2nd Level Enchantment (Ritual)
1 ActionCasting Time
1 action
Range
30 feet
Components
V, S, M (A morsel of food.)
Duration
24 hours
Draconic
“Charmixul Gelithrath”
Elvish
“Valannor Nixë”
The caster must first locate a suitable Tiny beast — a songbird, squirrel, mouse, or similar creature. They approach slowly, crouching low with the offering of food in an outstretched palm. The ritual begins when the animal accepts the food and allows the caster to touch it gently. The caster then whispers the message repeatedly while stroking the animal, imprinting the words into its tiny consciousness like pressing a seal into warm wax. The animal's eyes glaze briefly as the magic takes hold, then sharpen with unusual intelligence. The caster pictures the intended recipient clearly in their mind — their face, their scent, a landmark near them — and the animal absorbs the image. When released, the creature sets off with unnatural purpose and speed, guided by magic rather than instinct. Different casters favor different messengers: hawks for urgency, songbirds for discretion, mice for infiltrating cities. The animal cannot speak the message — it simply replays the caster's whispered words in the caster's own voice when it reaches the recipient.
By means of this spell, you use an animal to deliver a message. Choose a Tiny beast you can see within range, such as a squirrel, a blue jay, or a bat. You specify a location, which you must have visited, and a recipient who matches a general description, such as "a man or woman dressed in the uniform of the town guard" or "a red-haired dwarf wearing a pointed hat." You also speak a message of up to twenty-five words. The target beast travels for the duration of the spell toward the specified location, covering about 50 miles per 24 hours for a flying messenger, or 25 miles for other animals. When the messenger arrives, it delivers your message to the creature that you described, replicating the sound of your voice. The messenger speaks only to a creature matching the description you gave. If the messenger doesn't reach its destination before the spell ends, the message is lost, and the beast makes its way back to where you cast this spell.
If you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3nd level or higher, the duration of the spell increases by 48 hours for each slot level above 2nd.