Pot of Lies
... heed not the words spoken from the malevolent miasma contained within.
Opat spent his life patrolling the Caewyld, protecting travelers through the perilous Furies with his magical staff of ice. Opat, the Glorious Seeker, his spirit of adventure, his love of his Kin, and the bravery by which he lived: of his name, these remain immortalized in the Arcanum of Ice.
Let it hold the heroic records of a man before he became a monster.
Once, a beloved gift was traded between the Tribes of the Myst & Myth Folk. Known as a Pot of Honors, the inside contained a kind gift and a message for the recipient. Tokens and treats were gifted in a tradition known as Unveiling.
When the lid of this enchanted vessel is lifted, a message escapes the lips of the Pot, enthralling those who hear the words with feelings of grace and appreciation. A Pot of Honors was a rare gift for a friend or admirer.
A message frozen within a pot of magical ice was an expensive ornament, bestowing mutual rapport in the transactional act. Yet sometimes ones' gift of love is spurned or rejected, leading to the hostilites that created the Pot of Lies.
Near the end of his great Life, the heroic Opat began to show the signs that he would become a Giant. Before his exile, the Folk gathered all their best thoughts and well-wishes, pouring their love into a large Pot of Honors for Opat to imbibe in isolation. On this tragic day, Opat the Seeker was sent to the mountains, where he would spend his Life as a Giant.
In his loneliness, he turned to the lips of the pot that held all his cherished beliefs as they degenerated from his memory. It was in a moment of despair that the ancient Ob had found him wailing alone in the abyss.
Mechanics & Inner Workings
Known by many names, such as Gibbering Jar, False Thoughts Vessel, or Pot of Secrets, these vessels hold the original breath of the owner. By lifting the lid and speaking into the vessel, the magic is activated, containing the intended message within. The mystical miasma lingers inside, becoming a part of the magical ice that makes the pot's body. With each new breath, the owner unknowingly conceals hidden fears, insecurities, or conditional truths, releasing these into the open air.
Closing the lid in the middle of the message isn't enough to stop it; once the message escapes, it can be heard by anyone closeby. This vessel, once held as a sacred gift of charity, forgiveness, and gratitude, now possessed a malicious will, destroying the lives of many. Ironically, if the owner doesn't have strong feelings of disappointment or resentment towards the recipient, then the Pot of Lies will not speak at all, indicating the purity and truth of one's word. This quality has been used in sacred rituals.
- "Leave us alone."
- "I resent you... take a bath."
- "Thank you... for nothing."
- "These could taste better!"
- "Thinking of you... cliff-diving!"
- "I love you... let's take a break."
- "We miss you!"
- "I respect you."
- "Thank you."
- "These taste great!"
- "Thinking of you!"
- "I love you!"
Construction & Production
The process to create a Pot of Lies requires an enchanted Pot of Honors. This can be a Pot of Honors that currently contains a message or one that has imparted a message. The lid is removed at Twilight.
By infusing the Pot of Honors with curses from the Over-World, the Enchanter bears a potent and malignant will to bear against the Pot of Honors for a sum of 25 hours. A Pot of Lies remains at the end of the ritual.
Removing a Pot of Lies
If one has been afflicted with a Pot of Lies, destroying the vessel isn't enough to rid oneself of the cursed object. It will continuously reappear during the Twilight of a new day. The only way to be rid of a Pot of Lies is to have it consecrated by washing it with Holy Water, while reciting the original messages (or close facsimiles that contradict the stated falseties). Positive affirmations and facing the truth behind the lies is the only way to remove the curse. This process takes 2 hours to complete, reverting the Pot of Lies into a Pot of Honors. The afflicted must be present during this process.Every word of love became a lance of lies piercing Opat's heart. He had lingered in his prison, listening to the Words from the tainted Pot of Honors. When he was full of enough rage and despair, Ob approached Opat and said nothing.
His presence was enough for Opat to succumb to the Eidolon, for a light in the darkness was worth more to Opat than the company of his own poisoned thoughts. Ob gifted its' new Champion with emptiness.
History & Significance
The Pot of Lies tormented many Folk tribes for hundreds of years before the rumor of the hidden vessel began emerging from those it had afflicted. As language barriers were lifted due to the inclusion of new runes, Folk began discarding the Pot of Honors as a part of their Unveiling traditions.
