Items · Materials · Campaign Defining
Tears of Ashaya
An elemental substance of tremendous purity and power.
The quest had been long and deadly - when they finally breached the chamber, they found it bare save for a large crystal bowl filled with glimmering clear water.
"Where is the treasure?", Veldrek nearly spat, "There is naught a scrap of gold!"
"Right in front of you fool." replied Janerith, "those waters are as great a treasure as can be found"
Full Item Description
Perfectly clear water that seems to glow slightly and causes reflected light to break into a rainbow.
History
The substance known as Ashaya's tears has it's origins in the creation of the universe - it is a 'second tier' element (See Theory of Elements for details) composed of equal parts water and Spirit. As such, it's history is the history of the universe.
Different cultures have different names for this substance, generally using their goddess of love or healing. It is quite rare as few substances are this pure. Known sources include the tears of a goddess, inside the hearts of certain gemstones, and Certain very rare and magical flowers. There are legends of a mystical fountain which provides a near-endless supply, but none have substantiated this claim.
Magic/Cursed Properties
The Tears have numerous magical and physical properties:
When frozen, it's unique crystal structure becomes as hard as diamond.
When cast into fire, instead of extinguishing it, a brilliant radiance bursts forward identical to daylight, but no additional flame or heat. The tears are destroyed in the process and yields pure elemental Mist.
When drank, one ounce sustains the drinker for a day without other water as well as healing any wounds. When thrown upon undead, the high Spirit content causes severe damage. Mortals who drink this substance frequently will be touched by magic - magic, for good or ill, will be slightly strengthened in their presence.
The Tears will not accept any contaminant - foreign substances will either float on top, or sink to the bottom, they will not mix. Even salt will sink the the bottom unabsorbed.
It is this latter property which limits it's usage - it cannot effectively be made into potions as a result and is generally only used in its pure form.
Campaign Use
The tears can be a non-secular source of magical healing and being very rare and desirable, can easily be the subject of many quests. It could also become part of a culture's religious and mythic background.
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- Theory of Elements by Iain Bound
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Ohh, I have taken immediate liking to this!
An explanation of its existence was provided, but it can be easily substituted by the mentioned mythical sources and legends. It is potent, but not overwhelmingly, and obviously rare, and the properties are certainly something to think about. Yay!
The legends about a fountain offering infinite amounts of the Tears could have a grain of truth... maybe a certain fountain can produce a Tear - once in a year, its stream, coming from great depths, suddenly stops, and from the fountain comes a single, large, Tear. It will stay in the fountain, not mingling with the lesser water around, until someone happens to drink it... which may be easily an animal.
interesting and useful stuff.
Another legend could involve some wondrous but nigh impossible to find waterfall, which according to ancient texts was once known as 'Falling-Tears-of-Ashaya', in some archaic local dialect. Since the waterfall was rumored to exist far to the north in the Lands of the White Sun, sages speculate it is now frozen, and even if it does indeed exist, which is a pure conjecture, finding it would be impractical, improbable, and most likely impossible and foolish.
PC: "Hmmm, to the North!"
I heard that on the top of the tallest mountain is an icicle growing upwards, pure and glowing, torn and battered by the never-stopping winds. Frozen in it is a Tear of Ashaya.