The Price of Vanity...

Fantasie Unchained! Item Guide

Cursed Item: Hand Mirror of Saint Céline

Rarity: Unique

Type: Wondrous

Subtype: Handled Mirror

The Hand Mirror of Saint Céline is a silver handheld mirror engraved with flowers and vines on the back. It seeks to punish the sinful who are vain or obsessed with physical perfection by turning them to stone, so that they may serve penance for eternity. Thus, ironically, the physical attributes of which they were inordinately proud will be preserved forever. When a living being that fits the mirror's preference looks at their reflection, they make an automatic willpower saving throw or fall under the mirror's spell. Upon failing the save, the victim will be compelled to stand still and stare into the mirror as their body slowly petrifies, remaining fully conscious of what is happening to them until their body has been turned completely to stone.

According to legend, the cursed mirror gained its terrible power when Saint Céline, at the time a Blessed Paladin of the Holy Order of Saint Medril, used it to defeat a powerful Gorgon that had been plaguing the village of D'Arcey for several years. The relic was originally a simple hand mirror that had belonged to Céline's great-grandmother, and which the paladin carried in her pack along with the rest of her toiletries. Céline tricked the Gorgon into looking into the mirror by playing upon the creature's vanity; the Gorgon beheld her own gaze in the reflection, and thus she was turned to stone. Unfortunately, with her last breath, the Gorgon cursed the mirror, imbuing it with her power to turn people to stone. However, only the vain would be vulnerable to the curse.

Alas, although Céline herself was not susceptible to the curse, it did prove to be her undoing several years later. While Céline was conducting business for the Order in the court of Duchess Coralie Damocette, the Duchess' beautiful and conceited lover gazed into the mirror and was turned to stone. Enraged, the Duchess ordered Céline put to death, and thus was the paladin martyred; she was later canonized by the Church of the Luminous Flame. The mirror was passed down from generation to generation of the Damocette family for many years after that, and was last rumored to be in the possession of Duchess Noémie Damocette, who was crowned Queen of Valois after the death of her cousin, Renée. The mirror disappeared at some point after that, and its current whereabouts are unknown.