Pocus
Pocus is a mysterious traveling merchant the party met on 28 Arodus 4710 while traveling through the Kamelands toward the Tuskwater region. His true nature is unknown, but he’s clearly far more than a simple human merchant. Possibly a celestial entity, fey creature, or being with mastery over time.
Appearance and Companions
Pocus appears as a traveling merchant accompanied by a colorful chest of wares. His most distinctive companion is Larry, a parrot who can speak and apparently assists with sales. Larry demonstrated unusual intelligence, flying to perch on Kairos’s shoulder during their transaction.
The Encounter (28 Arodus 4710)
The party met Pocus while traveling between hexes in the wilderness. He offered an unusual selection of wares, particularly time magic scrolls that are hard to find:
Items Sold:
- +1 Armor Runes (160 gp each) - Purchased by Kairos, Leonardo, and Djacques
- Time Magic Scrolls:
- Equal Footing (4th level, 30 gp)
- Synchronize (3rd level, 30 gp)
- Lucky Number (2nd level, 30 gp)
- Temporal Twin (5th level, 30 gp)
- Time Pocket (not purchased)
- Dream Message (not purchased)
- Transcribe Conflict scroll (30 gp) - Purchased by Djacques
Pocus also accepted the party’s accumulated loot for sale, totaling 121 gp in various armor, weapons, and treasures.
Strange Details
Larry addressed Djacques as “Lodewijk”, his true birth name that almost no one knows.
When describing Larry’s travels, Pocus started to say the parrot had been traveling for “eon” before catching himself and saying “decades.”
Kairos noticed Pocus used archaic words and speech patterns she’d only heard from her grandfather. His language blended Draconic, Elvish, Orcish, Dwarven, and other tongues seamlessly.
When Kairos asked technical questions about temporal mechanics (how Temporal Twin and Time Pocket interact), his answer was complex and theoretically sound. It impressed her even though time magic is her specialty.
Pocus said he crafts the time magic scrolls himself. Creating 4th and 5th level time magic scrolls requires significant magical power. When Kairos noted he must be a powerful mage, Pocus said: “Time makes everything plausible.”
The party’s animal companions acted afraid. Noor (raven) kept distance, Tiktok (cat) fled into a tree, and Weiß (horse) refused to approach. The animals went back to normal after Pocus left.
Djacques used his hypercognition to make six Recall Knowledge checks:
- Almost certainly not human
- Not evil. Chaotic good with no malice
- Strong moral aura with a “magical pressure”
- Seemed larger than his physical form
When Pocus left, he faded from view along with Larry and his chest. About a minute after vanishing, a thunderclap echoed across the plains.
Theories
Possible identities:
- Time entity who exists outside normal temporal flow
- Celestial (chaotic good alignment, moral aura, animals’ reactions)
- Ancient fey with mastery over time
- Immortal wizard who achieved some form of timelessness
- Psychopomp connected to Pharasma (unlikely given chaotic alignment)
- Avatar or aspect of a deity
Notes
Pocus’s knowledge of Djacques’s true name and mastery of time magic raises questions about what forces are observing events in the Stolen Lands.
Unlike The Architect (who observes from afar) or Nyrissa (who operates from the First World), Pocus interacted directly with the party, sold them useful items, and left without making demands or stating his goals.
Unknowns: Why seek out the party? How does he know Djacques’ birth name? Is he connected to the temporal anomalies Kairos has noticed? Will he return? What’s Larry’s true nature?
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Type | Unknown (possibly celestial, fey, time entity, or ancient immortal) |
| Alignment | Chaotic Good (no malice detected) |
| Companion | Larry the parrot |
| Expertise | Time magic, enchantment, divination |
| Location | Encountered between Kamelands and Tuskwater (28 Arodus 4710) |
| Status | Departed via fade/teleportation with thunderclap |
Likely party attitude:
? Deeply mysterious and potentially powerful entity