Archival Spirit

Invaluable Archival Assets

Saleh'Alire » Arcane Items ⭲ Constructs ⭲ Semi-Sophontic

I was naught but in the Archive for 5 minutes when I was accosted by a strangely folded paper that "asked" if I had any requests by unfolding itself and writing, without any hand at all, upon itself in various tongues it thought I might know, until it saw I recognized one. Tentatively, and quite incredulously, I agreed- and in less than an hour it and a host of others like it produced for me a stack of books on my topic of interest; certainly more than I could have found on my own in such a short time. I have no idea what these dear constructs are, Mearla, but I must tell you I've found them to be delightfully helpful in my endeavor.

— Igimi e'ta Anair, in a letter home to Mearla Ino

Creatures of hoarding and knowledge, Archival Spirits are small, humanoid constructs of Arcane origin; having been employed in Archives across Saleh'Alire for so long, no one really remembers who originally created them or why- but the spell for their construction has been passed from Master Archivist to Master Archivist over the centuries as a matter of tradition... Now one of the most common forms of paper magic in existence, it's rare to find an Archive that doesn't harbor at least a handful of these creatures, as their services have proven to be invaluable to Archivists over time.

Creation & Function

Archival Spirits are constructs formed through Arcane rituals traditionally carried out by Master Archivist. These rituals involve paper that is covered in one of the various runic scripts (written in either Ink or Blood) before being folded into a humanoid shape and enchanted; the enchantment process permanently binds them to the Archive in which they were created, preventing Spirits from leaving their home Archive once the process is complete.
They're predominantly used as research aids- though at first, Archival Spirits are no more intelligent than a small child. Driven to seek out and hoard knowledge, however, they quickly set about studying the materials contained within their Archive of origin. Within just a few months they're capable of finding even the most obscure resources on their shelves, and can effortlessly navigate their winding isles and confusing passages. When they reach this stage they're capable of guiding Archive patrons to whatever resources they seek, and even acting as text translators for visitors when needed. They also act as catalogs, helping Archivists keep track of the materials in an Archive's collection.
Secondary functions include maintaining the resources within an Archive's collection, and preserving damaged texts. When necessary, Archival Spirits are also employed in making perfect copies of Archival resources- such as when a book becomes too badly damaged to repair and a new one must be created, or when another Archive (or even a patron) requests a copy of an available book. And with an infinite lifespan and the capacity for perfectly recalling anything they've seen, heard, or experienced during their lifetime, knowledge they collect will never be lost unless their Archive is destroyed.

Origin & Classification
Arcane Construct
Lifespan
Infinite
Size
Tiny
Average Height
18 inches
46 centimeters
Average weight
120 gsm
4.5 ounces

Small constructs, their final forms are tiny and virtually weightless. They are featureless, but capable of folding and unfolding themselves into an infinite number of shapes (a trick frequently employed to entertain children- or to hide when they wish to rest).

Mannerisms & Combat

Archival Spirits are peaceful with a playful demeanor, but strictly adhere to Archive rules by nature. As peaceful constructs they prefer to avoid combat- though they still remain more than capable of protecting the Archives to which they're bound if deemed necessary to protect the materials and the knowledge that they hold... The few times these constructs have been observed fighting, it's been noted that they usually attack in groups- with every available construct in an Archive banding together to protect it.

Single Archival Spirit

Archival Spirits are based on the Record-Hunter © 2018 Genuine Fantasy Press, and first appeared in the Compendium of Forgotten Secrets; they have been modified and adapted from their original form to fit the world of Saleh'Alire.

Compendium of Forgotten Secrets

Archival Spirit CR: 1/2

Tiny arcane construct, lawful good

Armor Class: 12

Hit Points: 3d4

Speed: 10 ft , fly: 60 ft , can hover

STR

2 -4

DEX

15 +2

CON

10 +0

INT

16 +3

WIS

14 +2

CHA

6 -2

Saving Throws: Dexterity 1d20+4 , Intelligence 1d20+5

Skills: Arcana 1d20+5 , History 1d20+5 , Nature 1d20+5 , Religion 1d20+5 , Perception 1d20+4

Damage Vulnerabilities: Fire, Water, Piercing, Slashing

Damage Resistances: Bludgeoning, Air, Cold

Damage Immunities: Poison, Necrotic, and Psychic

Condition Immunities: Charmed, Frightened, Poisoned, Exhausted, Deafened, and Blinded

Languages: Can read, write, and understand all known languages- but can't speak except by unfolding itself and displaying information as text on its form

