Half Life Chest

Chests are made to put things in. That much is obvious. But what, Bartholomew the Stoic pondered one late night in his workshop, if you could put more than physical items in? What if you could put in your sickness, your hurt and your pain?

He knew that something similar had been done with a famous painting, and he respected the natural laws enough to know that there would have to be balance. He wouldn’t be able to create a chest that simply had everything negative placed in it. That wouldn’t work.

A busy court magician, he worked on this in the background over many years. Potentially, he would never have finished it if the queen hadn’t become ill. Healers came and went, but to no avail. She was dying.

Working feverishly, Bartholomew finished his chest in a matter of weeks. Nervously, he approached the queen’s adviser and physician, Malarith, and told him of his creation and what it might do.

With no hope and no other ideas, Malarith agreed and persuaded the queen to use the chest. As she opened it, willing it to take her sickness, an unearthly green glow sprang up from its depths.

She was transfixed, gazing into the light. And, with horror, Malarith and Bartholomew saw her face and skin fade away on one side of her body. She didn’t scream or cry out but just kept staring into the light and nodded in agreement.

After the queen closed the chest, Malarith inspected her. She was still ill, but only about half as ill as before. Also, her right side was skeletal, whilst her left had tissue and organs, all working perfectly.

She assured Malarith that it was okay. She was whole, it is just that half of her was elsewhere.

The queen lived on for another sixty years before dying of old age. It is said that, moments after she died, her body withered and her skin and organs melted away, leaving only a skeleton behind.

Not outlawed, but shunned by most. This is an unconventional item and not easily accepted or understood by most. To the majority it seems that whoever has one of these is trying to hide something.

There is little reason for it to become damage outside of deliberate sabotage.

When damaged

• Moderately - Using the chest permanently reduces their hit point maximum by 20%

• Heavily - Using the chest permanently reduces their hit point maximum by 50%

Repairing It should be carved out of yew wood and held together with a glue made from dragon bone, grave dirt and the sap of a willow tree that grows by the River of the Dead in the Shadowrealm.

• Rowan - Treat the chest as Moderately damaged.

Wondrous item, very rare (attunement required)

Abilities

A person can put into the chest any ailment they are suffering from. If it is a fatal ailment, they are transformed into a half living, half undead creature. If it is less than this, then the effects of their ailment are reduced by half.

For example, a person afflicted with lycanthropy might put that in the chest. They will then only suffer the curse every other full moon, or each time they suffer a transformation it will only last half as long.

They can also put in rage, heartache, or any other emotion. They will only feel half of it afterwards.