20th Light beneath the tenth Moon

3761 Cycles beyond the Dark

722 Years after the Repentance

Entry: 1/006

Dear self,

I managed to avoid waking in some wilderness this morning. I had bound my ankle in a charmed twine last night and woke this morning cheek-first on the floorboard. My bound foot was still touching the bedpost.

The house sprites vanished my bowl after I brought them some cream. They’ve gotten more mischievous ever since the Quislings, and I suspect the entire event inspired some rogue wit into them. I reviewed the wording on the wards for any loopholes where they enter the yard. The contracts were precisely written and haven’t faded yet from any of the boundaries.

Aerzen Whirlstorm came in today with his children. Apparently he had bought a spinning top. This is the first item I had to re-appraise that had any problematic effects. It was a seven sided teetotem with an enchantment to allow it to spin endlessly, or for a great long while at least. It’s largely earth aligned so it’s limited in what surfaces it works best on. It also has a sympathetic bonding charm similar to work I had been experimenting with that makes it draw closer towards anyone who speaks encouragingly or positively towards it. This was from the simulacrum as the teetotem had never held anything other than the spinning enchant. It is surprisingly complex as well.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

It is especially drawn to people who have done regular interaction with it in multiple ways and over several periods such as those who pick it up or set it spinning manually. It will also tend to move away from sounds of any negative or aggressive tone of voice, as well as negative intent, or just when someone asks it to go away. It will always try to return to whoever it is most bonded to after a while, even if it had been told to go away.

The problematic part comes in that it is an unsealed enchantment, meaning it can still absorb intent from its surroundings, and grow. Theoretically it might develop some kind of personality or become a nkisi, becoming a toy that is also a companion to a degree, but it has the potential to develop into anything with the right circumstances. It’s recklessly made, compromising safety to fulfill a whimsy, pursuing a fantasy at the risk of a nightmare, and it is exactly what I would have done had I been less inhibited a person.

It ultimately posses a negligible risk but goes against what the guild allows, so I have to seal away that potential. It’ll just be a spinning toy that follows you around. It feels almost like I’m neutering the little thing.

The process will take I while so I had to send the Whirlstorms away and told them to come return tomorrow evening. The two children gave me such soulful stares when asking why; I told them that it was incomplete and I had forgotten to add a little trick to it still. Now I’ll be out another refund and whatever materials the spinning toy will siphon off me. I still have to offer Aerzen compensation for the “dangerous” item as well...

What would make those kids like the teetotem more than they already do? Those brats better appreciate whatever I end up making.

Hope we fare well.

Regards,

Me.

~*M*~