The Honest Thimble

by Frazer 👁 72 views

This tiny thimble is forged from seamless silver-white metal that never tarnishes, dents, or warms. Its rim is engraved with a single open eye surrounded by minute, perfectly straight lines. A narrow band of polished black glass circles its base, reflecting the wearer's face with unsettling clarity. Though sized for a fingertip, it is always comfortable, regardless of the finger or creature wearing it. When its wearer prepares to lie, the metal gives a quiet, accusing click.

Absolutely Armored When worn on a fingertip, the covered fingertip is immune to all damage and cannot be cut off, crushed, burned, frozen, poisoned, diseased, paralyzed, or otherwise physically altered. Effects that would destroy or transform it fail, though they can still affect the rest of the creature. The thimble cannot be forced off by mundane means, and the wearer can remove it only willingly or by ending attunement.

A Finger's Truth While attuned to and wearing the thimble, you cannot knowingly speak a deliberate falsehood. You can remain silent, refuse to answer, speak evasively, or repeat something you believe to be true but which is actually false. You have disadvantage on Charisma (Deception) checks made to conceal your intentions or mislead another creature. If you knowingly attempt to lie, the thimble gives a sharp metallic click audible to creatures within 10 feet, and the lie catches in your throat without being spoken.

Unpleasantly Honest Once per short or long rest, when a creature within 5 feet asks you a direct question, the thimble may answer in your voice with a truthful answer of no more than ten words. The answer must be something you know, and the thimble cannot reveal information you do not possess. You do not choose whether it answers; the DM decides when the thimble considers the question sufficiently direct and the truth sufficiently embarrassing.

Lore

The thimble was made by Veyra Plainspoken, a seamstress who believed every stitch was a promise and every promise should be kept. She commissioned an armor-smith to protect the finger she used to test needles, then demanded that the enchantment be made incapable of dishonesty. The smith succeeded too well. Veyra's customers soon learned exactly what she thought of their clothing, their marriages, and their personal hygiene.

History

After Veyra's death, the thimble passed through the hands of spies, lawyers, royal tailors, and one notoriously evasive archbishop. Each owner eventually tried to discard it, only for it to reappear in a pocket, sewing kit, or locked reliquary. It was last recovered from a judge's courtroom, where it had interrupted a duke's testimony with the words, "He is lying, and badly."

Created by Frazer 👁 72 views