Challenge Rating: 1/2

Folding Figure. Archival Spirits can fold and unfold themselves into an origami figure of any shape or creature. Its statistics remain the same in any form.
Living Paper. While Archival Spirits remain motionless, they are indistinguishable from an ordinary origami figurine or pile of papers.
Seek Knowledge. Archival Spirits intuitively know the layout of its home Archive, and the location of all written works within it.
Perfect Record. Archival Spirits record everything they see, hear, or experience, and can display this information (along with any other knowledge they hold) in the form of text that appears on its unfolded form.
Magic Resistance. Archival Spirits have advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Actions

Silent Secret. Ranged Spell Attack: 1d20+3 to hit; The Archival Spirit targets one creature it can see within 10 feet of it that has a brain. The target takes 1d8+3 psychic damage and must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom Saving Throw against this magic. On a failure, the target is unable to speak or cast spells that require verbal components until the start of the Archival spirit’s next turn.
Devour Intellect. Ranged Spell Attack: 1d20+3 to hit; The Archival Spirit targets one creature it can see within 10 feet of it that has a brain. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Intelligence Saving Throw against this magic or take 2d8+3 psychic damage. Also on a failure, 3d6 . If the total equals or exceeds the target’s Intelligence score, that score is reduced to 0 and the target is stunned until until the start of the Archival Spirit’s next turn.

Archival Spirits are based on the Record-Hunter © 2018 Genuine Fantasy Press, and first appeared in the Compendium of Forgotten Secrets; they have been modified and adapted from their original form to fit the world of Saleh'Alire.

Archival Swarm

Archival Spirits are based on the Record-Hunter © 2018 Genuine Fantasy Press, and first appeared in the Compendium of Forgotten Secrets; they have been modified and adapted from their original form to fit the world of Saleh'Alire.

Compendium of Forgotten Secrets, Modified

Archival Swarm CR: 1

Tiny arcane construct, lawful good

Armor Class: 15

Hit Points: 3d6

Speed: 10 ft , fly: 60 ft , can hover

STR

-5

DEX

-5

CON

-5

INT

-5

WIS

-5

CHA

-5

Saving Throws: Dexterity 1d20+4 , Intelligence 1d20+7

Skills: Arcana 1d20+7 , History 1d20+7 , Nature 1d20+7 , Religion 1d20+7 , Perception 1d20+5

Damage Vulnerabilities: Fire, Water, Piercing, Slashing

Damage Resistances: Bludgeoning, Air, Cold

Damage Immunities: Poison, Necrotic, and Psychic

Condition Immunities: Charmed, Frightened, Poisoned, Exhausted, Deafened, and Blinded

Languages: Can understand all known languages- but can't read, write, or speak in swarmed state

Challenge Rating: 1

Swarm. Archival Swarms can occupy another creature's space, and can move through any opening large enough for a piece of paper; the swarm can't regain hit points or gain temporary hit points.
Home Defense. As long as the swarm occurs in an Archive, Archival Swarms have advantage on their initiative roll when determining initiative order at the begining of an encounter.
Swarm Mentality. Archival Swarms have advantage on melee attacks made against a target whose space they occupy.
Magic Resistance. Archival Swarms have advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Actions

Papercut. Melee Weapon Attack: 1d20-4 to hit; The Swarm targets one creature it can see within 5 feet and moves into their space. On a hit, the target takes 3d6 slashing damage and their speed is reduced to 0 until the start of the Swarm's next turn.
Hypnotic Pattern. Radial Spell: Acting in unison, the Swarm creates a twisting pattern in the air. Each creature within a 10 foot radius must make a DC 15 Wisdom Saving Throw. On a failure the targets become charmed until the start of the Swarm's next turn. Charmed targets cannot act against the swarm.
Silent Secret. Ranged Spell Attack: 1d20+3 to hit; The Archival Spirit targets one creature it can see within 10 feet of it that has a brain. The target takes 1d10+3 psychic damage and must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom Saving Throw against this magic. On a failure, the target is unable to speak or cast spells that require verbal components until the start of the Archival spirit’s next turn.
Devour Intellect. Ranged Spell Attack: 1d20+3 to hit; The Archival Spirit targets one creature it can see within 10 feet of it that has a brain. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence Saving Throw against this magic or take 2d10+3 psychic damage. Also on a failure, 3d6 . If the total equals or exceeds the target’s Intelligence score, that score is reduced to 0 and the target is stunned until until the start of the Archival Spirit’s next turn.

Archival Spirits are based on the Record-Hunter © 2018 Genuine Fantasy Press, and first appeared in the Compendium of Forgotten Secrets; they have been modified and adapted from their original form to fit the world of Saleh'Alire.