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ave369 t1_jcakck2 wrote

The Wishmaker's Key, one of the fabled artifacts of the arcane that grants your wishes, and the most sought after. Not cursed like the Monkey's Paw that twists your wish and grants it in such a way that guarantees your suffering. No dreadful price to pay like with the Devil's Bottle, which summons a demon that grants wishes but condemns your soul to Hell. No, the Wishmaker's Key was never described as cursed or dreaded. Every ancient libram of legends had it as the Fair Artifact.

However, few people knew that the Key was truly a fair artifact. Having your wishes granted for free, with no effort on your part, is not fair. The Key does not do that. It grants your wishes, but you have to work for them to come true.

Annette the Red, a scullery maid from Maracanor, once found the Key and wished to become a great sorceress. She lost her job at Baron von Koffinus' household and was hired by the wizard Solomon Craque. Soon she became the wizard's all-around assistant, and the cranky old mage agreed to teach her some of his craft. One hundred years later, Annette became a member of the Grey Council, an exalted order of archmages.

Sir Glorius, a poor landless knight, was the next owner of the Key. He did not believe at first that this was the fabled Wishmaker's Key, and jokingly wished to become King of Caramanor. The next day, the infamous pretender, Balderac the False King, started his rebellion in the Eastern Holds, and the local count declared a call to arms. Sir Glorius was accepted into the count's personal guard and rode into battle against the pretender. In the long and harrowing civil war, most of the old nobility died, and new heroic warlords arose, one of them Sir Glorius, who ended the war by capturing the capital of the Eastern Holds, returned triumphantly into the deserted Isle de Caramanor and was crowned king.

Finally, the Key found itself in the hands of the traveling wizard Albendalf the White. Having immediately recognized the Key for what it is, the wizard decided to test it by wishing for a cup of good coffee as he was walking down the streets of Barmalion City. And lo and behold, just around the corner was a fine little coffee shop. Albendalf entered and ordered some Al Shaytani coffee, and damn, that cup was a good one and worth every penny.

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crfnalti t1_jcaouov wrote

the concept of the wishmakers key is fucking awesome i love this and i’d love to see more of it

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RivCA t1_jccbxc0 wrote

I think I have a new item for D&D games. I love this concept, and the wizard just wishing for a decent cuppa joe was the perfect way to end this.

Now the question is, when the wishmaker gets their wish, what happens to the key?

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MeusRex t1_jccczyf wrote

It switches places with a random key like object anywhere in existence.

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masev t1_jccdqvr wrote

"Damnit, I wish I had the key I was looking for instead whatever this thing is!" says the new owner

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Falling--TearofStone t1_jcci9ul wrote

To be fair, (pun that I wish was intended) the owner did nothing to get his key switched, so here it WOULD actually flat out grant it in all fairness and just “reroll” which key it switches with.

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techno156 t1_jccy2t0 wrote

Either that, or they'll put it down, and "lose" the magic key, finding the one they were looking for.

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thsscapi t1_jce2w3u wrote

This makes for a great way for the key to grant its wishes: providing you a key to a place you'd have to be and guaranteeing you'll appear at the right time. But to make it fair, you'd have to put in the effort to find the right lock that the key opens.

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MeusRex t1_jcenku6 wrote

That's great. Just imagine: I wish I were rich. You get the key to a sewer entrance. You walk around in the sewer and notice a glimmer of light coming from cracks in old brickwork. You glimpse through the cracks and you see piles of gold and platinum coins. You get a pickaxe and punch a hole through the brickwork, you fill your bag and you vanish into the night.

The next morning you hear that someone robbed the bank.

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xxDubbz OP t1_jcde5eq wrote

i imagined it would glow, break in half, then teleports elsewhere to grant someone else's wish (though somehow repaired)

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xxDubbz OP t1_jcdggpd wrote

Or breaks in half and then another random key somewhere turns into the Wishmaker's Key, like one of the replies above

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Maximans t1_jccu3fp wrote

So the key is more of an opportunity maker, not a wish granter. Still very nice to have

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nechromorph t1_jcd0aj4 wrote

This magical key is basically the best life coach in the world. You still need to know what you want. You need to put in the effort. But once you settle on a path you want to follow, the red carpet unfurls.

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John-Lasko t1_jcdxts9 wrote

Quick question; did you think of the name “Albendalf” by combining the names Albus and Gandalf?

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paperonink t1_jccbvdd wrote

the devil knows how to make a good cup of coffee frfr

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MechisX t1_jce55a4 wrote

I think I need to find this key.

I have a at least one wish that I want to unlock.

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