
- Sound:
- Perceived: A faint, harmonious hum, reminiscent of a distant lullaby.
- Description: The sound is soft, barely above a whisper, but it carries with it the emotions of the cherished memory. It’s a soothing melody, full of warmth.
- Positives: The sound can calm and soothe both the user and those around them, potentially de-escalating tense situations.
- Negatives: It might be distracting in situations requiring absolute silence or concentration.
- Touch:
- Perceived: A gentle warmth radiating from the pendant.
- Description: The sensation is akin to the touch of a loved one or the embrace of a friend, providing comfort.
- Positives: The warmth can be particularly comforting in cold environments, and it serves as a tactile reminder of the bond and contract formed with the pendant.
- Negatives: In already hot environments, the added warmth might become uncomfortable.
- Smell:
- Perceived: The faint scent of a familiar place or person related to the cherished memory.
- Description: Depending on the user’s memory, it could be the scent of a childhood home, a loved one’s perfume, or the aroma of a favorite meal. It’s subtle but unmistakably tied to the memory.
- Positives: Evoking memories through scent can provide deep emotional comfort and grounding in stressful situations.
- Negatives: The scent might occasionally cause intense nostalgia or longing, especially if it’s related to something the user has lost.
- Taste:
- Perceived: A fleeting taste linked to the cherished memory.
- Description: If the memory is of a birthday cake, a hint of sweetness might be tasted; if it’s a seaside memory, a hint of salt might be present.
- Positives: The sensation can be a pleasant surprise and a vivid reminder of the memory’s details.
- Negatives: Some memories might be tied to less pleasant tastes, causing momentary discomfort.
- Extra-Sensory Perceptions:
- Emotion:
- Perceived: A rush of emotions tied to the memory.
- Description: As the pendant activates, the user might feel a wave of love, joy, sadness, or nostalgia, depending on the nature of the cherished memory.
- Positives: Feeling these emotions can help the user connect deeply with the memory, reinforcing the bond and purpose of the pendant.
- Negatives: Overwhelming emotions can sometimes be distracting or even incapacitating, especially if they’re intense or unexpected.
- Time Perception:
- Perceived: A momentary feeling of being transported back to the time of the cherished memory.
- Description: Time seems to slow, and the user might feel as though they’re reliving the memory for a brief moment.
- Positives: This can offer a moment of respite and clarity, especially in challenging situations.
- Negatives: Being momentarily “out of sync” with real-time can pose risks in situations requiring immediate reactions or decisions.
- Emotion:
Crafting Recipe for Contract 847 of Gentle Embrace
- Materials Needed:
- Silver ingot (approx. 100 grams) – for crafting the pendant.
- Sapphire gemstone (small, roughly the size of a pea) – to be embedded at the center of the pendant.
- Ethereal Essence (a drop) – a rare magical substance that gives the pendant its otherworldly glow.
- Memory Infusion Crystal – a magical crystal used to capture and store a cherished memory.
- Arcane Binding Ink – a special ink to etch the contract onto the pendant.
- Tools Required:
- Smithing Hammer and Anvil – for shaping the pendant.
- Jeweler’s Loupe – for embedding the sapphire gemstone.
- Ritualistic Cauldron – to mix and combine magical ingredients.
- Engraving Needle – to etch the contract using the Arcane Binding Ink.
- Skill Requirements:
- Intermediate Smithing – for crafting the pendant out of silver.
- Basic Gem Setting – for embedding the sapphire in the pendant.
- Advanced Enchantment – for infusing the pendant with Ethereal Essence and capturing the memory using the Memory Infusion Crystal.
- Contract Magic Proficiency – understanding and knowledge of creating and binding magical contracts.
- Crafting Steps:
- Pendant Shaping:
- Heat the silver ingot until it becomes malleable.
- Using the smithing hammer and anvil, shape the silver into two entwined hands.
- Allow the pendant to cool.
- Gem Setting:
- Carefully carve a small cavity in the center of the pendant using an engraving needle.
- Place the sapphire gemstone into the cavity.
- Using the jeweler’s loupe, ensure the gemstone is securely set and sits flush with the surface of the pendant.
- Memory Infusion:
- Hold the Memory Infusion Crystal and recall a cherished memory.
- Channel the emotions and images of the memory into the crystal until it glows.
- Place the glowing crystal in the ritualistic cauldron along with the drop of Ethereal Essence.
- Chant the appropriate incantation (specific to Contract Magic) to bind the memory and essence together.
- Slowly pour the mixture onto the sapphire gemstone, allowing it to absorb the magical properties.
- Contract Etching:
- Dip the engraving needle into the Arcane Binding Ink.
