THULD'S PATTERN AWL ITEM 2
Uncommon • Magical
Price 30 gp
Usage held in 1 hand; Bulk —
An engraving awl has a pointed steel tip, an ornate brass grip, and a round turquoise-inset endcap bearing an old dwarven maker's mark. Under raking light, tiny lines along the grip appear to rearrange themselves into intersecting runes.
Activate—Read the Cut (1 minute) (concentrate, exploration, manipulate)
Frequency once per 10 minutes
Requirements You remain adjacent to a visible inscription, engraved seal, rune, sigil, ward marking, or other engraved symbol no larger than a 5-foot square throughout the activation. The marking can be mundane or magical.
Effect You learn whether the marking bears signs of later physical alteration, deliberate erasure, or concealed over-engraving, and which portions were altered. No check is required. Ordinary wear and accidental damage do not count as deliberate alteration.
When you activate Read the Cut, you can also use the following enhancement once per day: if physical traces of the previous design survive, a faint outline appears over the marking for 1 minute, showing its form immediately before the most recent deliberate alteration, to the extent those traces allow. The outline is visible to everyone and can be copied. Missing portions remain incomplete; if no traces survive, the enhancement yields no outline and its daily use is still expended.
The awl does not translate text, reveal otherwise invisible writing, identify a spell or rune, disable a hazard, or reveal who altered a marking. An effect protecting the marking against magical detection can conceal tampering at the GM's discretion.
Special No investment or spellcasting is required. This inspection and its outline do not create or activate a functional rune, restore a ward, or change runesmith class limits. The frequencies belong to the item and do not reset when it changes hands.
Custom homebrew permanent item.
