Veil of Echoes and Whispers
Wondrous Item (Cloak), rare (requires attunement)
This translucent cloak shifts in color and texture, resembling the shadows and mists of the wilderness. When worn, it grants the ability to manipulate sound and create illusions, making the wearer more elusive and difficult to pin down. It hums softly with a melodic resonance, drawing the attention of those nearby even as it obscures the wearer from sight.
While wearing the cloak, the user gains advantage on Stealth checks, and they can cast Minor Illusion at will, without expending a spell slot. Additionally, once per short rest, the wearer can create a field of whispers that follows them for up to 10 minutes. All creatures within 30 feet of the wearer must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC 15) or become distracted, suffering disadvantage on their perception checks and ability checks for the duration.
As a bonus action, the wearer can activate the cloak's more potent abilities, shrouding themselves in echoes of their past experiences. For the next minute, they can project illusory duplicates of themselves that mimic their movements. Each illusory duplicate lasts until the start of the wearer’s next turn and grants the wearer a +2 bonus to AC. However, these illusions can only be projected in a radius of 15 feet around the wearer.
The cloak's enchantment can be disrupted if the wearer takes damage from a creature or effect that they cannot see or hear. When this happens, the illusions dissipate, and the cloak cannot be activated again until the wearer completes a long rest.
The item also comes with a faint aura that suggests it may have absorbed whispers from the souls of the deceased. The wearer sometimes hears disembodied voices, which could provide hints or clues but may also lure them toward digressions they had intended to avoid. Though the wearer can choose to heed or ignore the whispers, doing so often tests the boundaries of their resolve.
