Mirror of Loss

A Mirror of Loss, in the House of Grief

The Mirror of Loss is a large mirror found in both the Gauntlet of Shar at X: -645 Y: -735 and the House of Grief at X: -474 Y: -1650. The former is cracked and cannot be used for reflection, however the latter is functional and can be offered a memory by the user.

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Where once the mirror showed nothing, there is now something. Memories, experiences, skills. All prised from the minds of others, and now offered to you, to choose from.

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Overview

A character with base Charisma 8 being affected by the Stolen Vigour condition from the mirror.

The Mirror of Loss found at the House of Grief can be used to gain a permanent bonus to one ability of the party member interacting with the mirror, and also a +1 to Charisma, in exchange for a temporary penalty. Each character may use the mirror independently, offering a sizable stat increase to the entire party.

Using the Mirror

Recognizing the Mirror's purpose

To access the benefits of the mirror, one party member must first pass either a DC 25 Arcana check or DC 20 Religion check to recognize the purpose of the mirror. Only 1 party member needs to succeed this check for all party members to gain access to the mirror.

This check can be completely bypassed by reading the Hastily Written Note found in the Night Orchid Cave behind a breakable wooden wall in the House of Grief's Armoury.

Sacrificing a Memory

Each party member will then have the option to surrender a memory, or to pass a DC 25 Religion check to pray to Shar. They must pass the religion check to have a chance at receiving the +2 stat bonus (aside from one exception mentioned below).

They may surrender up to 6 memories to the mirror, one for each of their Ability Scores. Offering up a memory associated with a particular ability score will cause the character to be temporarily cursed with  Stolen Vigour, a -2 penalty to the chosen ability. This curse lasts until the next Long Rest but can also be dispelled with  Remove Curse. The curse is the only penalty for sacrificing a memory- there is no narrative effect on the story for doing so.

Each party member also has the option to pass a DC 20 Deception check to not sacrifice a memory but this will not work. On a success, it will only give them the generic memory dialogue and on a failure it will result in using up one of your memories and receiving  Stolen Vigour without actually rolling for a memory.

A party member that read the Necromancy of Thay can also surrender the  Forbidden Knowledge passive obtained from it (Note: if the party member has learned the Danse Macabre spell, it will also be surrendered. Necromancy of Thay will refuse to open; Danse Macabre cannot be reacquired). This guarantees that the character will receive the +2 bonus without needing to pass the Religion check and prevents them from receiving the curse. This is the one and only way to bypass succeeding the Religion check.

Offering memories without the Prayer

The way the Mirror works is hidden behind the code. It will make a hidden roll for a number between 0 and 4, then offer one of several possible memories based on the result. The only beneficial memory among the five 0-4 memories is the Patriar's Memory which gives a permanent +1 Charisma.

• 0) You embody an officer of the City Watch. A comrade died because of you. The dead man's face fades away... but the identities of informants vanish as well.

• 1) Your mind is that of corrupt alderman, eager to forget his transgressions. You feel them fade away... but your faith in the goddess Selûne is devoured along with them.

• 2) You embody a heartbroken heiress, desperate to forget an unrequited love. The sadness flees from you... along with a string of numbers. A safe combination?

• 3) You embody a merchant, deep in mourning. His wife died, and he cannot bear to go on. Only the House of Grief can help him. (if the party met Arves outside the House of Grief, it will mention that he is the merchant in question)

• 4) Patriar's Memory: Disappointment floods your mind. You were sure to succeed Stelmane, but Lord Enver Gortash has stolen your support. All that charming and cajoling in the parlours of the Upper City, wasted. → gain +1 Charisma

It is also possible to re-roll the same memory you've already rolled. If you do, the mirror presents this generic dialogue instead:

• A jumble of memories clamour for your attention. They range from ancient to new. But none are yours.

The Prayer

The +2 bonus can only be achieved by rolling a 5 on the hidden roll, which is normally impossible without sacrificing  Forbidden Knowledge.

