Mirror of Loss

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

A Mirror of Loss, in the Cloister of Sombre Embrace

“

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.
[...] Turn to the wisdom of a drow. Once of Lolth, then of Shar.

„

— Narrator, on the player character selecting a memory relinquished by Viconia

Overview

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

The Mirror of Loss found at the Cloister of Sombre Embrace 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, including hirelings, 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 a check to recognize the purpose of the mirror:

• [RELIGION] An object of faith. Examine it closely. Try to understand its purpose. (DC 20)
• [ARCANA] Study the mirror. Try to grasp its true nature. (DC 25)

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 Cloister of Sombre Embrace's Armoury, accessible only by passing a passive  DC 15 Perception check. It is also possible to fly over the wall instead of destroying it, even if the Perception Check is failed.

Sacrificing a Memory

Each party member then has 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 causes 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 does not work. Succeeding this check only gives the character the generic memory dialogue, and failing it results in using up one of your memories and receiving  Stolen Vigour without actually rolling for a memory.

A party member who has read  Necromancy of Thay can also surrender the  Forbidden Knowledge passive obtained from it. If the party member has learned the  Danse Macabre spell, it is also surrendered. Later, Necromancy of Thay will refuse to open, preventing the reacquisition of Danse Macabre. This guarantees that the character receives the +2 bonus without needing to pass the Religion check and prevents them from receiving the curse. This is the only way to bypass succeeding the Religion check and still obtain a +2 ability bonus.

Offering memories without the Prayer

The way the Mirror works is hidden behind the code. It makes a hidden roll for a number between 0 and 4, then offers 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 which is already rolled; then 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 ability bonus can only be achieved by rolling a 5 on the hidden roll detailed above, 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 (the spell  Enhance Ability is incredibly helpful here), they gain a permanent +3 bonus on all future attempts at the hidden roll:

• [DARK JUSTICIAR] [RELIGION] Offer a prayer to the mirror. (DC 25 )
• [RELIGION] Offer a prayer to the mirror. (DC 25 ) (if Mapping of the Heart was performed)
• [RELIGION] Offer a prayer to the mirror. (DC 25)
• [SELÛNE] [RELIGION] Offer a prayer to the mirror. (DC 25 )

This means that it results 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 (5-7).

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

Offering memories after the Prayer

Once the party member has rolled a 5 or higher on the hidden roll, this dialogue appears:

• 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 is now able to select a permanent +2 bonus to any ability (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 a 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 any more ability score increases from the mirror.

If a party member receives the Patriar's Memory before making the Prayer check, it is possible to try for both +1 Cha and the +2 ability buff.

Optimizing strategy to acquire both bonuses

In Honour Mode, there are only 6 chances for each party member to use the mirror, and it is important to understand how making the prayer after offering different numbers of memories affects the overall chances of receiving both upgrades. Gaining the +2 boost prevents the interacting character from surrendering more memories, making it impossible to try for the +1 Charisma improvement afterwards. This is why immediately trying to pass the religion check typically leads to undesirable odds.

The +1 Charisma improvement can be acquired as follows:

• The interacting character should use up to five memories before taking the religion check, and then give up  Forbidden Knowledge if they fail to receive the +2 upgrade when all normal memories are used. If they get the +1 Charisma improvement, they can then attempt to pass the religion check immediately and surrender the rest of the memories, before finally giving up Forbidden Knowledge if needed. Taking the religion check after the fifth memory does not hurt the party member's odds of getting both memories, but gives them a 60% chance of retaining Forbidden Knowledge even if they fail to get the +1 Charisma improvement with their six normal memories.

• Without  Forbidden Knowledge, the interacting party member can choose a number of memories they are comfortable to give up before they try to pass the religion check. If failing to receive the +1 Charisma boost by the cutoff of their choices, the interacting party member can then try to pass the religion check and spend the rest of their memories. If getting the +1 Charisma improvement before their chosen cutoff then it is always beneficial to immediately try to pass the religion check afterwards as giving up more memories without it only wastes them. The probabilities below are assuming that this strategy is used and the religion check is passed when taken.

Probability for each outcome

	Both improvements	Only +2 improvement	Only +1 Charisma improvement	No improvements
Immediately taking religion check	24.6%	75.0%	0.4%	0.0%
Religion check after 1st memory	39.0%	60.0%	1.0%	0.0%
Religion check after 2nd memory	49.8%	47.9%	2.1%	0.1%
Religion check after 3rd memory	57.2%	38.1%	4.3%	0.4%
Religion check after 4th memory	60.9%	29.5%	8.0%	1.6%
Religion check after 5th memory	60.9%	19.7%	12.9%	6.6%

Overall a good strategy is to give three memories before attempting the religion check for a whopping 57% chance of getting both improvement, and 95% chance of getting at least the +2 improvement. Giving more than 4 memories before religion check offers no benefit.

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 states 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 has  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 has  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  Viconia DeVir, and kills her parents to become Lady Shar's Chosen, she automatically receives 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.

• 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

• 
  In-game
• 
  Model/render by Selena Tobin

External Links

• Hidden Mechanics of the Mirror of Loss Explained by SlimX