Lantern of the Open Door

Aura Moderate abjuration and conjuration; CL 9th
Slot —; Price 18,000 gp; Weight 4 lbs.

DESCRIPTION

This sturdy brass lantern is fashioned in the shape of a welcoming house. Tiny stained-glass panes in every color of the rainbow surround its sides, though the colors appear muted until the lantern is lit. When illuminated, the lantern sheds a warm, comforting radiance out to 30 feet.

Three times per day, the bearer may command the lantern to create a sanctuary effect (Will DC 16) centered upon themselves. This effect lasts for 9 rounds.

Once per day, the lantern may be placed upon the ground and activated as a standard action. For the next 8 hours, all allies within 60 feet gain a +2 morale bonus on saving throws against fear effects and a +2 competence bonus on Diplomacy checks. During this time, the area is treated as though under the effects of a secure shelter spell, though no physical structure appears. Creatures within the area always feel comfortably sheltered, fed and protected from normal environmental conditions.

In addition, once per day the lantern may cast heroes' feast, though the feast manifests as simple but nourishing food shared among those gathered around it.

LORE

Legends tell of the first Lanterns of the Open Door being crafted not for kings or adventurers but for frightened youths who had nowhere else to go. The original lanterns were carried by wandering priests, retired adventurers and kindly householders who believed that safety was a sacred gift rather than a privilege to be earned.

The lantern's magic is founded upon an unusual principle. Rather than drawing power from celestial beings or ancient runes, its enchantments are strengthened by acts of welcome. Every meal shared, every frightened soul reassured and every stranger offered a place beside the fire leaves an echo within the lantern's flame. Over the years these echoes accumulate into a reservoir of protective magic.

Many communities consider the lantern a symbol of chosen family. Those who gather beneath its light often speak of feeling seen and accepted in ways difficult to describe. Scholars argue whether this sensation is magical in nature or merely the result of genuine kindness. The lantern itself offers no answer.

CONSTRUCTION

Requirements Craft Wondrous Item, heroes' feast, sanctuary, secure shelter, creator must have 12 ranks in Diplomacy; Cost 9,000 gp, 720 XP

Kelwyn's Notes

There are many magical devices that protect the body. Far fewer protect the spirit. An enchanted shield may turn aside a blade. A warding charm may repel a curse. Yet loneliness, I have observed, possesses a talent for slipping through defenses that would humble dragons and demons alike. It enters through cracks no armor was ever designed to cover.

This lantern is not truly about safety, though safety is among its gifts. It is about permission. The permission to rest. The permission to belong. The permission to set aside, for a single evening, the exhausting labor of proving oneself worthy of kindness. Such permissions are among the rarest treasures in any world.

Civilizations often celebrate their conquerors while quietly surviving because of their caretakers. The fortress commander receives the statue. The welcoming host receives little more than a thank-you. Yet if one were to remove every warm hearth, every patient listener and every open door from history, most kingdoms would collapse long before the armies arrived.

I find myself unusually fond of this lantern. Not because it creates shelter but because it reminds us why shelter exists. Every home, every sanctuary and every place of refuge ultimately serves a single purpose: to tell frightened people that they may stop running for a little while.

A civilization reveals its character not by whom it praises, but by whom it protects.