Worldbuilding Wednesday 5/26/26: Magic of the Five Senses (The Box of Breath Weaponry)

A box designed for adventuring (AI art)

I’m giving this magic item of the Taste School its own entry, because frankly it’s such a neat concept.

One of best-known enchanted items native to the Five Senses magic system, The Box of Breath Weaponry  comes in many sizes and shapes. Basically, it’s a lidded or latched container, of any shape, divided into at least four, and often as many as twelve, partitions. Each partition is magicked to keep a certain food fresh and intact and dweomers it with powerful properties.  For when chewed by the case’s owner, the tidbits enable them to use different kinds of breath weapons.

Some of the foods, and the effects of their consumption, are thus.

Banana peel: Tripping and falling gas

Chicken: Fear gas

Chili pepper: Fire

Cookie and milk / Chamomile herbs: Sleeping gas

Dried peas: Fog cloud

Garlic: Repulsion gas

Honey: A swarm of angry bees

Ice cube: Cold / Blizzard cloud

Salt / Pretzels: Makes victims very thirsty

Mushrooms: Invisible cloud that causes hallucinations

Olive pits: Choking gas

Limberger cheese: Stinking gas

Onion:  Tear gas

Vinegar: Acid cloud

Chocolate covered cherries: Opponents develop a deep affection towards the user, in effect “falling in love” with them

Black pepper: Gas that causes foes to sneeze

Squid: A dense, black cloud forms which is impossible to see through

Wine: Opponents become very drunk

Rock candy: Turns opponents to stone

Breath mints: Magically refreshes the user’s breath after using all the different breath weapons.

There are many more foods and effects, of course, depending on the box’s creator. The magic is native to the box, so the compartments must contain whatever food it was created to hold.

The box can be made of any material and contain any food (AI art)

Except where noted, gaseous weapons are invisible and take effect 4′ from the user, coalescing into a 10′ x 10′ x 10′ cloud, while the cold and fire ones form a cone.

The appearance of the box depends on its daily use. It may be small and plebian, designed for travel, or the size of a briefcase and ornately decorated. Most boxes contain only one use of each food, but depending on the mage who made it, there could be up to four. Those unfamiliar with the item often assume it’s a scribe’s workbox or cosmetic case.

Some boxes can be real luxury items (AI art)

Only a mage of the School of Taste is able to restock and re-magic a depleted box.