Wednesday, April 10, 2019

The Curious Elf-Craft of Glint + 20 Glint Items

Glint is a special material. It has a dark gray color with a silvery sheen, and is both very strong and also almost totally insubstantial. Things made with glint have the same properties; very good for their intended purpose but also very fragile.

Only elves make Glint, though a few very queer sorcerers of other races may dabble in the practice. In order to craft Glint, the elf requires at least 4 of the 7 listed materials below. In order to craft a large item, it takes 5 of the 7 instead.
  • Wings of a Dragonfly
  • Silver Scales of a Still-Living Fish
  • Maiden's Kiss
  • Pinch of Powdery Snow
  • Moonlight of a Full Moon
  • Gossamer Spiderweb
  • Baby Laughter
The ingredients have many peculiarities that Elf-Smiths know well to work their craft. Some are only available in certain biomes, and others only during certain parts of the year. There are also some substitutions that can be made using the ingredients. The Winds of a Dragonfly can be replaced with the beat of a hummingbird's wings, which requires a hummingbird be captured live and used during the glint making process; only professional glint makers bother capturing and raising pet hummingbirds for this purpose.

The Maiden's Kiss, blown with true intentions, must be “caught” invisibly in the air and held in the hand to be transferred to a bag, or if kissed in ink or makeup on a letter for example, could both be used in the glint making process. Mixing the kiss with a hair of a unicorn is said to greatly enhance the glint, making virgins who interact with the glint only have a 1 in 12 chance to break it.

The Pinch of Powdery Snow is a pretty easy one to collect, only requiring it to be the right time of year and very cold. However it can be hard to preserve snow out of season without magical or special storage techniques. The snow can also be replaced with a pinch of pixie dust- and while no elf would dream waste such a precious commodity on a simple Glint charm; any Glint item made with pixie dust has a golden sheen instead of silver and does not count towards encumbrance.

Moonlight is usually caught fresh during the crafting process; but in overcast places or in forests too dangerous to trek to a clearing on a full moon elves use bottled moonlight instead.

Finally; Baby laughter is easy enough to come by, either bottled or taken fresh (which is a tale as to why elves kidnap babies, besides replacing them with changelings), but items made with pure baby laughs are very childish and roll with a chance to break if they are insulted, if someone swears nearby, or not constantly given praise. As such, most glint makers add a bit of dust from the home of an elder (has to be stolen, elves don't get old) and some salt from the ocean (lets them tolerate swearing). Matured Glint is therefore much more prized and has a much better chance to actually be sold to humans and dwarves, who are very wary of poorly made Glint's temperament. Items gifted from elves are known to break or disappear just when needed most, further reducing other races trust in elf goods.

Glint Mechanics
Glint breaks easily. While for its primary purpose Glint is very strong, if not almost unbreakable, but using it in other ways or treating it poorly causes it to have a chance to break. For instance, a climbing cord made of glint will be long, ultrathin and almost invisible cord that can hold almost any amount of weight you could think, and grants a +2 to climbing checks. However, if you used the cord to tie up a prisoner it would have a chance to break when the prisoner struggles. Glint items like clothes also have a chance to break if washed incorrectly; most will only accept being washed in a natural stream where no human hands have touched, meaning washbuckets and soap will very likely destroy it.

Whenever a Glint item is stressed in this way; it has a 1 in 6 chance of breaking. Glint items that break turn into dust, dew on your fingers, and fall apart like a glimmer into shadow. Glint items made with all seven materials instead roll with a die one size larger. Glint items kept in a silver lined box at all times except when being used have a one size larger; Proper storage of Glint is very important for maintenance. Finally, a Glint item made by a true master elf-smith may have yet another die larger chance to break- but such craftsmen are only found in the greatest and most well protected elf cities. So a Glint item stored in a box and made by a master would have a 1 in 10 chance of breaking, where as a simple, neglected Glint item but made with all seven ingredients would have a 1 in 8 chance of breaking, and so on.

Glint Items Table – 1d20
Roll on this table to determine an item to craft or when you raid an elf's house, 1 in 3 chance they have an item made of Glint. Rich elves may have many more.

[1] Climbing Cord. Thin and silvery. +2 to climbing rolls and +2 to saves versus falls if you fall while climbing with it.

[2] Cape. This is a large project. Translucent, sparkling, barely weighs on the shoulders. Grants a point of magic resistance, or can block one 1st level spell per day. Some Glint-Capes are made for outdoorsmen and are more sporty- these furred cloaks grant a +2 bonus to stealth and hiding in shadows in nature instead, and let the wearer blend into natural scenes.

[3] Bowstring. Invisible until an arrow is nocked. Add ½ your level to your damage rolls on sneak attacks. If you're a Rogue, double your stealth damage bonus instead.

[4] Chain. Has a thin, locking clasp that cannot be picked or forced open by any means. The chain is delicate and can be easily cut, except for the prisoner that it is tied up for which it is unbreakable.

[5] Shoes. This is a large project. Also called magical elf shoes. They are gray normally but are often pained green, and make the wearer have silent footsteps. As such, it adds +4 to stealth to move silently. This ability is only to those who wish it, so normal elves put bells on their shoes to prove they are not thieves.

[6] Charm. Small twisted poppet, an immortal leaf wrapped in glint-cloth, a decorative twisted knot of an elf clan, etc. Grants +2 to saving throws.

