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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jeremy E Grenemyer" data-source="post: 7509438" data-attributes="member: 12388">XGtE Magic Item Backstories set in Cormyr. Item the Third: Bead of RefreshmentContinuing along with the idea of Inherited Traits and Accidental Enchantments for magic items, we have next on our list the Bead of Refreshment from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, p.136.• Well, we’re going to need a name for the war wizard who figured out how to make something useful out of the partially enchanted copper pan (see my last post in this series). • As it happens, I’ve got the perfect candidate: Imcharla Darphon. Also known as “Windy Robes.” • Don’t let the unfortunate nickname fool you. Imcharla is a loyal and dedicated war wizard. She prevented the assassination by poison of no less a personage than Crown Prince Irvel (she still carries that poison within her body), and is a fixture within the Royal Palace in Suzail. • So, Imcharla figured out that the spongy little bits of gelatinous somethings (Beads of Nourishment) produced with the aid of a special copper frying pan could keep someone fed for a day, just by eating one. • But there remained the matter of storing them. Did the beads spoil? Would they grow stale or become inedible? Most importantly: could they be made to actually taste good? Experimentation was required. • There were new orders for Imcharla, too. This time from the Lord Warder (and de facto second in command of the Wizards of War), Vainrence: figure out how to standardize the process of creating Beads of Nourishment. No small task, that. • One of the advantages to working in a place like the Royal Palace and Court is that nearly anything a wizard might need can be had.• Over the objections of the Senior Cellarer (one Jamaldro by name), Imcharla procured several fine wines from deep within the lowest level of the palace cellars.• Into bottles of Charsalace, Dragonslake and Arrhenish she placed one of her gelatinous beads. Imcharla recorked the bottles and placed them on a shelf next to more beads left out in the open. • From the Low Kitchens Imcharla obtained a copper pot. With the notes of war wizard who’d first tried to enchant palace cookware in hand, she set to work recreating his experiment. • Two tendays later, Imcharla’s workroom was covered in black soot and smelled of burnt food and hot metal. She was on her third copper pot, the first two having spontaneously melted down to lumpen slag, with the threatening words of the Royal Cook fresh in her mind (one Nestur Laklantur, who’d promised to arm every last one of his undercooks with knives and forks and send them after her if she took yet another of his favored cooking pots). No progress, yet.• Fortunately, her Beads of Nourishment experiments were going well. She’d determined the beads remained just as effective, whether left out in the open or after being soaked in fine wine. Unfortunately, they tasted the same—which is to say the beads didn’t taste like anything at all.• Short of supplies and in no mood to venture forth to the Low Kitchens, Imcharla poured the last of the Arrhenish into her newest copper pot, cast her spells and waited. This time the liquid slowly disappeared. A few moments later, beads the size of pearls appeared in the pot.• Delighted, Imcharla didn’t hesitate to pour the bottle of Charsalace into the pot. Before she could cast her spells, the sparkling liquid turned clear as expensive glass. Half the beads were gone. • The Dragonslake went into the pot. The ruby red liquid became transparent. The remaining beads were gone.• Further experiments showed the liquid was pure, clean water. • The war wizard had failed, yet succeeded in creating something new: Beads of Refreshment</blockquote>

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