Gray portrait

The gray portrait is an artifact that halts the natural ageing process.

History
The most common myth regarding this artifact tells of Belarian the Beautiful, a follower of Sune who supposedly lived in the seventh century before Dalereckoning.

Despite his godess' edict that beauty is only skin deep, Belarian lived his entire life attempting to enhance and preserve his physical appearance. So obsessed was he that he forsook Sune to petition any power that would listen to make it so his looks never degraded. One such power gave him his wish, granting the portrait to Belarian in exchange for his soul.

No sage has confirmed the existence of Belarian, nor has anyone done anything more than speculate about his fate but it is known that the portrait has existed since the mythologically-stated time of Belarians life. It has been owned by several individuals since then but, as with many items of such power, its location has been lost.

Powers
If the portrait remains in the possession of an individual for an entire tenday, an image of that individual appears on the otherwise blank canvas. Once this occurs, the owner of the portrait no longer shows any sign of ageing and will retain the looks and vitality that they had when they first acquired the item. As the owner grows older or is the subject of an attack that negatively affects their life-force, the portrait will take the penalties associated with such things, while the owner becomes effectively immune to them. However, these penalties will be stored within it and if the artifact is ever destroyed, every single penalty that the portrait has absorbed will be visited upon the owner immediately.

Behind the Scenes
This item is obviously a take on the Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, a real-life work of fiction where a self-indulgent man acquires a painting that ages while he does not.