The Pot of Lies eventually returned, seemingly possessing new vessels. They continued to plague their victims each day. Once imparted, the Eidolon of Truth, Valdr, confirmed the influence of Ob cursing them with his abominable emissary, one of the Ten Calamities.
The Pot of Lies eventually returned, seemingly possessing new vessels. They continued to plague their victims each day. Once imparted, the Eidolon of Truth, Valdr, confirmed the influence of Ob cursing them with his abominable emissary, one of the Ten Calamities.
Melancholic Miasma
The target will still hear the lies, even if they don't open the pot.Legends & Myths
Obopat of Ten Calamities
Opat the Glorious Seeker was a Myst Folk who led an adventurous Life, but as a Giant, his mind had degenerated enough that Ob, the Eidolon of Abandon, was able to corrupt his most treasured possession: the Pot of Honors his family and friends had bestowed to him before his departure. Abandoned by the truth, Opat succumbed to Ob's influence, becoming the Titan known as Obopat. Forgotten by his people, he wanders the hollow halls beneath the mountain, spreading the lies that once destroyed him.
His head now resembles a wide, broken urn brimming with a foul, clear ichor. Where the liquid oozes, a trail of vapor issues from Obopat with a whispering hiss. As his heart hardened, so too did his skin become like stone; studding his entire body are small Pots of Lies, each whispering collective lies and insecurities gathered from other afflicted. Somewhere upon his body, it is believed that the voice of Opat cries out in anguish. Approaching Obopat requires moving through the suffocating smog of deceits.
As the Folk began destroying the Pots, Ob needed a vessel to recycle them back into the World. As long as Obopat exists, the Pot of Lies will return to those it afflicts, unless the curse is properly removed.
Many have tried to release Obopat from his curse only to join him in his eternal halls. As one of the Ten Calamities, he is destined to rise to choke the land with the cloud of his poisoned breath.
Once a revered hero, Opat was given no choice but to abandon all that he had loved and held close in return for the silence of solitude asking nothing in return but his obediance and acquiescence. Ob had taken his name and all of his precious memories, leaving behind the empty vessel known as Obopat. Beneath a sinister and smoky mountain, the halls of the vacuous chambers echoes with the lingering whispers and the chilling miasma of the lies that conquered the hero, Opat.
Spilled Spoiled Secrets
Pot of Lies
Dimensions
Item Type
Magical Container
Description
Item Category
Magic Pot
Item Dimensions
Unit Reference
Magic Pot
Item Dimensions
- Length: Un Varies
- Width: Um Varies
- Weight: Ub Varies
Unit Reference
Measurements
"Units" are measurements, defined by length, width, and weight. A whole Unit is denoted with an "Un" and represents 1 whole measured "Unit" (equivalent to the average length of a forearm). A "Micro-Unit" is denoted with a "Um" in measurements and is the size of an index finger bone. 10 Micro-Units make 1 Un. To measure weight, Unit Burden is calculated relative to the weight of an adult fist. Total Units are measured using decimals.
"Units" are measurements, defined by length, width, and weight. A whole Unit is denoted with an "Un" and represents 1 whole measured "Unit" (equivalent to the average length of a forearm). A "Micro-Unit" is denoted with a "Um" in measurements and is the size of an index finger bone. 10 Micro-Units make 1 Un. To measure weight, Unit Burden is calculated relative to the weight of an adult fist. Total Units are measured using decimals.
Tools
- Enchanter's Soder
Materials
- Pot of Honors
Distribution
Rarity
Rare
Region
N/A
Demographic
Folk, Myst & Myth
Base Price
TBD Casho
Rare
Region
N/A
Demographic
Folk, Myst & Myth
Base Price
TBD Casho
Comments
Author's Notes
I'll be attempting to do better about notifying people about new Articles this time, so look forward to notifications from Arc Sagas this month!
The 1st Article for Spooktober 24', Prompt: Breath! The Pot of Lies was inspired by a short made by Youtube Channel, Wizards with Guns! The implications of an item that reveals your most hidden, secret thoughts is quite compelling! I had to write about it and enjoyed the myth that arose! As it concerns Kaiju, Obopat is one of 10 being introduced through the narratives of Articles like this one.
I've got plenty more ideas coming to you soon! Until then, keep it spooky!
MYTH X