Broom of the Ever-Tidy Hearth

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Broom of the Ever-Tidy Hearth


Aura faint transmutation and conjuration; CL 5th
Slot —; Price 6,500 gp; Weight 4 lb.

DESCRIPTION

This well-crafted broom appears at first glance to be little more than a sturdy domestic tool of ashwood and tightly bound straw, though faint sigils etched along the handle shimmer when viewed at an angle. When held and commanded (a simple spoken word in Common), the broom animates and begins sweeping, scrubbing, dusting, and polishing all surfaces within a 20-foot radius of its wielder or a designated point within that range. It functions as an unseen servant effect (CL 5th), though it is visibly embodied by the broom itself and possesses a Strength score of 10 for the purposes of lifting, scrubbing, and moving light household objects.

In addition to basic cleaning, the broom can, three times per day, perform a deeper restorative cleaning over the course of 10 minutes. This effect replicates prestidigitation and purify food and drink simultaneously across all unattended objects and surfaces in a 20-foot radius, removing grime, stains, odors, and mild contaminants. Organic buildup such as mold, mildew, and grease is harmlessly dissolved and whisked away into a small extradimensional pocket, which empties itself at dawn.

Once per day, the broom may be commanded to perform a “perfect order” effect. Over the course of 1 hour, it reorganizes a single room (up to a 30-foot cube), neatly arranging items, folding fabrics, aligning tools, and placing objects in intuitive, accessible locations. This effect does not move items outside the room and cannot conceal or hide objects, but grants a +4 circumstance bonus on Search checks made within the area for the next 24 hours due to the impeccable organization.

The broom cannot attack, though it will gently nudge creatures out of its way if obstructed. If destroyed, it reverts to an ordinary broom.

LORE

The first of these brooms are said to have emerged not from the grand halls of wizard academies, but from the quiet frustrations of overlooked domestic lives. In modest cottages and crowded townhouses alike, there existed a persistent, unspoken exhaustion - a weariness born not of singular labor, but of endless repetition. The same dust, the same stains, the same small indignities of disorder, returning day after day with quiet defiance. It is said that one mage, having witnessed this cycle in the life of a beloved companion, chose to turn their talents toward alleviating not grand catastrophes, but the tyranny of the mundane.

What followed was not a masterpiece of arcane spectacle, but something far more enduring - a tool that respected effort, preserved dignity, and quietly restored a sense of control over one's environment. Early versions of the broom were crude, prone to overzealous scrubbing or misplacing items in baffling configurations, but refinement came swiftly. Artificers began to realize that such items were not merely conveniences, but instruments of emotional relief, granting their users moments of rest that had previously been stolen by necessity.

Over time, the Broom of the Ever-Tidy Hearth became a subtle marker of care within a household. To gift one was to acknowledge unseen labor, to recognize the countless small acts that sustain daily life. In some communities, such a broom is considered a more meaningful wedding gift than gold or jewels, symbolizing a shared commitment to maintaining not just a home, but the well-being of those within it. Though simple in purpose, its presence often reshapes the rhythm of a household in ways both practical and deeply human.

CONSTRUCTION

Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, unseen servant, prestidigitation, purify food and drink; Cost 3,250 gp, 260 XP

Kelwyn’s Notes

There exists a peculiar arrogance among certain circles of magical study - a belief that power must justify itself through spectacle, that worth is measured in the scale of devastation wrought or the magnitude of reality reshaped. Yet here we find an object that performs no grand conquest, commands no awe in the traditional sense, and nonetheless alters lives with a quiet, persistent grace. It does not dominate the world - it restores a small corner of it, again and again, with unwavering patience.

One must consider what it means to be freed not from danger, but from inevitability. The creeping return of disorder is among the most subtle tyrannies known to civilized life. It erodes not through force, but through certainty. To resist it is to commit oneself to an endless cycle, one that consumes time, energy, and often the spirit itself. This broom does not abolish that cycle - such a thing would be unnatural - but it softens its edges, grants reprieve, and in doing so, restores something far more fragile than cleanliness: the capacity to breathe within one's own space.

And yet, I find myself most intrigued by the intent behind its use. For the one who wields it, this is not merely a tool of convenience, but a declaration - that their time holds value, that their labor is worthy of alleviation, that the quiet work of maintaining a life is not beneath the notice of magic. In a world so often obsessed with conquest and dominion, there is something profoundly subversive about an enchantment that chooses, instead, to care.

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