- Carefully etch the terms and conditions of the contract onto the backside of the pendant.
- As you etch, speak the terms out loud, ensuring they resonate with the pendant’s purpose.
- Final Enchantment:
- With the pendant complete, perform a final enchantment ritual to seal all the magical properties within the pendant and ensure the stability of the memory and the contract.
- Hold the pendant and chant the sealing incantation (again, specific to Contract Magic), allowing the pendant to glow softly as it absorbs the power of the words.
- Pendant Shaping:
- The Contract 847 of Gentle Embrace is now complete and ready to be worn by its destined user.
Fabled Chronicle of Hand-Entwined Silver
In days shadowed by times’ embrace, within land untouched by modern race, there stirred a story of a silver gleam, a tale woven from an age-old dream. In the kingdom of mists and fading lore, the city of Numbra did once soar. Here, whispers told of Liora fair, an enchantress with starlight’s glare.
Liora, touched by heart’s true sight, craved bonds that shone so bright. Not chains of gold, nor threads of fate, but ties of love that won’t abate. Yet, in her quest, she found dismay; love, so often, would decay. Be it by time or choice’s hand, affections would sink like shifting sand.
A pendant she sought to craft and bind, to eternalize love of every kind. Not just a trinket, nor simple charm, but an emblem to shield from harm. With hands that danced and voice that sung, ancient chants from her tongue were flung. Into silver, memory she’d pour, of love that was, forevermore.
Yet, as tales go, not all is clear. The exact steps, the methods sheer. Some say sapphires were tears she shed, others, the essence of love long dead. But all agreed, by dusk’s soft glow, the pendant’s magic began to show. A blue hue, a lullaby’s hum, recalling love, making hearts numb.
The pendant, they said, held more than lore. It was love, affection, memories galore. A contract formed, not of ink or pen, but of moments, time and again. Those who wore it felt a pull, a longing deep, a heart full. Love’s embrace, both joy and ache, promises made, vows to not break.
But with magic, as stories tell, there’s always more, a deeper well. The pendant’s power, while pure and grand, came with a cost, a reprimand. Love remembered, but also lost, a duality, a double-cross. For to truly understand love’s scope, one must balance hope with heart’s slope.
As centuries passed, the tale did fade. From fervent talks to whispers made. But in Saṃsāra, some still seek, the pendant’s truth, its mystique. For in its silver, love does reside, a reminder of the heart’s wide tide.
Moral of the Story: Love, in its eternal dance, holds both joy and circumstance. To cherish it, we must also brace, for love’s dual nature, its embrace and its erase.
Suggested conversion to other systems:
Call of Cthulhu:
- Type: Jewelry (Pendant)
- Effects:
- Once per day, when confronted by a source of sanity loss involving the loss or harm of a loved one, the wearer may reroll a failed SAN roll.
- +1 to any Persuade checks when trying to de-escalate a situation involving a loved one.
Dungeons & Dragons 5e:
- Wondrous Item (pendant), uncommon (requires attunement)
- When you make a saving throw to prevent being charmed, you can add a +1 bonus to the roll.
- Once per long rest, as a reaction, if an ally within 10 feet takes damage, you can grant them temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier.
Knave:
Item: Gentle Embrace Pendant
- Effect: Once per day, when an ally is damaged, the user can redirect up to 3 points of that damage to themselves.
Numenera & Cypher System:
- Type: Wearable Cypher
- Level: 3
- Effect: Provides an asset to any task that involves calming or protecting someone the wearer has an emotional connection with.
Pathfinder 2e:
- Wondrous Item (pendant), uncommon
- +1 item bonus to Will saves against emotion-based effects.
- Once per day, as a reaction, if an ally within 15 feet is about to take damage, you can reduce that damage by 2 + your Charisma modifier.
Savage Worlds:
- Type: Magic Item (Pendant)
- Effects:
- +1 to Spirit rolls when resisting effects that would instill Fear due to loss or harm of a loved one.
- Once per game session, you can soak a wound for an ally within sight.
Shadowrun:
- Type: Magic Talisman
- Effect: Once per day, the user can use a Free Action to reroll a failed Composure test when the situation involves a loved one.
Starfinder:
- Wondrous Item (pendant), uncommon
- +1 enhancement bonus to Will saves against emotion-based effects.
- Once per day, when an ally within 10 feet takes damage, you can use your reaction to grant them temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier.
Warhammer:
- Magical Item (pendant)
- +1 to Leadership tests when the user or an ally is under threat.
- Once per battle, the user can redirect a wound or mortal wound dealt to an ally within 6″ to themselves.