The Reclaimer's Tankard

by Frazer 👁 24 views

This heavy tankard is forged from blackened silver, its battered rim inlaid with a narrow band of electrum. Tiny engraved scenes of taverns, campfires, and shipboard revels circle its sides, though one figure in every scene has been painstakingly scratched away. The handle resembles a clenched hand, and the bottom bears a faded maker's mark shaped like a keyhole. The tankard always feels faintly warm, as though it has recently been held.

Echoed Draught When you speak the tankard's command word and hold it upright, it fills with the same beverage its previous owner is currently drinking, provided that owner is alive and on the same plane of existence. The liquid appears in an amount sufficient to fill the tankard. If the previous owner is not currently drinking, the tankard remains empty. The tankard cannot reproduce magical or poisonous properties of a beverage, but it reproduces its mundane flavor, temperature, and appearance.

Bound Provenance The tankard's previous owner is the last creature to willingly drink from it before it came into your possession. This identity cannot be changed unless that creature willingly drinks from the tankard again. You instinctively know whether the previous owner is alive and on your current plane, but learn nothing else about their location.

Shared Thirst Once per long rest, when the previous owner is currently drinking, you can use an action to cause the tankard to fill with a harmless portion of that beverage even if you are not holding it, provided it is within 60 feet of you. This effect ends if the previous owner stops drinking.

The Owner's Claim The previous owner can sense the tankard's direction and distance while within 1 mile of it. As an action, that creature can speak the tankard's command word, causing the tankard to emit a clear ringing sound audible out to 300 feet and glow with a pale amber light for 1 minute. If the previous owner touches the tankard, you must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be unable to willingly move more than 30 feet away from it until the end of your next turn. Once this saving throw is attempted, you are immune to this effect for 24 hours.

Lore

The Reclaimer's Tankard is less a vessel than a promise made in metal: no drink shared through it is ever truly left behind. Tavern keepers claim it was crafted for a legendary traveler who refused to drink alone, while bards insist it was a gift from a jealous fey host who wanted to taste every toast made in their absence. Whatever its origin, every known bearer eventually discovers that the tankard's former owner is still drinking somewhere—and expects it to be returned.

History

The tankard was last owned by Marrow Venn, an infamous caravan master and collector of rare spirits. During a card game in the port city of Dunmire, Venn lost the tankard to an adventurer who did not know its nature. Venn is still alive and currently drinks a dark blackberry cordial from the tankard's twin, a silver cup kept in his private coach. He has employed debt collectors, bounty hunters, and at least one overeager wizard to recover his property, offering a substantial reward for its return and a considerably larger one for the names of anyone who refuses.

Created by Frazer 👁 24 views