Vermin Seed

This item appears to be nothing more than a small velvet pouch or bag, moth-eaten and tattered, but still intact. The mouth of the faded brown bag is held shut with a black leather lace. A small, tarnished bronze medallion is sewn into the fabric, its face decorated with the silhouette of a mouse or rat head. If tested for magical properties the bag radiates Great alteration magic.

The bag contains from 1-12 large, golden-yellow, oval seeds an inch or so in length. Any time there are less than 12 seeds within the bag 0-2 new seeds will appear overnight. The bag's owner may pluck forth one or more seeds and toss them to the ground where they instantly dig into the ground and disappear. The soil will immediately begin to churn and rise, and one to three rounds later a huge swarm of vermin will crawl forth. The exact type of vermin is left to the discretion of the GM, but should be something native to the locale. All vermin summoned have two things in common: they're hungry and they're diseased.

The summoned creatures will quickly spread out and search for food sources, destroying crops and stored food, establishing nests in any convenient location near the source of their summoning. Summoned vermin are normal creatures, and will continue to plague the area unless driven out or destroyed. Any creature within a vermin infested area has a Good chance of contracting a disease from tainted food or being bitten. Vermin are easily killed if they can be found, but unless Great efforts are made to eradicate them, the residual population will cause them to reappear within a month.