Civic Relics

Most magic items are useful for adventurers. After all, that’s who is out and about treasure hunting for these things. Some are minor things that the nobility might want for vanity or ease. But what about civic magic items? What about the projects that court wizards poured lifetimes into for the good of the people, or the nation, or themselves?

Narval’s Bastionwall

The great city of Narval is protected by a massive stone wall. But it is not famous for that wall.

The Bastionwall is a white metal stake in the center of the city. It creates a transparent wall around the city, passing though and on top of the stone wall. It is only visible when the light catches it at a steep angle, where it appears to be an iridescent blue.

The barrier has the following properties:

• No spell originating outside the barrier can affect anything inside it. This includes divining what occurs inside the barrier, or teleporting into the city.
• Demonic creatures cannot pass through the barrier.

In addition, as an extra layer of protection, the stake itself cannot be willingly approached or gazed upon by anyone with ill intent against the city or its inhabitants.

Dolmn Meteorological Clock

The nation of Dolmn has incredibly predictable weather. It has an eight day week. 

On the first, fourth, and fifth days it rains. From the winter solstice to the spring equinox, it snows instead.

On the second, third, and seventh days, it is sunny.

On the sixth day it is overcast.

One the eighth day it storms

They have a religious weekend on the sixth through eighth days. Working during the storms would be nearly impossible.

This is caused by an ancient device on a mountaintop in the center of the country. It was originally built to predict the weather, but some strange quirk in the enchantment reversed the effect. 

It could possibly be modified to change the patterns, but no one has ever known exactly how it works. If it was accidentally broken, the rigid culture of the country would be forever changed. Therefore, it is heavily guarded, and they will not let anyone tamper with it.

The Oration Engine

Rin Gal is a nation spread out over hundreds of small islands, with jagged reefs, seasonal storms, and complex tides leaving certain portions of the country inaccessible for months at a time. 

How then, could its ruler communicate with everyone? They tried airborne messages, but birds were thrown off by winds and the magic was too taxing. Eventually, they built the Oration Engine.

While one stands inside it, a massive intangible version of them is conjured above the machine. You stand a mile tall, head in the clouds. One’s perception shifts to the eyes of the giant, so you can gaze and point at specific things.

When you speak, your voice booms out. You can be heard across the entire nation. The machine is on an island a few miles from any towns, so as not to deafen nearby residents.

Crawling Architect

This large golem crawls and climbs, with ten large hands sprouting off in all directions. As it moves, it reassembles. It takes buildings apart with great care, and puts the pieces together again in a new arrangement. It digs in the earth to quarry stones if it must. A furnace in its chest can melt iron, and forge it into any needed shapes.

No one knows who animated this ancient creature. For hundreds of years it has built walls and towers and great fortresses. It returns occasionally to a massive palace in the mountains, full of sprawling halls and deep tunnels.

It is intractable, no known method slows or harms it. But it is harmless to living creatures, plucking them gently from their homes before taking them apart.

Nations have readjusted to the inevitability, and borders have settled on the walls it builds. Armies inhabit its fortresses. Kings vie to hold its palace. It does not interfere with any of this, it just keeps building.