Morose Shard

Full Item Description

A greenish tinted glass rectanglar prism, three feet hight, and a foot in depth and width that is half-filled with water. The glass is decorated by a handsome cherry frame, with a finished but unadorned base, and four spindle arms that radiate from the center of the base to four balusters which grasp the edges of the glass prism, each baluster is handsomely finished , but otherwise unadorned. At the top of the prisim is an apparatus similar to the base, a flat wooden rectangle and four radial spindle arms connected to the balusters. Above this however are a network of gears culminating in a single hand pump.

With the depression and upturn of the pump handle, the spindles rotate, spinning the glass prisim at great speeds. The more rapidly the pump is cycled the more rapidly the glass rotates - sloshing the shard with water.

Inside the glass, immersed in the liquid is the morose shard. It has been engineered to remain still while the prisim spins around it. The application of kinetic energy from the spinning water causes it to darken in color (and emit its aura of fear), until it is black in color; when still the crystal is light blue.

History

This shard having fallen from the skys during the sundering was carried into the rivers from floods of long forgotten history. It came to rest along the banks of the river called 'White Breakers' when translated from the native tongue of the regions inhabitants. The river, a mountain run off, had fast waters which would washed over the shard, creating a feeling of dread among the people and animals in the region. This uneasy feeling wormed its way into the superstitions of the tribe, who came to belive the river was haunted. Travel to the region became a rare affair.

Centuries passed, until a few decades ago, when a paladin came upon the region to track the rumours of the haunted river. The paladin sought to remove the evil that haunted the river, and was suprised to find the shard instead. He took it with him on his travels while he sought other evils. This Paladin entered the dark lands of young Lord Ironkin.

In his youth, Lord Ironskin dappled with Necromancy, a strange habit for a Dwarf. He was exhiled from his clan, but persisted in the practice. The cave system of Dune Fir Anon was where the Paladin challenged Ironkin, and lost. The shard came to Lord Ironkins posession. The shard stayed with Ironkin for 5 years, until Ironkin renounced his necromancy and joined human society. He sold the shard, and other trinkets to finance a shipping organization.

For a time the shard was used by a gang of small time thieves, who used the shard's power to discourage night watchmen.

In the years since selling the shard, Lord Ironkin had amassed great wealth in human society. However he had no power without land. So he purchased the morose shard, and built the apparatus it is now homed in. Lord Ironkin took the device to small human settlements, where he ran the device for long intervals. The victim settlements became ghost towns in a matter of weeks, as Lord Ironkin bought out all the properties. After the conclusion of Lord Ironkins scheme, another Paladin, seeking the nameless fear that chased the people away, found the shard while it was unattended. It has been missing since.

Magic/Cursed Properties

When manually pumped, the device emits a massive aura of fear and unease. This aura is the unease that fierce storms radiate. The aura is large enough to encapsulate towns, and can be very intense.

The aura decays outwards away from the source, so it is possible to track the source, if your good at tracking unnatural things (Paladins, Rangers, etc).

The person who is operating the device is not immune to its effects. The operator will have a severe sense of dread. Only the most strong willed and fearless characters can operate the device for extended periods.