Bag of the Hesperides
( Bag of the Hesperides 
| |
|---|---|
| Base item | bag of holding |
| Affiliation | unaligned |
| When carried | |
| When applied | Put in or remove items |
| When invoked | none |
| Base price | 10000 zm |
| Weight | 15 |
The Bag of the Hesperides is an unaligned artifact that appears in EvilHack. Its base item is a bag of holding, and it is made out of dragonhide.
Generation
The Bag of the Hesperides is always found within a crystal chest inside the cage of the captive pegasus, which is found at the end of the Ice Queen's Realm. It cannot be wished for due to its generation method, but also does not affect wishing for other artifacts.
Effects
The Bag of the Hesperides augments protection much like a ring of protection, providing one additional level of magic cancellation when carried, and repels water just like an oilskin sack. It has 50% improved weight reduction compared to a normal bag of holding - it effectively reduces the weight of all items inside it by 1⁄3 when uncursed, compared to 1⁄2 with its base item. When blessed, the weight of its contents is reduced to 1⁄6, compared to 1⁄4 from its base item. However, if the Bag of the Hesperides is cursed, it will quadruple the weight of its contents - twice the effect of a cursed bag of holding.
As with any other bag of holding in the game, inserting another bag of holding, a charged bag of tricks, a charged wand of cancellation, or Magicbane with a 10% chance will cause it to explode - this destroys the bag, the inserted item and 1⁄13 of the bag's contents while scattering its remaining contents around, breaking fragile items in the process.
Origin
The Hesperides are the nymphs of evening and golden light of sunsets, who were known in Greek mythology as the "Daughters of the Evening" or "Nymphs of the West". They tended Hera's orchard in a land believed to be in a far western corner of the world; the nymphs and their garden feature prominently in one of the Twelve Labours of Heracles, and are additionally encountered by the Argonauts. The Hesperides also provide Perseus with the knapsack this artifact is based on that he would use to safely contain the head of Medusa after slaying her; the knapsack also serves as the inspiration for the Wallet of Perseus in SLASH'EM. Pegasus sprang from Medusa's blood upon her death, and is thus found with the chest containing the artifact in EvilHack.
Encyclopedia entry
"Now, this third handkerchief," Mein Herr proceeded, "has also four edges, which you can trace continuously round and round: all you need do is to join its four edges to the four edges of the opening. The Purse is then complete, and its outer surface--"
"I see!" Lady Muriel eagerly interrupted. "Its outer surface will be continuous with its inner surface! But it will take time. I'll sew it up after tea." She laid aside the bag, and resumed her cup of tea. "But why do you call it Fortunatus's Purse, Mein Herr?"
The dear old man beamed upon her, with a jolly smile, looking more exactly like the Professor than ever. "Don't you see, my child--I should say Miladi? Whatever is inside that Purse, is outside it; and whatever is outside it, is inside it. So you have all the wealth of the world in that leetle Purse!"
