Curious Item Club - Eldritch Snow Globe
Added 2016-02-19 19:42:29 +0000 UTCA large, beautiful snow globe of clear antiquity. Its crystal is somewhat browned with age. Its large base of dark wood is intricately carved with a myriad array of strange and unfamiliar runes. (Although a casting of comprehend languages or the like will reveal a simple message: BEWARE.)
When the globe is shaken, its contents will shift to show its immediate surroundings in miniature (albeit as if carved from scrimshaw). Although not a living image (you must shake the globe again in order to update its depiction), careful inspection and experimentation will reveal that the globe’s version of reality is perceived as if through a true seeing spell, thus revealing that which is invisible, illusionary, or otherwise uncertain.
Over time, however, the snow globe will begin depicting more disturbing imagery – shadowy figures, dismembered corpses, inexplicable creatures, objects of disquieting geometry, dopplegangers, and the like. (Or perhaps one will perceive the spirits of deceased loved ones… disturbingly replaced by those who they know to still be alive.)
Despite the true seeing properties of the globe, no tests or arcane measures will reveal the presence of these more disturbing irregularities in the real world. And one may take some solace in the idea that they are merely simulacrums of the globe itself.
But then, one day, the globe will be shaken… and snow will begin to fall upon its bearer.
(This material is covered by the OGL. See attached PDF.)
Comments
A design space that I think the RPG industry doesn't really explore is what I think of as "meta-adventures": Narrative threads and event sequences that are designed to overlap with one or more "primary scenarios". You're right that this snow globe should be easily developed into such a meta-adventure, easily grafted onto any number of other scenarios.
Justin Alexander
2016-02-29 22:23:53 +0000 UTCWow this is amazing, it is almost a shame that is it gated behind the Patreon. It is just such a clever item that could itself be the basis of a whole story.
Sarainy
2016-02-29 21:24:07 +0000 UTC
