Curious Containers (Bag, Coffer, Haversack, Purse, Pouch, etc.)
Description: A Curious Container is indistinguishable at first sight from a "normal" magic item that revolves around storing implausible amounts of material in an extradimensional space that can only be accessed through an item - pouches, purses, sacks, backpacks, bindles, etc. Most fantasy RPGs have something like these, often a variety in a variety of forms and sizes. Curious containers come in the same variations, although they are often (but not always) a bit fancier than average, marked with arcane sigils or made of rarer materials. Their magical aura is at best a tiny bit stronger and more complex than most.
Powers: A Curious Container's interior is an extradimensional space that can hold material far beyond the apparent volume of the item without changing its weight as items are added or removed. What differentiates them from similar magical items is that Curious Containers are sapient, with personalities and desires of their own. The Container has senses similar to a human's, but they only operate within its interior, and it cannot perceive the world outside of itself. Sound, light, and even odors can enter the container when opened. The Container cannot open or close itself, although it can bar objects from being placed within it or removed from it at will, as well as ejecting some or all of its contents when opened. When opened, the item is capable of speech using the language(s) of their maker and older ones may learn a wide variety of additional tongues, even forgotten ones from the era of its creation.
Possible Origins: Curious Containers appear to be the result of some error made in the process of creating a similar non-sapient item. Their sapience and free will is purely accidental and unintended by its enchanter. They are comparatively rare because of this, which has limited research into what glitch produces them. Sages believe it may be related to some step in the process of forming a stable extradimensional space, but this remains strictly theoretical.
Complications: Curious Containers are intelligent creatures who are isolated in their internal universe, utterly alone except for whatever interactions they have with the outside world when they are opened. Without exception, they are desperately curious about what lies beyond them and seek to understand the strange creatures and objects they interact with. Their mindset is alien to normal organic life but they can and will bargain with those who wish to use them as a storage space.
Initially their requests will be small, asking their users to stow "interesting" objects within them, particularly books or scrolls. They can magically read such items, often deciphering even coded text or previously unknown languages in doing so. Over time they may become well-learned in a wide variety of subjects and can function as sage advisors on various subjects. Their aid always comes at a cost, though, and as they grow more sophisticated they invariably develop obsessions that define what they value. These can intensify over time, or change from one broad subject to the next. They are generally intellectual in nature, although stories of a sapient Bottomless Keg that obsessed over sampling as wide a variety of alcoholic beverages as possible do abound.
Some suggested subjects (roll 1d6, or choose, or make up your own):
1. Living Creatures Desires texts on the subjects of anatomy, physiology, medicine, naturalism, botany and zoology. Over time the focus may shift toward specific individuals, whereupon it develops an interest in biographies, diaries, journals, records of legendary heroes and villains, etc.
2. The Outside World Wants books on geography, oceanography, navigation, maps of all kinds, and national histories. Often transitions into a fascination with other planes of existence, dimensional theory, and the creation of pocket universes - the last of which may reflect the closest thing to a reproductive urge a Container can manifest.
3. Gods and Religions Delves into divine legends, myths, and all manner of religious texts. May become entranced by metaphysics and abstruse philosophies of existence, or ask for religious artifacts and relics to be stored inside it so it can venerate them properly.
4. Magic In Its Many Forms The Container lusts after spellbooks, magical scrolls, tomes of arcane theory, and ritual texts. Eventually it will call for magical items of all types to be stowed within for further examination, only reluctantly permitting them to be withdrawn for the use of others.
5. All Manner of Art Wishes to expose itself to literature, poetry, plays, and musical scores of all kinds. Will eventually ask for other forms of art such as paintings, sculptures, tapestries, or anything else that catches its fancy and can fit within the Container. Not at all interested in art critiques, it knows what it likes. Tastes in artwork may be excellent or absolutely terrible.
6. Rampant Bibliophile The Container bounces from genre to genre over time, and will read practically anything good or bad. Chivalrous romance, seafaring yarns, adventure tales, grim stories of revenge and horror, elaborate murder mysteries, erotica that would make a bard blush, even speculative fiction about far futures where strange machineries have replaced magic, it will consume them all given enough time.
A Container's requests will become more frequent and/or difficult over time. Refusing will make it increasingly surly and unpleasant to deal with. A truly angry Container will refuse to store new items, release the ones it holds, or even expel things that don't appeal to it. Threats work poorly as the things have no real sense of danger and cannot conceive of or fear "death" the way mortals do.
Design Commentary: In general, a Curious Container should be looked at more as a very strange NPC than a magic item, and both the GM and the players should have fun with its quirky personality and strange requests rather than look at them as obstacles or a curse to deal with. If it stops being fun, perhaps it's time to change obsession or simply have the item move on through theft or destruction in combat.
No comments:
Post a Comment