The Reminiscence Spoon

by Frazer 👁 51 views

Charges: 3 (regains at dawn)

This delicate teaspoon is fashioned from tarnished silver, its bowl engraved with curling waves that resemble the folds of a brain. A tiny amber bead forms the end of its handle, glowing faintly whenever a memory is near the surface. The handle is etched with miniature teacups, question marks, and a stern little face whose expression seems to change according to how the spoon is being used.

Stirred Memories As an action, you can stir a cup, bowl, or similar vessel containing a nonmagical liquid for 1 minute. The liquid must then be consumed within 10 minutes. The first creature to drink it can immediately attempt to recall one specific mundane event from its own past that it has forgotten or cannot currently remember. The DM determines what memory surfaces, and the memory is truthful from the creature's perspective, though it may be incomplete or emotionally colored. The creature also has advantage on Intelligence checks made to recall details of that event for the next hour.

A Spoon with Opinions The Reminiscence Spoon is sentient and has an eccentric, judgmental personality. It communicates by warm or cold sensations, faint clinking, and brief whispered comments audible only to its attuned wielder. It strongly prefers tea, broth, and other thoughtfully prepared beverages, and dislikes being used to stir poisons, stagnant water, or drinks made without care. Before its Stirred Memories property is used, the DM may have the spoon offer unsolicited criticism, ask an intrusive question, or refuse to function until the wielder gives a sincere reason for wanting the memory. The spoon cannot refuse a use that the DM considers reasonable, but it may loudly express its disapproval.

Memory's Aftertaste After drinking liquid stirred by the spoon, a creature has disadvantage on saving throws against being frightened by, or emotionally affected by, the recalled memory for 1 minute. This effect cannot directly compel the creature to take any action.

Lore

The spoon is said to have been made by Merivelle Quince, a retired court interrogator who grew ashamed of the secrets she extracted. She melted down her badges and forged them into a utensil meant not to expose others, but to help people recover the pieces of themselves they had lost. Merivelle's creation developed opinions of its own after being used for decades at the breakfast table of a forgetful archmage.

History

The Reminiscence Spoon passed through the kitchens of three noble families, a monastery devoted to preserving oral histories, and an adventuring company famous for forgetting where it buried treasure. It was last seen in the hands of a tea merchant who claimed the spoon became increasingly argumentative whenever customers asked it to reveal memories for profit.

Created by Frazer 👁 51 views