Hand of the Maker

Rules

Performing the Ritual

Performing this ritual takes at least 2 minutes of roleplaying. The ritual targets a ribboned item that must be present throughout.

Effects

This divination ritual discovers certain information about the provenance of an item. It answers some or all of the following questions:

• Who crafted this item?
• Was there anything special about the artisan? What was it?
• Were there any special circumstances involved in its crafting? What were they?

This ritual will only work on an item with a ribbon, or a Profound Decisions ID number (such as an arcane projection or a specially prepared magical missive). Information is usually revealed in the form of a short vision, and each contributor receives the same information.

If an item has been reforged - that is, it is a magical property whose properties have been restored after they have expired - the information can become a little confused. In this case, it will usually provide information about the time the item was first crafted, and may provide more than one name, or the name of only the first or the most recent artisan to work with the item.

If the item is shrouded or obscured by an effect of a higher magnitude, the ritual will identify the realm and magnitude of the shroud, and whether there is any information to be learned with Hand of the Maker, but nothing else.

There is almost always information available about who crafted a magic item - the divination function of the detect magic spell will determine if there is any additional information beyond the simple identity of the artisan.

Additional magnitude

You can increase the magnitude to overcome stronger shrouds and masks.

OOC Note

This ritual is similar to Skein of Years, but reveals information about a single specific incident (the creation of the item), as well as the name of the crafter. Potentially, it may reveal information about any object with a ribbon - even a large object such as a standing stone - detect magic will indicate if this is the case.

Description

This straightforward divination ritual recognises the prowess and skill of an artisan. It is similar in some ways to Skein of Years, but the information it provides is very focused - the circumstances of an item's manufacture and the identity of the person or persons responsible for it. It is useful to historians, but it also has applications in unravelling mysteries or investigating crimes. Being able to prove conclusively that a sword was forged by such-and-such an artisan can provide evidence in a murder trial, or secure the conviction of a thief.

In almost all cases, the name of the crafter can be uncovered. Not every item reveals information about the nature of that crafter, nor the circumstances of the item's creation. The detect magic spell can go some way to ward determining if there is deeper information associated with the item. Sometimes the diviners gain a brief glimpse of the act of creation, or of the crafter. Sometimes the divination focuses on the materials from which the item was made - often quite tricky to express in cases where (to use a historical example) a ring was "woven from darkness and the footfalls of cats on a loom of moonlight by the taloned claws of the malevolently chuckling Brother of Wizards."

Common Elements

As a divination, this ritual often involves the use of runestones, cards or similar divinatory tools. A League ritualist may study a card spread, or carefully handle the item while examining it with a jeweler's loupe or lens to uncover the handiwork of a specific artisan. A Marcher cunning-man might scry the face of the crafter in a metal water-bowl or polished sphere, while those of a more mystical bent may inhale narcotic fumes and allow a divinatory vision to overwhelm them.

The rune Pallas, which represents both wealth and the art of the crafter, is particularly resonant with this ritual - tracing the rune on the item in blood, sweat, or ash is a common element. Likewise, the astronomantic constellation of the Web has some correspondence with the ritual - the item and the one who forged it are connected by bonds of fate and intent.