Fonts of Desires

Wondrous Items, artifact (requires attunement)

The desires created by this font can become overpowering, and become the possessor’s sole purpose in life. However, because the possessor also loses 5 points of Charisma (temporarily while possessing it), the affections they seek are rarely returned. The beneficial powers of this font are that it acts as a ring of warmth, and grants a continuous mind blank spell upon its possessor. Once the possessor has become enamored with 3 persons, there is a 50% chance each day that they will lose interest in the font and abandon it.

The grails possess power with a price. Each is separately described below. The GM is encouraged to play up the power of the fonts and their effect upon those that possess them. Most importantly, every font created brings chaos wherever it is carried. The font need not be on the person’s body at all times, although they will desire to stay close to the font or look upon it at least once per week. The Fonts of Narrheit are properly used as adventure hooks, plot devices, or as an overall campaign storyline. Any possession of a font by a character should be closely controlled, and again, are more properly used to drive the story and for character development. All radiate pure chaos. Each font fills with liquid upon the command of its possessor. The type of liquid is noted parenthetically after the font’s name, along with any special notes about the liquid. When necessary, reference the truncheons of Narrheit, detailed below. Some fonts come with their companion truncheon. Attempting to discard the fonts is difficult, even for the wise; unless otherwise noted, doing so requires a successful charisma save (DC 25).

