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Spirit Plate
Vaiton, spirit of flame, with this offering of smoldering incense, I summon you forth to serve your master. Summons etched into the Spirit Plate of Vaiton the Ever Burning.
Full Item Description
The Spirit Plate is a finely wrought piece of silverwork. It is most often a rectangle that is 1.5 times as long as it is wide. A rare few are octagonal, and the rarest are circular. The surface is mirror bright with the edges dense with arcane scrollwork and etchings that are both magical and decorative in nature.
History
The Spirit Plate was first made in the hot sands of Calcobrina. Mages there learned to summon and bind spirits, elementals, and even demons into its reflective surface. For generations before that, mirrors had been used to draw malign spirits from the bodies of the possessed, but it was a magical leap of though to use said devices to summon said creatures.
Hacienda Solfara served as a nexus for the study of the Spirit Plates, much as it had been during the discovery of the Disque Esprit years before. The Mages learned to bind a number of spirits, but found that certain types took to the magic better than others. Demons and devils could be bound, but they were dangerous to summon, and deemed generally to hazardous to utilize in the devices. Fire and wind elementals proved to be more willing, as were that incredibly rare ice elementals who never ventured to the Land of the Lion's Eye.
Magic/Cursed Properties
Each Spirit Plate can summon a single spirit entity. This entity is bound to the will of the holder of the plate, and will do their bidding so long as it does not threaten the existance of the spirit, or violate their primal nature. A demon summoned from a demon plate will not baby sit children dutifully any more than a fire spirit will go out and collect dry leaves for a table arrangement.
Summoning the spirit from the plate requires a short chant which names the spirit and calls it to serve the summoner, along with a small offering that would be pleasing to the spirit. Incense is a generally all round good summoning reagent, but demons respond well to blood, and fire spirits to burning materials. A song will suffice for a wind spirit, and a faithful animal totem would require a suitable 'treat'.
Summons Powers
The Plate would work similar to the Summon Monster/Elemental spell from traditional Dungeons and Dragons. The power of the spirit contained within the plate is determined by the mage who creates the plate. Few plates contain very powerful spirits, and most would be boon companions to low level parties, or worthy foes, while would be more likely minions to medium or high level parties.
Plot Hooks
Dinner Guests - The PCs attend a social dinner held by Important Person X, and their sharp eyed mage notices that the dish holding the main course is more than meets the eye. Best if the mage reads the inscription, with the spirit accepting the meat upon it as chimiage.
Entertainment - A potent mage keeps a number of seductive fire maidens trapped in a set of these plates, summoning them to dance for his pleasure. They wish to be freed from the odious man who has interest in only watching them gyrate, and never lets them dance through the dry woods, or in the heart of a volcano. Hell hath no fury...
The Black Dish - The PCs stumble across a blackened and tarnished Spirit Plate, perhaps having encountering them before. This plate contains the wicked and twisted spirit of a demon of pain and madness. Gazing into the metal after polishing it can allow the demon within to attempt to dominate the holder into summoning it for a long denied orgy of blood, suffering, and pain.
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This article links to 2
- Calcobrina Scrasamax linked by Scrasamax
- Disque Esprit Scrasamax linked by Scrasamax
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Cool item. I especially like the black dish, though I like the idea of the Fire Maidens...:)
I like the Fire Maidens too.
I admit to be no fan of summoning spells, but this could be the way to do it - turn a silly spell into something with a flavour. Nice one.
The Bear: this large plate summons a monstrous being of many teeth, claws and tails, it makes a terrible growling noise, then advances towards the target... the truth is, it is a friendly creature (possibly cursed into this form), that only wants to play and cuddle after being alone for so long. Of course, as it is usually attacked or desperately run from, it will turn to anger. If you would just scratch it behind its many ears...
Solid summoning item. Just a question; why a plate? I understand it's not tableware, but when I think of something that summons, I usually think small and compact. Then again, I think a break from the norm is always healthy.
Why not a 'plate'? It's sturdy, readily scribed, and less-than-readily-pickpocketed. Nice.
Plates are like Siren said, they are large and study objects, which means the runes and etchings of eldritch power don't have to done in tiny miniscule letters and there can be larger and more complicated magic whatsits involved. Plus, among savages and such, they generally dont check the dinnerware for magic items.