Manacles of Stasis

Manacles of Stasis
General Information
Type	Wondrous item
Attunement	No
Properties	Can cast a variant of Sleep on the wearer
Historical Information
Owners	Victory Pit handlers Iron Shepherds Mighty Nein
Fate	At least one set kept by the Mighty Nein

The Manacles of Stasis are shackles that allow a spellcaster to cast a variant of Sleep on the wearer. Multiple sets were used by the Iron Shepherds to keep Fjord, Jester Lavorre, Yasha Nydoorin, and other abductees in captivity. After their rescue, the Mighty Nein kept at least one set, which Caleb Widogast used against Essek Thelyss and Trent Ikithon.

Description

The Manacles of Stasis are large metal wrist cuffs intended to restrain behind the back connected by chains to a pair of ankle cuffs. Altogether, they weigh fifteen to twenty pounds. They have a lock that can be picked.

They allow any spellcaster to expend a spell slot to cast a variant of Sleep on the wearer. As with the version of Sleep described in the Player's Handbook, the caster rolls 5d8 with an additional 2d8 for each level of spell slot above 1st-level, and if it totals above the target's current hit points, the target falls asleep; unlike as described in the Player's Handbook, the spell targets only the wearer of the manacles and, if successful, renders them unconscious for 24 hours. The spell does not require touching the manacles and may be cast from an unspecified but short distance away. It is unclear if a sleeping creature may be roused.

History

• "Harvest Close" (2x17): Creatures in the Victory Pit wore manacles their handlers used to put them to sleep.
• "Divergent Paths" (2x25): Fjord, Jester Lavorre, and Yasha Nydoorin were kidnapped by the Iron Shepherds and restrained by these manacles, though without being put under its Sleep spell.
• "The Journey Home" (2x30): The Nein rescued the three and release them from the manacles, though Yasha was still under the effects of its Sleep. Jester explained all abductees wore the manacles, which Ruzza used to put them to sleep, and Fjord discovered Lorenzo carried four sets inside his Bag of Holding. After casting Identify and describing the manacles' properties, Caleb Widogast offered one set to Jester and, when she expressed pointed disinterest, kept it himself.
• "Intervention" (2x63): While preparing for an interception at the Overcrow Apothecary, the manacles were first named as the Manacles of Stasis.
• "Dark Bargains" (2x83): The manacles were briefly placed on Halas' body, though without casting Sleep, to preemptively prevent him from spellcasting should his soul return to it. Jester described the manacles as having prevented Fjord and herself from casting. However, the manacles do not display specific anti-magic properties, so either Laura was mistaken, was referring to binding a caster's hands to render them unable to perform somatic components, or was referring to the Sleep effect.
• "The Fancy and the Fooled" (2x97): When the Nein corner Essek Thelyss to confront him for the theft of the Luxon beacons, Caleb used the manacles to cast Sleep at 6th-level. The spell failed to put Essek to sleep, and he escaped the restraints using Misty Step.
• "Fond Farewells" (2x141): After Trent Ikithon was subdued at the Blooming Grove, Caleb used the manacles to cast Sleep at 5th-level to successfully put Trent to sleep. They were used repeatedly on Trent for the days the Nein kept him captive before turning him over to the Cobalt Soul.

Trivia

• Although Matt checked Essek's hit points against the Sleep spell, Essek should have been immune to the effects of the manacles because elves cannot be put to sleep by magic.
• A set of Manacles of Stasis was the third set of magical manacles the Nein owned. They previously acquired a set with a broken enchantment in "Hush" (2x07), which they later sold, and a set inscribed with a rune in "A Favor in Kind" (2x16) that they never properly assessed. Including mundane manacles, four of which were added to inventory in "Stalker in the Swamp" (2x21), this set is the seventh set of manacles the group acquired. The sheer number of manacles acquired in the early campaign became recurring joke at the table.