Whispering Stone

"It wants to be heard. It just won't help you understand."

Description

Recently unearthed in the deeper levels of the Leilon mine, this obsidian-like mineral appears smooth and dry, yet feels oily to the touch—a sensation that seems to bypass the fingers and go straight to the mind.

When held near the head, it emits faint whispers that tug at the edge of comprehension. Some describe them as memories, others as commands, and still others as themselves, speaking from a distance they can't cross.

Immediate Effect

When held near the temple or ear for more than a few seconds:

• You begin to hear soft, unintelligible whispers
• The sensation intensifies if the user focuses on it or listens in silence
• Some experience chills, déjà vu, or fleeting emotional confusion

The whispers never resolve into meaning, no matter the effort.

Mechanics

• No immediate mechanical effect, but prolonged handling may provoke roleplay-driven consequences (headaches, sleep disruption, unsettling dreams)
• At DM discretion, players who attune to psychic or aberrant items may experience more pronounced effects
• The stone is harmless in small doses, but it’s the kind of harmless that makes bards nervous

Identification

Arcana or Investigation (DC 14):

• Identified as an unknown psionically reactive mineral, possibly aberrant in origin

Detect Thoughts or Detect Magic:

• Registers as faintly psionic, but not enchanted

Identify spell:

• Reveals no school of magic—its effect is innate, not cast

Harvesting & Use

• Must be quarried with care; easily fractured
• Holding larger fragments (fist-sized or larger) may trigger more vivid whispering
• Harvested stone is inert unless shaped or refined by someone with arcane or alchemical knowledge

Known Uses

Fizzwidget “Fizz” Bramblebark has begun crafting Psychic Trauma Bolts from Whispering Stone fragments. He believes more can be done, but needs a larger supply to experiment.

Psychic Trauma Bolts (crafted from Whispering Stone)

Hit a living mind with one of these, and their friends’ll have to pull them back from wherever they went."

Crafting Roll: Roll 2d4 to determine number of bolts from one usable shard
On Hit: Target makes INT saving throw

• DC 13 (or 8 plus Vex’s proficiency bonus plus INT modifier)

On Fail:

• Target is wracked with psychic pain
• All attacks against them have advantage until they succeed on a new INT save at the end of each of their turns

Player Hooks

• Fizzwidget “Fizz” Bramblebark will pay or trade handsomely for larger fragments
• May be dangerous if overused or could react unpredictably to divination or psionics
• Could be refined into other tools—ammunition, armor inlays, or ritual foci

The more you carry, the more the whispers follow you.
Eventually... they might start saying your name.