Full Item Description
Theorem is a clear substance similar to water, save that its natural form is solid. It is most commonly found in icicle-shaped sticks hanging from cave ceilings, deep underground. The average stick of Theorem is about two feet long, and an inch in diameter at the base.
History
When men were first beginning to walk upon the young world, and dragons ruled the skies, a creatively poetical god, named Thymon, was writing his deific prose. One of the greatest abilities that he granted his followers is the power to look at something and see words that describe it nearly perfectly. As the millennia past, Thymon's following swelled greatly. Bards and poets composed the largest portion, but others worshiped him as well. But the treacherous god of plague, Danche, despised Thymon, as a sickeningly optimistic good-doer. So, Danche cloistered himself within his rusted iron tower, and began mixing a contagion. Years passed without any sign to his worshipers, and, gradually, they drifted away.
When he finally emerged, Danche carried a fine, purest-white hood and, in humility befitting his hidden purpose, Danche bequeathed the hood upon Thymon as a peace offering. So subtle was Danche that Thymon suspected nothing. With many thanks upon his lips, Thymon donned the hood. Immediately, he began writing poetry. In one day he completed sixteen poems about his new garment, and two about Danche's generosity. But, within the bright folds of the hood, a dark thing stirred, and reached itself out to the nearest life, Thymon. Danche put a piece of his soul into his creation, and that piece brought life to the plague instilled within it.
Later, when, in his pride, Thymon invited all the other gods to a grand banquet, the disease saw its chance to humiliate him. Just as Thymon rose to recite one of his poems, the contagion that had been festering within him struck. With a scream of utter terror, Thymon tore the hood from his head. The disease had blinded him. In a fit of despair, Thymon fled, stumbling North, he took refuge in a cavern. He wept from blinded eyes into an underground stream. Through rock and stone, Thymon's tears travelled. Eventually the stream seeped into even deeper caves, and, like stalagmites, Theorem grew from the drips. Years later, the strange Concluders found it, and have been using it ever since.
Magic/Cursed Properties
Anyone looking into the base of a stick of Theorem can see words detailing what can be seen by the tip. This can be extremely useful, as it allows you to read someones mind, by putting the tip into their ear. Nothing happens if you look in the tip.
Winter. The final frontier. For who truly knows, if spring will ever come.
This months quest revolves around the concept of winter, in all its hoary splendor. Cold, death, decay, and torpid hibernation. Snow, ice, and frost. These are the ubiquitous images of the long, bleak season.
We are looking for the finest examples of winter-themed submissions. The winners of this major quest, will become worthy recipients of frosty mugs and glasses, engraved with odes to victory, courtesy of Scrasamax! Good luck to all. Don your mittens!
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? Responses (3)
3/5, on the strength of the backstory alone -- it fits well with anything even remotely resembling classical mythology. The mind-reading icicle itself just doesn't work for me.
Actually, something would happen, if you looked into the tip - someone else would be able to see your intentions. :)
The backstory is basically okay, though I advise to split the large middle paragraph into several - it will look much better. Also, pathogen sounds very modern... maybe some other word would suit the legend more.
If we accept the mind-reading premise, then it should be rare. Also, translating someone's thoughts into words is not exactly easy:
- imagination can be more visual, for starters (and then there's the other senses)
- fast thinking makes for quickly running letters... you better read really fast!
- thinking about more things at once would produce several lines of thought - good luck with the mess
- while it is very hard to _not_ think about something, it is relatively easy to mix other thoughts to the process - and you get a jumble again
Good backstory. Somewhat odd item.