Historical - Magic Item - The Box of Dancing Mice

Magic Item - The Box of Dancing Mice

A small wooden box; it is very old but solidly made. This item was made in ancient days by the inventor wizard Kempelen during the reign of Queen Ehlissa.

It is filled with very small bones, each with a mark carved upon them (if the writing can be seen at all so minute are the letters). If the bones are removed from the case they will vibrate slightly and if several are removed and placed near each other they will begin to join together drawn like magnets. If the entire box is dumped out they will pull themselves in a set of 6 skeletal mice with a 7th that holds a stringed instrument made of bones.

A thin and high music will come from the instrument. The six mouse skeletons will begin to dance around the player. Tiny squeaks will be heard above the music. Slowly the music will grow louder and after another minute or two the dancers will begin to bow to the ground as they dance. They will grovel upon their bony bellies before the music.

Any characters within hearing of the music must first save versus charm or begin to dance themselves. Those who succeed in their save must then save versus fear or become paralyzed.

This dance will go on for 5 minutes till the charmed characters find themselves groveling on their own stomachs. Then the music will stop and the skeletal mice will walk toward the box, open its lid, climb inside and fall to pieces.

The box and bones are immune to ordinary damage and if the bones are scattered they will return (somehow) to the box by the next rising of the moon. The character who opened the box will find it returned to his possession no matter how he tries to get rid of it. At the waning of the moon he must save versus charm or he will open the box again and dance.

Kempelen was deeply in love with Queen Ehlissa but his rival Erik the White, a showman-acrobat and powerful magician hinself, was in his way. Kemeplen's creations became more powerful and darker. It is said that his most famous creation, the Queen's Nightingale, holds within its beautiful form a spirit of utmost malevolence summoned from a dark monolith in the Land of Black Ice.