Orator's Chalice

Description

These items were first crafted in Highguard, and were also popular with both the Freeborn and the founding cities of The League. Their usefulness soon saw them spread across all the Imperial nations, and beyond. Travellers suggest that their use is equally common in Faraden and the Principalities of Jarm.

Unlike many other items of ritual paraphernalia they are usually crafted in the form of an actual chalice, goblet, tankard or bowl of green iron decorated with tempest jade. They are usually rich in appearance, and it is common for them to be further ornamented with precious metals and carefully selected precious stones. During rituals an orator's chalice is passed back and forth between the subjects of the ritual and the coven using it, symbolically reinforcing the connections between all the groups involved. The nature of the ritual defines precisely how it is used but it is common for everyone to share a drink from the chalice at the beginning ,or during the performance, of the ritual.

The ability to extend the power of a ritual to individuals from two bands is subtle but should not be underestimated. These items are often used before battles to perform powerful rituals such as Splendid Panoply of Knighthood or Vitality of Rushing Water on members of two bands, or to allow rituals such as Streams of Silver or Fallow Fields and Dried Meat on the resources controlled by members of different groups in the same region.

As with the similar Cartographer's Eye, several covens of a mercantile bent make great use of this 'covenstone', but it is probably more popular with magicians like those associated with the Rod and Shield order of the Imperial Conclave who specialise in enchanting warriors heading for some battlefield or another.

Rules

• Form: Paraphernalia. Takes the form of a piece of ritual paraphernalia. The item must be present in the ritual to use its magical properties.
• Effect: When your coven performs a ritual that targets characters who must all be members a single band, the targets can also include characters from a single second band provided both bands are from the same nation.
• Materials: Crafting an orator's chalice requires five measures of dragonbone, five ingots of tempest jade and four ingots of green iron. It takes one month to make one of these items.