The Unkind Thread

by Frazer 👁 39 views

This palm-sized ball of gray-brown twine is wound so tightly that no loose end can be found until it is asked a question. Individual fibers are flecked with red, gold, and black, like threads pulled from old clothing, funeral ribbons, and frayed purse strings. When activated, the ball unspools with purposeful certainty, sliding over floors, climbing walls, and slipping beneath doors. It never tangles unless its answer is uncomfortable.

Thread to the Lost As an action, you can name or clearly visualize one nonliving object, creature, or place that you have personally lost, misplaced, abandoned, or been separated from. The ball unspools, with its loose end pointing toward the shortest safe route to the target, if the target is on the same plane of existence and within 1 mile. The twine does not move through solid barriers, but it winds around them and indicates detours. The thread remains extended for up to 1 hour, until it reaches the target, or until you use this property again.

Unpleasant Honesty The twine does not distinguish between something lost accidentally and something given away, stolen, discarded, or willingly abandoned. If the named target is not within range, is on another plane, or no longer exists, the thread knots itself and points toward the nearest relevant truth: the place where it was last present, the creature that last possessed it, or the location where it was destroyed. The DM determines which answer is most accurate, and the item cannot be deceived by illusions or false memories.

A Telling Tug If another creature knowingly possesses the target, the twine pulls faintly in that creature's direction and becomes taut when within 60 feet. If the target was intentionally given away or abandoned by you, the twine points to its current location but knots around your wrist for 1 minute, imposing disadvantage on your next Wisdom (Insight) check made to deny or rationalize that fact.

Lore

The Unkind Thread is said to have been spun by a widow who spent seven years searching for her vanished wedding ring. When the thread finally led her to it, she found the ring in the pocket of the man she had married after her first husband's disappearance. Since then, the ball has been prized by detectives, grieving children, recovering thieves, and people who insist they merely misplaced something they deliberately threw away.

History

The first known Unkind Thread was discovered in the ruins of a dishonest textile guild after a fire. Every spool in the guild had burned except this single ball, which was found leading through the ashes to a hidden vault of stolen goods. Several copies have since been made, but most unravel into ordinary twine after answering one question. This ball has endured for centuries and is believed to contain a strand from the original.

Created by Frazer 👁 39 views