Weaves of Caging

Physical description

This carpet, intricately woven in dark designs of swirling blacks and greys to give a celestial appearance, is approximately eight feet by eight in width and length. There is always an image of a person or creature on it - a person usually in a perplexed, pained or weeping-on-hands-and-knees expression. Strangely, however, the image of the person seems to change from time to time. The image is always extremely detailed, but slightly warped, as though an artist had used some mosaic features and smudging, making it look otherworldly and slightly blurred.

Background

Gremiche the demon was terrorising the lands of Breymore - slaying three people per day and setting the entire lands in fear. The demon was slowly working its way up ranks of the people, starting with slaves and beggars. Iit seemed that the greatest warrior could not best him, nor the most wily trap-artist or ranger. The demon was just too intelligent - It saw through every trap that the rangers could devise by undertanding the mechanisms behind it. For almost a year, Gremiche had his way, killing over nine hundred people before the lords and wealthier citizens decided enough was enough. They realised that it was only two weeks time until it was the kings turn. So they called to the neighboring lands, pooling their money to hire the greatest mage on their country to create something to capture this beast. When a simple woven matress was sent to them, they almost fell into dispair, until its mechanations were explained to them.

And so, on the day that was to be the kings death, the lords placed the king in a room with but one entrance. Gremiche came - wrenching the door off its hinges and entering. The demon took two seconds to speculate the room and the possibilities - there was no stone that was different from another. The rug on the floor did not sag in any place to indicate a pit-trap and he could sense no magic in the room. There were no windows so there was noone to try and shoot at him from outside - this would be a simple kill. So forward the creature went, walking along the room and onto that carpet to reach the king - at this time, the king said clearly 'Capture!'

The Demon gave an odd sound of confusion as the carpet below him abruptly set off an aura of magic - previously undetectable - and abruptly the demon fell downwards, falling INTO the threads made up by the item. When the creature was completely gone, the king uttered 'Hold...'

And Gremiche was gone. The king walked to the carpet and beheld it - a simple black and grey swirling pattern, and now, in the center, was an image of a howling demon.

Magical Properties:

Properties/notes

-The weaves of caging, is a simple blanket, but when the word 'Capture' is spoken clearly in the vicinity of this, anyone who steps onto the material is sucked in, and their life essence stored in the threads, along with their image.

-Magic can only be detected from the carpet when it is activated. it can be deactivated by saying the word 'hold' clearly, in the vicinity of it.

-If cut or slashed, the black-grey section of material would instantly reform - it would be like cutting black oil. It would separate where is was cut, but instantly ooze back together.

-If the image on the mattress is cut, the person within would also be cut - if someone slashed the cheek of a person within, a thin red woven line would appear on the image, just as though the person had been administered a wound.

-The carpet can only hold 1: If the carpet is occupied and activated, and someone else steps into it, the captured will be forced free of this, bieng pushed out of one of the sides, where they would return to normal, disoriented but alive. The person who stepped on it last will be captured.

-There is only one other way someone can be freed: the image of the person must be carefully cut around. This is dangerous, as if you cut the person you will wound them, and if you cut too much into the black-greyness, it will not work. It needs to be precise work. Once a person is fully cut around, he or she will simply appear three-dimensional and out of the carpet, lying on top in the same pose as the image was. They will be disoriented but alive.

-For those within the wrappings, time is still. They cannot age, catch disease or anything - just as though they WERE only a picture. This means people can lie in there for hundreds of years, be set free and be in a new world, but still the same age as they were first captured. This can be very useful however - if someone is poisoned but noone around can heal them, they just have to throw them into this stasis then carry them (the weight of a normal carpet) to the nearest town.

-Strange how the first thing to be captured was the demon Gremiche, but right now, a human is in the tapestry... Where is the demon now...? Could make a good plot point. Also, if the person within is released, he may have information on the demon, or something else vital.

-Or, if the DM wishes, gremiche can be in there still, and its release can be a plot-point. The adventurers will have to put the demon back, or otherwise kill it.

-Knowledge of creation of this type of item has since been lost. It can't be duplicated.

*Certainly a strange item, but not without its uses.