Ripping a soul from a person and planting it within a crystal is considered by many to be an utterly evil act. This resulting Soul Gem is incredibly powerful and can power many alchemical and arcane abilities. Soul Gems can also be used to cheat death. A few sages have discovered the ancient secret of locking your soul into a crystal matrix where the sage can still observe and communicate with the world after death.
Whether through design or necessity, these fist-sized crystal matrices always take the form of platonic solids, leading to the unoriginal name of calling them platonic gems. The sages within these gems cannot directly interact with the world, and decades and centuries of being trapped in their gilded cage inevitably leads them further down the dark path they started on by ripping out their own soul. They have lifetimes of knowledge to impart, and as an aetherial construct they can even see into the aetherial realm, but this knowledge comes at a cost to those who ask.
Name: Platonic Philosopher
Type: Ornament
Blessing: You may ask the Philosopher’s advice at any time that you are holding the platonic gem. The questions asked can take any form, but each question may only be asked once. The Philosopher cannot be forced to answer and may refuse to provide advice.
Curse: If the Philosopher agrees to advise you, it will always come at a cost. You must perform a deed for the Philosopher before he will provide you with the advice you need. These tasks nearly always have an immoral or amoral slant, however, this may not always be obvious.