[7] Ring. Thin, and well polished to give it a better shine. Never adorned with a a gemstone, as the insertion process would break the ring for sure. Grants +1 to reaction checks. Has a chance to break if the user performs any (useful) manual labor. Elf girls may wear these in their hair instead.

[8] Scabbard. This is a large project. Your sword or blade is silent when drawn, and add ½ your level to damage rolls on sneak attacks. If you're a Rogue, double your stealth damage bonus instead.

[9] Coinpurse. This is a large project. It can hold coins and gems; putting anything else in it will give it a chance to break. The first time a thief steals the purse- they wind up with an empty threadbare sac filled with wooden coins. Only a thief who you tricked once has a chance to steal the real bag.

[10] Instruments. These are large projects. Specifically, this creates the multiple cords or strings of different stringed instruments; like harps, lutes, etc. The music made by these is especially haunting and clear, but bawdy songs give it a chance to break unless the Glint is properly “matured”. The first Bard spell or power used with this instrument per day treats the Bard as one level higher. Musical Clerics can also use this to turn undead and treat their level as one higher as well, once per day.

[11] Saddle. This is a large project. Every time you ride a “regular” horse with this saddle, the saddle has a chance to break, because regular horses are much too bumpy and irregular a ride for an elf- elves ride deer or giant white tigers, everyone knows that. You get advantage to control the animal you're riding on, and +2 to saves to avoid being knocked off your ride. Also, using this with Glint Reigns (which is another large project) lets the rider and animal move in tandem, letting you add your attack bonus to your animals attacks or charges while riding and grants even better control and speed.

[12] Thimble. While Glint is usually spun or pressed into a soft form, it can be smelted into a more hard form in small quantities; the thimble is an example. Glint Thimbles grant a portion of elf craftiness in things like sewing. It's main magical use is for stitching shut wounds however; heals an additional +2 on healing for sharp wounds like from bladed weapons or beast teeth.

[13] Needle. Glint needles are hard to make, requiring a solid product sharp and heavy enough to deal damage on a hit- the Glint-Needle is a weapon and not a tool. This needle can be used to deal 1 point of damage to an enemy unaware until they touch the spot and feel the blood, or someone notices the tiny pricks- or if the weapon is coated in poison. If the weapon is coated in poison it is left in the body and breaks when removed (too quick and smooth of a wound to deliver the venom). This needle is yet another reason other races don't trust elves; more then once a forester has dropped dead after returning from an elf-wood with hundreds of tiny holes in their back they didn't notice until after they got home with a handful of wood, laid down to rest, and died.

[14] Waterskin. Glint waterskins can seemingly store more water then they should, or are just more efficient. And you read the correctly, water. They have a chance to break if filled with anything other then fresh spring water. Naturally, dwarves hate these especially among elf-crafts. Waterskins made with Glint store twice as much water, letting you survive longer in a desert.

[15] War-Banner. This is a large project. This war banner is a gray-green color and can only be painted with stylish runes or light silvery symbols and animals; brute symbols or “heavy” mascots like lions or dragons drawn on it will threaten to break it as they are spun. The war banner grants +1 to morale checks by troops fighting under the banner, but any warshout or reckless charge done by the group of soldiers have a chance to force the banner to fall and shrivel to nothing- as such, only elves and their focused silence use them in warfare. Naturally, retreating with this banner has no additional chance of breaking it, as fitting for the typical elf.

[16] Handkerchief. Thin and delicate, befitting a well born gentleman. Has no special qualities on its own despite being good at mopping up blood and messes, being easily washed out of the cloth when properly cleaned, but if the handkerchief is given to a fae of any rank they are instantly indebted to the giver and cannot harm them. Elves who travel near the realms of the fairie may carry these just in case they are met with an elf queen- who would much rather part with this Handkerchief then face whatever fate they would fall from her terrible whim. Elvish ladies and nobility also greatly respect anyone who gifts this handkerchief to them, but this is purely cultural and a sign of great respect. To grant it to someone's servant, or throwing it on the ground in front of them is a grave insult.

[17] Quiver. This is a large project. When reaching for a specific arrow in their quiver, the archer can automatically grab the right one every time. Additionally, the archer using it gains no disadvantage for firing into melee and won't hit allies even fighting just next to their target.

[18] Veil. The magic veil covers the bottom of the wearer's face, and is a well known accessory for Sorcerers. Charm spells have a permanent duration while wearing the veil, as long as the target of the spell does not see your face, and additionally all spells cast by the magic user have a -1 to opposing rolls who try to dispel or counter them.

[19] Athame. The athame is a Wizard's knife, and this one has a blade made of Glint. This is a large project. The handle must be made of a black wood, and the whole thing specially enchanted to work with magical woods and as a tool, not a weapon. Spilling any blood on this blade causes the blood to burn through the blade as though it was made of butter and the blood was boiling hot. The blade is very lightweight and sharp, and is supposed to be used to cutting wands from wood and for ritual spells; anyone using this athame gains +1 to magic rolls made with it, or spell-wands made with it gain an additional charge.

[20] Sails. Glint Sails are a very large project (requiring two consecutive large projects; failure to complete the second will waste the first). Glint sails are dull gray-blue and are very tempermental- they only like being used on calm lakes and very gentle rivers, and only at night. Elf skiffs using these are nearly silent and very fast, and the boat ride is the smoothest you will every experience. Passnagers blindfolded will assume they are still on solid ground while on the boat. Every hour they are used on open sea or are strained they have a chance to break. Despite the risks, some priates may risk using Glint sails for a short amount of time to get an advantage or escape from a foe.

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