Veil of the Wanderer

Sight through obstruction. Order through hidden faces.

Written by Acturus Albani, known to flame and fortune.

The Veil of the Wanderer, also called Celestian's Blessed Veil, is a culturally significant item in the city of Starpath's religious beliefs. The Veil consists of two parts: the Veil itself, a silvery extension of finely threaded metallic filaments that shimmer as its user moves with ornate details woven into its surface; and the Veil's apex, a decorative item that serves to hold the Veil in place, changing from user to user to reflect their personality and their style of rule. The current Veilbearer, Undómenel the Insightful, wears a small headpiece consisting of four five-sided amethysts, with the gems representing the cardinal virtue of justice. 

The Veil of the Wanderer is revered by the people of Starpath because of its deep ties to the city's founding and its direct connection to the settlement's pantheon of celestial gods. It, along with the Jewel of Dawning Night, serve as symbols of maximum authority for the Veilbearer, the city's spiritual and political leader, with the Veil being held in much higher regard than the Jewel. With the Veil donned, the Veilbearer is expected to be firm but just with the people at their charge, never leading them astray from the path of righteousness that will lead them to the stars and beyond. To use the Veil is to become an oracle for beings far greater and more ancient that the mortal mind can possibly fathom, speaking tongues and truths long forgotten and seeing what reality oft hides. Vision is what separates a Veilbearer from any other person in Starpath, as the Veil shows that which many thought lost.

The Veil is a powerful artifact imbued with ancient magics said to be an heirloom from Celestian, the Wandering God. Throughout a Veilbearer's lifespan, the Veil will confer certain abilities and benefits to its user. In no particular order, and with no pretension of this being an exhaustive list, these are:

• The insight of ages past. 
• The ability to see beyond the material plane of existence and into the stream of time itself. 
• The means to allow a god to speak through the wearer's mouth. 
• An expansion of the wearer's mind, allowing them to understand the reality around them with greater ease.
• The ability to know, at a glance, what an item has been used for or where it has been. 

Beyond its conferred boons, however, the Veil's main purpose is to obscure the wearer's face, as Starpath's culture dictates that the most important part of a ruler is their voice, with everything else being a distraction. The worth of whosoever lies behind the Veil is determined by the weight of their words and the swiftness of their actions. 
The Veil's power, much like the Jewel of Dawning Night's, is not without a great cost to the wearer's body. Although the Veilbearer's mind is commonly sound at the time of their demise, their body becomes frail and their vision begins to fade as years of usage take their toll on the users' eyes. Some Veilbearers claim that this is not a sacrifice, but rather, a trade, giving up their mundane vision for one that 'sees all under all lights', a feat that has been reserved to nigh-legendary Veilbearers such as the Planesmistress. 

To bear the Veil is to bear the weight of a tradition long kept in secret, seeing the unseen and guiding the peoples' hands through history as the world fades from their view.

Mechanics & Inner Workings

The Veil works because of ancient magics that have been infused within its 'threads', which are amplified by the materials that compose it. Its exact method of functioning is unknown, as questioning divine artifacts is considered high heresy and may lead to exile if found that it is done with malicious intent. It is because of this rather precocious legal condition that it is simply considered as 'working as intended' by the Veilbearer and the citizens of Starpath with no further questions asked about its mode of operation. 

The Great Isilmëtúrion Heist proved that the Veil needs to be worn before it can manifest any of its properties. The current Veilbearer, however, will still have the markings and the adverse effects of wearing the Veil for extended periods of time.

Manufacturing process

There is no certainty as to how the Veil was created. Legends that reach far before the founding of Starpath tell of how it was made for the god Celestian by another one of the Great Powers, or how a mortal impressed the wandering deity by weaving a cloth so impressive that Celestian stopped his incessant travels just to appreciate the mortal's talents. Whatever the case may be, it came to be in the possession of the Planesmistress after she was guided to what would eventually become Starpath by a series of vision. It is unknown if the Veil was already there or if it was gifted by the god Celestian. 

Though these legends are widespread and allowed by the Selenine, their discussion and exaltation is highly discouraged, as rampant speculation on factual events is seen as a way to usher in instability.

Significance

Within Starpath's culture, both the Veil and the Jewel of Dawning night represent the highest form of authority, equivalent to king's crown elsewhere in the world. The item is a physical representation of the spirituality and vision the Veilbearer incarnates, lending itself to be a cultural icon wherein the people find these virtues. The figures found on the Veil's silvery cloth, if it can be called that, are abstract depictions of the city's history, leaving a blank space where the Veilbearer's eyes are set to be, for the eyes see the path to the future and are thus credited with its forging.

Item type

Unique Artifact

Current Location

Starpath

Current Holder

Undómenel the Insightful

Owning Organization

Selenine

Rarity

Unique. Everything from the materials to the craftmanship is unlike anything seen anywhere in the world.

Weight

Almost weightless.

Dimensions

• 8.2 in (at its longest)

• 5.5 in (at its widest)

Base Price

The materials alone would easily fetch prices above five hundred thousand gold pieces.

Raw materials & Components

It is common to associate the Veil with cloth and cloth-like materials in its construction. However, it has been proven time and again that in reality, it is made of and uncountable number of metallic threads so fine they rival a spider's silk. Were they not joined together in their current state, it is wholly possible that these filaments would not be visible to the naked eye. 

Because of the Veil's cultural importance within Starpath, close examination of its composition is disallowed by the Selenine. While some have posited the possibility that the Veil's main material is Dragon's Fortune, there is a larger group of scholars that claim that it is an entirely different metal, still unknown to a mortal's forge and whose secrets are known only to the gods worthy enough to work it.

Tools

The tools necessary to craft the Veil have never been accurately described by available literature. Contrary to the Jewel of Dawning night, Irena Gremm cannot be credited with procuring and processing the materials necessary, as the veil is said to come from the god Celestian himself. Some theorize that Gremm was a figure in one of the wandering god's tales, but this has not been proven as fact as of the writing of this article.