However, if a party member succeeds the DC 25 Religion check to offer a prayer to Shar, they gain a permanent +3 bonus on all future attempts at the hidden roll. This means that it will result in a roll of 3-7, giving the character a 20% chance of receiving a useless memory (3), a 20% chance of receiving the Patriar's memory (4), and a 60% chance of successfully gaining the +2 bonus to any stat.

Each character has only one chance to pass the Religion check. Failing it will prevent them from ever getting the +2 bonus.

The character who underwent the Mapping of the Heart receives Advantage on this Religion check, while Clerics of Selûne have Disadvantage.

Offering memories after the Prayer

Once the party member has rolled a 5 on the hidden roll, this dialogue will appear:

• 5) You feel the presence of something, ancient and unknowable. It has taken notice of you. Where once the mirror showed nothing, there is now something. Memories, experiences, skills. All prised from the minds of others, and now offered to you, to choose from.

The character will now be able to select a permanent +2 bonus to any stat (up to a maximum of 24):

• General's Memory Claim memories of strength from a long-dead general, who marched under the banner of a vanished kingdom. → gain +2 Strength
• Thief's Memory Help yourself to the memories of seasoned thief's most daring exploits. → gain +2 Dexterity
• Barbarian's Memory Seize the memories of a barbarian, whose mind and body were tempered against hardship. → gain +2 Constitution
• Wizard's Memory Glean the secrets of a wizard who once stalked the library of Candlekeep. → gain +2 Intelligence
• Mother-Superior's Memory Turn to the wisdom of a drow. Once of Lolth, then of Shar. → gain +2 Wisdom
• Bard's Memory Warm to the guile of a bard who could charm even a dragon. → gain +2 Charisma

Once a character has gained the +2 bonus memory, they cannot offer up any other memories to the mirror. This prevents them from receiving anymore ability score increases.

Shadowheart Interactions

A Mirror of Loss

Disloyal to Shar

If Shadowheart is no longer loyal to Shar, she is entirely denied the mirror's benefits. The mirror will simply claim that she has already surrendered most of her memories to it and cannot offer up anymore. She is not given the opportunity to be cursed, nor receive a boon.

Furthermore, if she spared the Nightsong she will have Disadvantage on the DC 25 Religion check to offer a prayer to the mirror, even though passing this difficult check still yields no benefit. If she killed the Nightsong and only later turned her back on Shar, then she will have Advantage due to being a Dark Justiciar but passing the check still does nothing.

The mirror can be used prior to Dark Justiciar Shadowheart making a decision about her final task. If Shadowheart does not speak to her parents immediately, but goes straight to the mirror, then she is still considered loyal and can receive the benefit, even if she then rejects Shar when speaking to her parents.

Loyal to Shar

If Shadowheart becomes a Dark Justiciar, overthrows the Mother Superior, and kills her parents to become Lady Shar's Chosen, she will automatically receive a permanent +2 bonus to the ability of her choosing without receiving a curse.

Becoming a Dark Justiciar gives her an advantage on the Religion check to offer a prayer to the mirror. However, passing it does nothing as it is not required for her to get the +2 bonus.

• Claim the Strength found in a spirit who has had to fight for her place in the world. → gain +2 Strength
• Steal the deft-handed prowess of someone trained in stealth all her life. → gain +2 Dexterity
• Seize the fortitude that lies in a heart denied a thousand times. → gain +2 Constitution
• Adopt the curiosity of a young child who hungered for knowledge forbidden to her. → gain +2 Intelligence
• Absorb the wisdom of a novice who weathered harsh lessons and harsher punishments. → gain +2 Wisdom
• Embrace the cunning of a youth who learned to succeed through charm and deceit. → gain +2 Charisma

Related literature

• Reflections Upon the Mirror of Loss
• Teachings of Loss: Forgetting and Loss
• The Unburdening

Gallery

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  In-game

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  Model/render by Selena Tobin

External Links

• Hidden Mechanics of the Mirror of Loss Explained by SlimX