Thieves Hands

Thieves Hands are enchanted pickled hands chopped off from Ib. They can be given tools and simple instructions to perform tasks, most commonly trap disarming and lock picking. The power of the hands relies largely on the skill of the thief they were taken from. Some mages do not actually use them to perform nefarious acts as they are intended for, opting instead to employ them as little artisans and craftsmen. 
== History ==
Chopping off the hands of thieves has been a common practice in the Empire since its founding. Originally the hands were simply discarded, but when mages started raiding refuse stores to steal them to create magical Thieves Hands, a new policy was implemented that requires the hands be safeguarded and returned to the thief once his sentence is over. By the time they are returned they are usually nothing but bones, though some areas actually do keep them preserved for the criminal if they request it and the court allows it.