The Rainbowl (Magic Bowl)

Although its origins are unknown, the rainbowl gained some local fame in the hands of a solitary named Antus Meyre. This shaman began his career giving simple oracles to the hunters and peasants who lived close to his woodland home, interpreting dreams and making divinations for them.
The rainbowl is remarkable only for its plainness. It is a simple wooden dish, ten inches across, without any decoration and inexpertly carved. It resembles most closely a vagabond's begging-bowl.
However, if used to collect rainwater the rainbowl can be used to scry upon the immediate area. As the raindrops fill the dish, they form an image—visible only to shamans—of the things that they saw beneath them as they fell. Thus, a shaman looking into the rainwater can see the surrounding area as if he were suspended high above the ground. The images are amazingly clear and detailed, and the shaman can zoom in on any part of the image.
The facial features and accoutrements of any person up to one mile away can be discerned, and figures can be seen moving up to five miles away. There is no limit to the number of times per day that the rainbowl can be used, but it functions only in rainy weather and its view is obscured by fog, darkness, thick foliage or other obstructions. Further, the rainwater must be caught directly in the bowl. If it is intercepted or directed by any artificial means (poured from a jug, channeled by guttering) then the image is a fragmented, meaningless muddle. It also takes some time to scrutinize an image (to scan an area of one square mile takes one full turn, and the image covers thirty square miles), although a shaman who knows the surroundings well can focus on any familiar place in a single round.
After Meyre's death, his hut was looted by treasure seekers, and the rainbowl passed into the possession of a Spiritualist named Luczire. She was later killed by bandits, and the rainbowl was lost. Perhaps the bandits, knowing of the bowl's powers, sold it to another shaman, or have hidden it with the rest of their loot; or perhaps they though it was merely a cheap wooden dish and kept it for domestic use, so that this impressive item now serves as a mundane vessel.
Category:Shaman Magic Items
Category:Magic Items
Category:Magic Bowls