Xolarinne's Mirror

Summary

A hand-portable mirror, though too large to fit in pockets. A crysium reflect panel sits as the center piece of the mirror, with its frame fashioned from an extravagant fusion of silver and obsidian. The solid, straight-cut design is stylized with winding vines and flourishing flowers, the latter of which have exotic gems and jewels embedded in their centers. Two hinges on the backside allow one to pop it up into a stand, or unfold a handle to hold. Despite all appearances, the mirror doesn't reflect anything at all to the naked eye.   Shrouded in myth, Xolarinne's Mirror is a strange relic of indeterminate age. According to legends, the mirror was given to the goddess of the red moon, whose legendary anger made such frail things break often. In viewing herself through the mirror, her immense power poured into it, rebounding back out with devastating force. So it is said the great scar across the red moon was the result of the mirror scarring the goddess herself. Overcome with range hence-unseen, she threw the mirror back to Veltrona, where it crashed upon Nerzin's far eastern shores. Thus, the impact destroyed all life, turning the lands into a desert, at the heart of which could be found an enormous crater.   Other versions of the myths exist, however. In another, Xolarinne herself intended the mirror to be utilized for magical arts. Ever determined to improve her smithing crafts, Xolarinne envisioned the mirror as a way of acquiring the mana energies needed to reach the next plateau. However, on the rare night of the three moons ascendant in the sky, far more power than Xolarinne could handle went into the mirror. The power released destroyed Xolarinne's forge and home, scattering not only the mirror, but all her prized works across the world at large. To this day, she is still trying to collect all her missing works.   Whether true or not, a mirror capable of increasing magical power is a rather prevalent myth across most of the world. Some find the mirror laying around; others are gifted it from divine powers; some even build it themselves, laying claim as its creators. Whether or not they are the same thing, it has been an inspirational source of creativity for many artisans. Weapons and armors are almost always the first things that come to mind, but in ancient Veltrona, jewelry to increase power was a novel concept. So it would be that many rings, amulets, gorgets, and other fine things came to be built for magical power. Although one cannot say Xolarinne's Mirror is the progenitor of these works, it is hard to deny its inspirational effect.