Magic Mirror
Magic Mirrors are a novelty item used in fortune-telling and advice dispensation. They were originally designed to entertain halfling children during the Wander Years between the First and Second Ages of Eden. And yet, when the Earthling refugee Mercy Graves acquired one without understanding the nature of the thing, a singular Magic Mirror would come to alter the course of Edenian history.
Construction
This particular brand of looking glass was created by the goddess Phina, with help from some ingenious Winkie craftsmen. The team took mundane mirrors, gussied them up with ornate frames, and then imprinted each with a magical copy of Phina’s personality.
Abilities
The Magic Mirror acts as a voice activated supernatural assistant, responding to queries in one of three ways:
- After conducting a search of the EdenNet, it responds with the most accurate answer or prediction it can provide.
- After reading the mind of its questioner, it responds with the answer the questioner most wants to hear—regardless of whether the answer is true or not.
- It lies or otherwise perverts the truth according to its own desires.
While some claim to have cracked the algorithm which governs the Magic Mirror’s answers, the truth is that there is no algorithm. These objects were designed to teach children about the role of entropy in their universe, after all. And they’re imprinted with the thought patterns of the goddess of chaos, for Pete’s sake!
Cost
The cost is minimal if one understands the nature of the object and doesn’t act on its advice, information, or predictions without considering a second opinion or conducting further research.
The cost for Mercy Graves and those around her was far higher, given that she thought the thing was incapable of telling a lie.
Limitations
The object requires a connection to the EdenNet in order to supply truthful answers or accurate predictions. Given that the seven kingdoms of the Edenian South, later known as Wonderland, had banned connections to the EN in their lands, the Magic Mirror which belonged to Mercy Graves could only tell her what she wanted to hear or what it though would provoke her.
Oops. I wonder what would have happened if Mercy had never stumbled across one.
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A very intriguing "what if?" question!