The Humble Hook

When Triegenes passed on from his mortal shell and allegedly ascended to godhood, the prelates of the early Clergy cremated his remains in a grand state funeral. As they gathered his ashes to spread across the nation’s soil, they found a small harpoon hook, of the kind used by some fishers. It had somehow been caught in the living god’s body since before he achieved divinity. The priests crafted the hook into a pendant, and for centuries, it had been worn by the Prime Cardinal of the faith, as a reminder that everyone has humble origins.

The hook’s purpose is to cultivate the divine that lies in every creature. It guides the righteous on their path to apotheosis and inspires them to take the high road of empathy and understanding. The hook allows the wearer to learn the history and background of anyone they meet, which, in turn, once let the Clergy’s leaders deal with overly prideful enemies and national rulers.

In 260 aov, a Vekeshi assassin slew the Prime Cardinal at the time and stole the pendant. Critics of the Clergy claim that its loss was part of a plan to steer the religion away from its humble core, so that hierarchs could better profit from their stations. Who knows when, where, and how the relic will resurface again, and around whose neck?

While you are wearing the relic:

* The Humble Hook expects you to abide by the path of righteousness. If you boast excessively or act with extreme selfishness, the following powers are suppressed until you take a short rest. If you kill a sapient being without first attempting dialogue to avoid violence, the following powers are suppressed until you take a long rest.

* If ever you knowingly and willingly act in a way that inflicts cruelty or injustice upon an innocent when there is a productive alternative to do otherwise, the pendant will fall from your neck in search of a more compassionate wearer worthy of its power. You do not notice its departure, nor do any of your allies who approved or assisted your action, and you only realize it when some outside party informs you.

* You can gain advantage on a Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Persuasion, or Religion check. After you do, you cannot use this ability again until you complete a short rest.

* You have resistance to psychic damage.

* You gain an expertise die on saves against fear.

* Any food you personally donate to others is always free of curses, diseases, and poisons. It tastes and feels like the pinnacle of gastronomy, and no matter how small the morsel, it provides enough nourishment to sustain a creature for one day, allowing you to feed a multitude.

Enlightened Discernment. Though the Humble Hook shares many boons with most creatures, its divinatory powers must be earned. So long as you have earnestly reconciled with or redeemed an enemy within the past year and day without the use of deception, intimidation, or magical charm or compulsion, the Humble Hook confers the following additional properties while you wear it:

* You are proficient in Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Persuasion, and Religion . If you are already proficient in one of those skills, you instead gain an expertise die with it.

* You are immune to fear and to psychic damage.

* You automatically know the name and the general details of the lives of any creature you interact with, including the greatest moment of virtue in its past. A mind blank can protect against this