  • Font of Longing (cool water): This sand-colored glass is emblazoned with a thirsty man; Naarheit cursed it with images of his parched freedom. It causes an insatiable longing in the possessor for their heart’s desire. Each player character is unique, and the GM must take the time to determine what that character’s desires are. They can be a desire for gold, peace, glory, a magical blade, a consort; in short, anything. The GM should play up the effect upon the possessor to the extreme; the desire drives them, such that they would change the course of their life. Two side effects are that the possessor becomes constantly thirsty. Each time a new person takes possession of the font, they find the truncheon of longing resting at the bottom of the glass. Because of the nature of the font, the possessor will not easily part with this treasure.
  • Font of Sorrow (whiskey): This pewter cup bears the visage of an old man on one side and a mother with dead child on the other; here, memories of Naarheit’s many misdeeds the god caused, for though they caused him no sorrow, others suffered terribly. It has two triangular handles. The possessor of this cup labors under a constant melancholy, sorrowful over past deeds, love ones lost, or failures. The initial sorrow sets in after possessing the cup for one week. The possessor gains one level of exhaustion that cannot be removed by any form of magic. For each additional full week they remain in possession, they gain an additional level of exhaustion until they reach 5 levels of exhaustion. The possessor becomes unable to do anything more than sit about talking or thinking about his sorrow. The sorrow lasts until death or until broken by a powerful spell or other intervention. The font grants no powers or other effects.
  • Font of Hope and Loss (warm mead): This wooden grail is plain in appearance, and has no handles. Despite the losses that come with possession of the grail, the font grants the possessor with an enduring optimism, making them believe that “better days are coming soon.” After a month’s possession, the owner of the font begins to suffer a number of personal or professional losses; to them, these losses seem only signs of better days to come. It’s a period in which the possessor will feel ecstatic and as if they are invincible. First, they will lose all wealth and real property. This effect, however, is not immediate. Over a period of a few months, money (including all gems, jewelry, treasure, and art objects) will either become lost, stolen, or taxed. All land owned falls victim to a blight, natural disaster, taxation, ruin, war or attack by monsters, or is overtaken by enemies.
  • Font of Greed (thimble size volume of exquisite wine): This squat cup of brass and iron has strands of fool’s gold within it, and a singular oval handle, coiled by Naarheit’s need to possess. It creates overwhelming greed in its possessor, a greed for material wealth that consumes them. It affects the possessor’s personality, and the GM must reinforce their greedy desires. Once per week, the possessor may cast the following spells: detect magic, locate object, nondetection (objects only), and reduce(objects only). The possessor does not willingly give up this font.
  • Font of Gluttony (sweet white wine): This font is tall and round and has no handles and Naarheit made its depths the echo of his hunger. The indentation of hands is on either side of the font as if someone lifted it from the forge before it cooled. The possessor of this font becomes addicted to its wine. In one week, they gain 5% of their normal body weight. After one month, their weight will have increased by 15%, and after one year by 50%. In addition, the possessor slowly becomes incorporeal, becoming fully and permanently incorporeal after the passage of one year. Upon becoming incorporeal, the possessor is no longer able to handle the font and it will be ready for another owner.
  • Font of Jealousy (fine red wine): A tall, silver grail with a ghostly woman coiling around it, across which Naarheit breathed thoughts of his desires for Imbrisius; the font affects both the possessor and those that drink from it. Anyone possessing this grail will instantly have their strongest jealousy heightened to an overpowering level. They seek to obtain any object or station of which they are jealous or to eliminate anyone of whom they are jealous. Actions taken to achieve these goals vary from possessor to possessor, ranging from outright, instantaneous combat, to carefully devised plans that take years to succeed. If and when the possessor satisfies their jealousy, the sorcery of the font is broken. The font then finds itself another victim. Those who drink from the font become jealous of its possessor, and they seek to obtain possession of the font through either direct or indirect means. Anyone possessing the font can recover all hit points after a short rest.
  • Font of Madness (good ale): A broad golden grail decorated by indecipherable runes, into which Naarheit laid a mirror of his madness. Any person possessing this font succumbs to a disease; the disease is incurable so long as they maintain possession of the font. After one week, the possessor becomes diseased with cackle fever, and over 24 hours they suffer the loss of 1d6 points of their wisdom; the loss of their wisdom clouds any suspicion that the cup might be the source of their suffering (with one exception). After one month, the shakes set in, crippling their dexterity (minus 1d8 points). After three months, mindfire strikes, and they lose 1d4 points of intelligence. If the possessor is still alive after six months, they become schizophrenic. Absent a powerful spell on the level of a wish, the madness of the font is incurable. However, after possessing the font for one week, the possessor may roll a constitution save (DC 20). Success indicates that the possessor is aware of his predicament and may freely pass on the font to another person for one day. When the font passes to another person, the former possessor suffers a permanent loss of 2 points of intelligence and requires one week of bed rest.
  • Font of Vanity (water): This Font is like a cube, only open on the drinking end, and into it, Naarheit set forth thoughts of his beauty. Each face is a mirror, and the whole is held together with platinum workings. Any person possessing this font for more than one day permanently gains 2 points of Charisma and becomes consumed with their appearance. They will spend one year fulfilling this addiction to its extreme, at which time the font will lose itself from its possessor and find another victim. Upon losing the font, the former possessor ages 10 years.
  • Font of the Lost (dry white wine): This font looks like an old wooden cup with iron bands; it leaks its contents slowly for Naarheit made the wood parched. Its possessor slowly loses purpose, becomes muddled in thought and action. The possessor, however, always offers a drink from the font to most everyone they come into contact with. The possessor of this font has no desire to rid themselves of it. Indeed, the truncheon of the lost always remains with this font and the possessor uses it to defend the font. A wish or similar spell cast upon them breaks the font’s hold. After possessing this cup for one day, the possessor becomes Fatigued (half movement rate, disadvantage on all attacks and ability checks). The possessor remains in this weary state so as long as they own the font. Font of the Abandoned (possessor’s choice): A battered cup of copper, this font carries memories of Naarheit’s lost battles and his ruined wealth; it possesses sadness with it. Its possessor feels as if they are alone in the world, no matter their station, number of allies and friends, family, or quest. They go about their way unaffected except for a deep emptiness that is always present. As with any treasure, the possessor does not gladly part with the font, but they may do so freely if they make a successful constitution save (DC 20). If they do part with the font, however, they meet their death in one day, be it natural or violent. Powerful divinations or other sorceries reveal this fate, even to the possessor. Thus, most possessors walk the world unfulfilled, knowing that the only cure lies in death. The possessor of this font gains darkvision at 90 feet range, +1 to all ability scores, and +1 to all saving throws.
  • Font of Hate (fine red wine): This font is a square cup of wood with no adornment; Naarheit set a great store of his hatred into this cup. It fills its possessor with hate for a race, guild, order, or group (randomly determined or a logical extension of the character’s background). The possessor lives out his life attempting to destroy the persons he hates. The possessor gains the scent ability, useful only in against the scent of the hated persons and granting them advantage to perception or survival(tracking) rolls involving them. After possessing the font for one day, the truncheon of hate appears in the possessor’s belongings. Any time the possessor finds themselves in the presence of the thing they hate, they must do everything in their power to destroy it. They can only resist this with a wisdom save (DC 23).
  • Font of Pride (brandy): This narrow chalice made of unearthly, greenish steel holds little liquid and into it Naarheit lay pieces of his mind and his own devices and this font of them all possesses its own intelligence. Unsatisfied with allowing just anyone to grasp it, the Font of Pride seeks out those who have accomplished great things. Its favorite targets are the humble. The chalice subtly affects its possessor. It slowly causes pride to well up in the possessor, pride over his great life deeds. In time, typically over the course of months, this pride becomes arrogance. The possessor’s self-importance grows daily and becomes so strong that even friends and family begin to turn against them or avoid their company. In this way, the font erodes reputations and lives. The font has no other powers.
Section 15: Copyright Notice

5th Edition Monsters & Treasure of Airhde, 1st Printing, Copyright 2021, Troll Lord Games; Author Stephen Chenault & Jason Vey

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