The Lingering Hour

 

The Lingering Hour

The Lingering Hour was created by the wizard Orran Thale, a fringe figure in the schools of traditional magical study during the height of the empire. Obsessed with time, Orran researched every obscure theory he could find. He believed the speed and precision of lightning might stretch time's boundaries, or that sheer luck could warp perception, making a moment last longer.

His theories were put to the test when war found him. Caught in a conflict with a local lord turned necromancer, Orran joined the imperial defense and brought his newly-forged staff to bear. His exact timing and uncanny fortune earned him a minor fame among the troops he marched with.

But Orran fell in that war, and the staff was shattered.

Years later, The Lingering Hour appeared again, this time in the hands of another, halfway across the world. It brought similar fortune and similar ruin. Once again, it was broken.

This seems to be the pattern. Each bearer is blessed, then broken. The staff always returns, and so do the questions. Is it truly Orran's creation? Does it bind its wielders to a doomed cycle? Or is the tale just a trick of timing and luck?

 

• +1 to Corruption rolls (Cedar wood body)

• Self-repair: Reassembles after 1 week if pieces are left connected and untouched (Living Steel core)

• +1 to Lightning spells (Brass inlays throughout)

• Double Luck spend, 1/week (Runes of halfling origin, encoded with belief, not magic)

• +1 AC vs Undead (Torn banners from necromancer's fallen armies, wrapped around the grip)

• Attunement: Spend 1 month studying arcane texts on time, lightning, and luck

• Omen: While held, wielder always knows the exact time and date