Blessed Relics
See 1 Kings 17:10-16 and Mark 12:41-44.
Stories about a wandering prophet tell us that some time ago in a foreign land during a time of famine there lived a widow with only one son. The prophet arrived at the widow’s home one day, and local customs regarding hospitality required the widow to feed the prophet. When she complained that she had only enough food for her and her son to have one final meal. The prophet told her to prepare a meal for him, and that afterward she would never go hungry. The widow did so, and after that her jar of meal never went empty.
Jar of Zarephath This plain earthenware jar, kept in a grand temple in an important city, serves as the city’s protection against famine. The priests regularly distribute meal from the jar to the city’s poor and abandoned, giving each person a day’s worth of meal. No matter how often this is done, the jar is never empty. In times of famine or siege, the jar helps ensure a modest diet for the city’s inhabitants. Usable By: Lawful only.
Later stories of another wandering prophet speak of an impoverished widow who gave all of her money, amounting to only two of the smallest of the coins of the realm, to the city’s temple as an offering. The rich and haughty who witnessed this felt inclined toward scorn at the widow’s pitiful offering, but the wandering prophet defended her, saying she gave all she had rather than only a portion of what she could spare.
The Widow’s Mites These two coins appear to be nothing more than common copper pieces, but they hold a powerful blessing. Their possessor can call upon this blessing in a time of trouble or danger. After doing so, the possessor will succeed at his next attack roll, saving throw, or other action so long as that action is done for the benefit of another, even if this means the possessor puts himself in harm’s way (such as by leaping in front of a Lightning Bolt, et cetera). After the blessing is called upon, the coins vanish, seeking out the next worthy person to benefit. Usable By: Lawful only.
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