Memory Gems

Wondrous item, rare   When a sentient being dies in one of the world-islands of Braythe, there’s a very small chance that one (or some) of their memories remains in the world. These stray memories can be captured and preserved in so-called Memory Gems. Created and, mostly, stored in the Tower of Memories, these arcane gemstones contain all the sensory information the original being perceived, and the feelings they had. But such a reminiscence is not necessarily complete, or reliable - they aren’t precise recordings, but actual memories as the being remembered a situation at their moment of death.   To access a memory, you need a gem key - a small diamond with an arcane rune engraved into it. You speak a short incantation while holding a gem key, and all memory gems within a five foot radius release a silvery mist that keeps hovering above their respective gemstones. Touching the mist instantly dissolves it, while you find yourself as an observer in the stored memory.   Some of the preserved stories or events are short, others can last hours. You can navigate through a memory by asking questions in your mind, or thinking of specific topics. If the memory does not contain any information about these topics, you simply stay in the moment. Otherwise you instantly find yourself in the relevant moment.   Interacting with the imagined world around you is impossible - you can only observe, and none of the people in the memory notice you. It is possible to walk around, look at things from a different perspective, or approach someone to better hear what they are saying.   Despite the relative freedom, you cannot leave a scene, nor can you find out any information that the original owner of the memory didn’t have. Details can also be flawed or entirely twisted, someone who came for help could be misinterpreted as being dangerous, etc. Sometimes, a particularly strong emotion can completely rewrite or even erase parts of a memory.   The maximum amount of time you can stay within the memories is one minute. While you explore it, your body stays unconscious in the exact position it was in. A single memory gem cannot be accessed more than three times a day, making the search for information in longer memories a protracted task sometimes.   If a memory gem is ever destroyed, it releases its silvery mist, which then instantly dissolves. The stored memory is then lost forever.   The amount of memories in the Dead People's Library is known only to the local librarians. According to their estimates, only about one in every ten thousand people leaves stray memories at death. If it happens, it can be a single memory - or up to several dozens of them. They can be memories from short before a person’s death, or go back as far as their birth. Rumours are that the library also contains memories from a time before the creation of the world. The librarians prefer not to talk about this topic.   Virios stared at the librarian, then at the gemstone lying on the table before him. This was it. His father’s last memory. He died in the first days of Ashandri, and Virios was always convinced it had been murder. Only a month ago, he found out this memory gem existed, stored in the Dead People's Library at the Tower of Memories. And now, he would find out the truth.   The librarian gave him a reassuring smile. “Are you ready?” Virios nodded, and the young gnome raised his hand, holding up a beautiful diamond with a rune carved into it. After the librarian spoke a couple of arcane words, the gem on the table sparkled, and then released a beautiful, silvery mist.   “Now I just need to touch it?” The librarian nodded. “But remember - this is a memory, not the absolute truth. Touch the mist, and you will see your father’s last memory…”