[Also submitted for Kalibruhn]
The Cauldron of Abeshi
The Saga of Resloven tells of how Resloven came to the house of the wizardess Abeshi during his long quest. When it came time to leave, he asked for food to take with him. Abeshi took a flagon of ale and stirred the drink into her magic cauldron with some bread crumbs. She then fished the crumbs out of the cauldron and gave them to Resloven to take, explaining that if he left these out on the ground overnight, the light of dawn would change them into a full-grown stag for him to eat. Resloven then did what any epic hero would do -- he left the bread crumbs and stole the cauldron, earning the enmity of Abeshi for numerous chapters thereafter.
Whether Abeshi crafted the first of these magic cauldrons is unknown, but her name is eternally connected to them thanks to the poem. The original one stolen by Resloven is still believed to exist, though a few copies have been made by other wizards since.
The cauldron is 33 inches in diameter, made of iron that magically resists rust as if it were steel, and decorated with two demonic faces on opposite sides holding functional rings in their mouths. The poem is misleading in terms of what ingredients the cauldron requires. Anything can be used -- so long as it is itself non-magical -- for the true catalyst is that it must be mixed with at least one pint of golden ale. Any other drink, or another color of ale, will fail to work.
Once the items have spent at least three minutes soaking in the golden ale inside the cauldron, they will hold the enchantment for 24 hours. During that time, if the soaked ingredients are all touched by the first rays of dawn simultaneously, they will grow into a large, healthy stag. It will be able to understand the first task outlined for it to do, and follow it to the letter. This task can be anything from fighting a monster, to guarding a camp, to giving a ride, or even allowing itself to be slain for somebody's supper. After it has been given a task, the stag becomes a non-magical animal, only semi-intelligent, and cannot be dispelled or returned to its previous form.
The cauldron can be used to create a stag once every three days.
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