Citizens milling about a busy public square, buying goods and wares from small booths with eager sellers barking out cries to buy their goods, each one packed into the busy area. From a window of a nearby window, a woman throws wash water down into the street nearly splashing an unobservant pedestrian. A three legged dog is in an aggressive tug of war with a wolfhound over a bone. Near the center of the square, a makeshift stage is set up with a patchwork burlap curtain hung. The citizens pay it no mind as they go about their business buying from whoever barks loud enough to draw their attention. Trumpets blare in a dizzy fashion as small flashpots of smoke erupt near the stage as the curtain rises. Standing center stage is a gleaming mithril mechanical gnome with a large turnkey poking out of its back
“Roll up, roll up, roll up!” the mechanical gnome says as it gestures stiffly.
“What I’m about to show you might change your life! Indeed it might change the very world you hold so dear! Brought to you by an amazing consortium of gnomish gizmo makers and cog breakers, I bring you a breakthrough of momentous importance!”
A crowd begins to mill about the stage as the mechanical gnome gestures with a bunch of whirring and clicking
“Have you ever been of smaller stature and found yourself unable to carry what a giantman can? Have you ever fallen over and found yourself unable to get up because you’re over loaded and found yourself rolling around on the ground like a turtle on its back? Have you ever found yourself just needing that little extra something to help you bring your treasure home to your loved ones?”
“Well look no further! Through an amazing breakthrough in clockwork cogology I bring you a gear inlaid mechanical backpack!”
The crowd murmurs as a small gnome emerges from the side stage wearing a metallic clockwork backpack inlaid with cogs and gears.
“If you find yourself overladen with treasure, simply place an uncut diamond into the slot and watch the magic work!”
On cue the small gnome puts an uncut diamond in a small slot on the side of the backpack causing it to whizz and click as the backpack appears to inflate from the sides, small spurts of what appears to be steam leaking from the seams.
“You will find your load infinitely, and by infinitely I mean a small amount lighter! And your load a bit easier to carry, for a short time.”
“But wait! There’s more!”
The small gnome turns a lever on the side of the backpack causing it to exhale the pent up gas like someone that has bad indigestion.
“Say you find yourself out in the wilds looking for a specific herb, for cooking, for healing, for a little potion you’ve been working on. Well look no further! Simply place an uncut emerald into the backpack and you will find it easier to find!”
On cue the small gnome puts an uncut emerald into a slot in the back pack. A series of click and whirs goes on and a jolt tingles up and down his spine and his vision sharpens.
“But wait! There’s more!
“Say you find yourself someplace frigid, and you’re getting cold, positively freezing, simply place an uncut ruby into the backpack and all will be right with the world.”
On cue the small gnome fumbles with an uncut ruby as he places it into a slot on the backpack and loud clicking and whirring occurs accompanied by a plume of steam that encompasses his body, causing him to break out in a flop sweat.
“But wait! There’s even more!”
The small gnome enthusiastically turns the lever again causing fire to erupt beneath the backpack lifting him off the ground high into the air, only to land sprawling on the ground, stunned for a short time.
The mechanical gnome, paying no attention to the small gnome continues, “Say you come across a river you can’t cross, a marsh you are unable to get through, a lake too deep to wade through, simply place a pearl into the backpack and you will find yourself able to go the distance!”
Scrambling to his feet, slightly dazed the small gnome places a small pearl into the backpack and a misty halo surrounds him.
The mechanical gnome drones on in a monotone voice, “Exceeding a single gem at one time without exhausting the charge of the previous can have….unforeseen outcomes.”
Again the small gnome gingerly places an uncut diamond followed by an uncut ruby into the backpack. The backpack springs to life steam and smoke emanating from every seam as the small gnome screams and jumps around, running around in circles, trails of smoke following him, finally falling down and rolling around on the ground to put out the small fire on the backpack.
“Worry not though the items within the backpack will be safe and sound; thanks to a special mesh lining of magical metals. The body of the person wearing it…well hopefully an empath is close by.”
“Occasionally this may cause the backpack to break, needing someone who can tinker, your friendly neighborhood gnome, to do so. In fact gnomes may find themselves able to super charge said backpack causing the effects to be double.”
The crowd gathered stares dumbstruck, jaws open.
Ok so basically this would be a tiered backpack that could carry at least a huge amount, at the very least significant. Place a diamond in it and the weight within the backpack is reduced somewhere between 20 and 50%. Emerald allows the user a cast of foraging on themselves. Uncut ruby is some way of warming up from Icemule and Pinefar. Pearl casts waterwalking. Downside is it doesn’t last forever, not sure how long would be acceptable for an item like this, an hour or so I’m assuming. Since this is a gnomish contraption, they should get extra benefits so either gives them double the time of each gem or some other perk.
