Magic item: Latimer's ring

A hand-sized ring that creates an illusory pathway ahead of it.

The wizard Latimer was a secretive and suspicious man. His tower had many defences you wouldn't recognise until too late. The local ferry was one of them.

The river Vonne is narrow but deep and the water flows fast. The township is on one side, the tower on the other. Latimer never said he didn't want any one to build near him. But that's how it worked out.

The ferry was owned by a local named Merrick. He or one of his children operated it. They carried strangers across the river for a silver piece each. The boat was an ordinary dinghy, with space for four passengers. There was a thick rope strung over the water. The boat was secured to it by a second rope, with a metal ring woven into the end. The first rope was threaded through the ring and kept the boat from being carried away by the current if the ferryman stopped hauling.

But if Latimer didn't want visitors, the boat would reach the centre of the river and the far bank would recede into the distance until it vanished completely.

Latimer had a deal with Merrick and provided him with the metal ring. It's the physical component of the spell. If Merrick was bringing unwelcome guests, he touched it with his left hand to prepare. As the boat reached the river's midpoint, the far shore and the tower on it retreated faster than the ferry could chase them. No amount of hauling ever brought them closer.

This is all illusion, and anyone watching would see people in the boat hauling in different directions so the boat stayed where it was.

Latimer's Ring

Usage: all characters
Charges: 1d10
Appearance: 6" wide iron ring with a band of copper inlaid on the inside circumference. Has a thick frayed rope attached.

When held in the left hand, causes an illusion of the way ahead receding into the distance. Any creatures heading in that direction are confused by the magic and turned back toward the user. They never get more than a few steps away. Any number of people can hide by stepping into the illusion, but the user remains visible.

Save vs devices negates the part of the spell that hides the way, but not the part that makes people turn back to the user.