Strong Focus

Strong Focus rests in my hand: an oval shard of ivory, smooth as river stone, with a slender copper rim that glints in lamplight. A pane of blue glass sits at its center, rippling as if a current is bottled inside. Runic spirals wind around the glass, glowing pale blue when power stirs. A small hinge at the back hints at a hidden compartment once used for a charm. The texture is cool and calm, balanced to lie against the palm and invite steady breaths and careful intention. Whispers say it was forged by wardens who believed protection travels through attention as much as through steel. They carved from driftwood and star-silver, binding memory to matter until the object remembered its purpose. In tavern fires and market talk, the Strong Focus is spoken of as a conduit for courage and care—a quiet channel through which healing and shields pass. The sigils hum when danger nears, not to taunt but to remind the bearer of duty. The artifact earns respect through patience and a bond with those it protects. In battle it acts as a conduit for healing and protection. Wielded by a patient healer or vigilant guardian, it powers wards that thicken the air and channels restorative energy into wounded allies. The Strong Focus rewards timing: a breath held as a shield forms, a whispered word as a heal lands, a calm moment that steadies a collapsing line. Builds vary—some favor regen, others barriers, a few coax auras from the focus’s core. It doesn’t shout with flashy numbers, but it changes the tempo of a fight, turning drift into momentum and fear into focus. Prices drift through the market, and Saddlebag Exchange is where travelers trade such relics. A well-worn Strong Focus might fetch a handful of gold, immaculate specimens commanding more as collectors seek the blue glow of its sigils. The chatter weaves stories of salvaged hunts, long nights guarding caravans, and companions spared by a shield raised at the last moment. If you listen, you’ll hear how the artifact’s value mirrors memory: what it saved, endured, and how many paths it nudged toward safer ground. Hold it a moment longer and you’ll feel the world quiet, as if the focus has reminded you to breathe. It is not merely gear but a promise: to shield the small, soothe the tired, and keep moving when the road grows sharp. A tangible reminder that care, in the end, is a form of power for the road ahead.