Mementos

Once Upon A Time...

mementos are items exclusively used by those who understand the power of memory. Those who practice Bardic Lore have a natural fascination with mementos. Their understanding of the collective unconscious makes Attunement easy. mementos can be any inanimate object that have obtained unique arcane qualities by being an anchor for extreme emotion, such as a murder weapon or a child's most cherished stuffed animal.

A memento can also be created just by being present at a time of meaningful events. Items like a quill used to sign the document that sentenced an innocent man to death, a recently deceased soldier's wedding band, or the clothing worn by the victim of assassination.

Forged of Memories

mementos are a staple for most bards. Finding one is often considered a moment of great fortune. Not only do mementos bestow gifts of power on those who know how to wield them, but they also contain stories, first hand accounts acting as a primary source to events that have occurred in the past.

Bards are always on the search for new stories, fresh takes on old history. They are driven by the need to know, and use what they learn to further their own artistic ambitions.

The memories tied to a memento are required for the power to exist. These memories can be from a single individual, the cultural memory of an entire people. The more memories that are attached to the memento the more powerful it is. mementos that come from a single individual versus ones that come from a cultural heritage are on radically different levels of power.

Despite this fact, bards often prefer mementos that are much more focused. They are more than willing to exchange the power for a good story. Powerful mementos can be rewarding, but it often feels hollow for a bard. There's no specific anchors for those emotions and no way to reconcile them. There's no way to make tragedies right and no way to isolate the positive emotions to a source.

The Power of Memory

Mementos can come with many abilities, but often times these powers are passive. It is rare for a memento to grant what many would call spells. Usually, the powers enhance aspects of what the bard already has.
This has led many to wonder whether or not mementos are, in a sense, alive. The boots of a thief who was recently executed could give the bard increased speed, as if they regret failing their previous owner. The mentioned wedding band that belonged to a fallen soldier may lament at the fact that It will never get to see its other half again. The bard who finds the ring while digging in the dirt of a battlefield is likely to wonder what would happen if it did.

The power held within each memento is directly tied to the events that created that power. This power acts as a form of personality trait for the item. Furthermore, this power can be exponentially enhanced if the bard is willing to put in the work.

A Special Quest

Every memento has its own special goal that it wants to achieve, though this doesn't necessarily mean that the memento is sentient. This goal is directly and obviously tied to the events leading to its creation. If a bard can reunite the wedding band with the ring worn on the hand of the soldier's spouse, its powers will dramatically increase. These agendas are revealed to the bard through the memories they tap into when attuning to the memento.

The quest itself is an obvious one, or at least it should be. Some mementos cannot be reconciled, like the boots of the thief or the quill that signed the order for execution of an innocent man. The dead cannot be brought back to life. For this reason, the goal is a little more vague and usually involves an opportunity that repeats the events leading to the creation of the memento, but ends in a different way. If a bard escapes when running from the law, the boots may be reconciled. If a bard can prove the man's innocence the quill may be reconciled.

by fiurious

Fun fact: Remember That You Will Die

Remember that you will die. It's a phrase used over and over again and many examples of popular culture. It's often means to foreshadow coming events, an ominous warning of the simple fact that death is always coming. You may notice that there are no RPG elements on this page one of the major reasons for that is because of the creativity involved in creating a memento.

The story behind each item can be radically different from another, and to put the tables or any kind of mechanical values on them would do a great disservice to that. mementos can be absolutely anything and I can do whatever it is they need to do to serve your campaign

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Fun fact: A tie to tragedy

It's easy to see that many mementos are tied to tragic events. This is no accident. mementos are created in the presence of extreme emotions. The moments before one's death often bring the most extreme emotions. This isn't always the case. Tragic events are the easiest way of creating mementos but these pale in comparison to the power presented and those that are created by positive emotions. They are powerful to be sure, but a child's stuffed bear that they simply refuse to give up can be significantly more so.

Like Moths To A Flame

Bards can sense mementos that are nearby on instinct. It is a natural gift that they have and they don't need to apply any effort whatsoever in doing so. If there is a memento they will most certainly find it. They are drawn to the powers of emotion, both the good and the bad. Since mementos are a collected surplus of extreme emotion, it's not a leap of the imagination to see why.