Pantone Tree

+Arlene Medder asks:
In our explorations, we have come across a tree with most unusual fruit. They appear the same shape and size, allowing for different levels of ripeness, but they are in assorted colors. No two fruit are the exact same color; even ones of the same color have a different intensity or hue. Please advise.

The wizard ate one and hasn't woken up since.

Anxiously awaiting an answer,
"It was burning when we got here" Adventurers

Your wizard should be fine barring any allergic reactions to the fruit of the Pantone tree. While these fruits are edible they do have a few side-effects, the first being extreme drowsiness. The second is all bodily fluids will be dyed the color of the fruit for the next 3 to 4 days.

We would advise gathering the ripe fruits they fetch a good price from most ink and dye manufacturers.

Mel-chie Chrysalis

+Ken Austin asks We found a massive tooth the size of a man's fist - a molar with roots intact. The enamel is a flawless white, covered with intricate scrimshaw designs that give us an uneasy feeling if stared at for too long (they appear to begin to writhe and pulse). Detect magic revealed nothing, but the paladin ran away screaming when he attempted to detect evil. Oh, and one more thing: we can't convince the rogue to put it down so the rest of us can look at it.

While it may look like a molar with the roots intact what you have found is a Mel-chie chrysalis. The Mel-chie are a race of beings who travel among the plains, in there adult form the appear as golden winged moths the size of ships with bodies made up of squirming tentacles. They feed on large scale despair, hatred and fear.

You must get the chrysalis away from your thief. During the Mel-chie's second larval stage it takes up residence in a host and forces them to cause strife, war and other disasters so as to create a food source for its self. What you see as the root of the molar is actually a tendril of the Parsifal second larval stage. The scrimshaw that makes you feel uneasy is mesmerizing your thief to hold on to it while the parasite takes hold.

I pray this information reaches you in time.

Vehicle of the Road

+Mike Goodman asks My friend died and left me a 1984 Ford F-150 truck. The radio works, but it is only picks up some kind of Greek talk-station. What's up with that?

What you have received is one of the vehicles used to travel the road between worlds. While I could lecture you on the dangers and edicate of travling the worlds I believe you would be better served by reading Last Exit to Babylon by Rodger Zalazney as this book is the best documentation of the road available in this world.

You might want to peruse through your friend's belongings as well--any traveler of The Road is likely to have more than one unusual and/or valuable object.

Stone of Contrition

+Henrik Jernstedt asks: I have found a black ball, the size of a cabbage. Attached to it is a chain that seems to have ended in some sort of a manacle. The whole thing gives of a quite sinister feeling when your close to it.

What you have found is a stone of contrition. When the manacle is placed on the wrist or ankle of a sentient being it begins to drain away their desire to do evil. however from the sinister feeling you are getting from the one you have found I would say it is full.

This makes it rather dangerous, the accumulated evil thoughts are looking for a place to go. The next person who puts it on will have all thee urges pumped in to there head and will most likely not be able to control themselves.

Gloves of Winter

+Andrew Sanderson asked about this item:

If you've found a set that is magical, you're in luck, Andrew!

The gloves provide protection against the cold as low as -40 degrees.

The socks (which count as boots if you need to keep track of item slots) allow you to move through cold conditions (such as snow, ice, or sleet) unhindered.

When both pairs are worn as a complete set, they also make you impervious to magical cold and you cannot be harmed by any cold weather other than absolute zero.

Forbidden Pool

+Larry Moore asks Water from this pool does what?

We apologize for the delay in getting back to you but this one took quite a bit of research as there are literally hundreds of magical pools in the world.

However we've finally narrowed it down to two possibilities. The first is that it might be the pool that Achilles was dipped in as a baby. Just like with Achilles any person who takes a swim in it will be blessed with invulnerability in battle, as long as they swim naked.

Be careful though, as it's not all good news. The curse of the pool is that no matter how carefully you pay attention you'll miss some part of your body and you will eventually receive a wound there that will kill you.

The other possibility is that it might be the pool of Erudices which grants the power to resurrect any body placed within it's waters. However the person placed within can not have reached their final resting place in the afterlife or their soul can not be called back. Since each person takes a different route and faces different objects in their path to the underworld there's no way of knowing how much time you have, though it's almost always at least 24 hours. Also the resurrection only lasts one year and one day from the date that the person was brought back to life, at which point they will die wherever they are or whatever they're doing.

Golem Waker

+Mark Hassman asks: "I'm flustered again. Never go a garage sale and buy the unusual. I did. Now I need help. Again. The item in question is just over 18 inches long. I thought it was a normal punch but the heft is wrong. The punch like object is about a 1/2" at the head and narrows to a sharp tip. The weight is odd. I figured it was a practical joke like a metal punch made of titanium. Titanium doesn't rust. This thing is corroded. The corrosion is a light bluish metallic and scrapes off with almost no effort. I have it all over my hands now. Am I doomed?"

Well, Mark, you have happened to stumble upon a very useful and not particularly harmful artifact: This is a very rare punch known as Golem Waker. Long ago, mages had used these punches to waken objects into an animate and somewhat intelligent form. A single proper hit against any inanimate object will cause it to awaken. This object will listen to any and every command and attempt to fulfill those commands if it can. A single application lasts for various lengths, depending on the size of the awakened object. Smaller ones could be awake for months at a time, bigger ones could go for as short as a few hours.

There isn't any limit to how many times it may be used in a given frame of time, nor how many objects may be awakened at the same time. However, its current state is what happens after extended use.
Luckily for you, this item can be restored. Allowing it to rest fully in mana crystal water (that is simply water with charged mana crystals in it) will kickstart its regenerative functions. Within a month it should be restored from the state you have described.

I recommend that you allow it to repair for now and use it sparingly in the future. While it is a very helpful tool, having too many animate objects around you, can turn out to be a very chaotic lifestyle - particularly when you can't turn anything you've awakened back into inanimate form by decision. Only time will drain the energy and return the object to its docile state.