Mirror

A mirror was an object that reflected an image, as long as a light source was present. "Stare into the mirror, my friend. Does something besides you look back?"

- An unnamed inhabitant of the planes.

Description
In general, the surfaces of mirrors were made of glass, which was sometimes silvered. This meant their surfaces were rather brittle, and could be easily smashed. The frames of mirrors were usually made of silver or steel, with the latter being far harder. Some mirrors around the Realms were easily transportable, and such mirrors were known as hand mirrors.

Though many mirrors were mundane, there were also several magical ones throughout the Realms. Some magical mirrors could sell for 1,000s of gold pieces.

Powers
Mirrors could be used to reflect powerful rays back at enemies. This was particularly the case for medusae, as mirrors could reflect their petrifying gaze back at them, turning them to stone. Some mirrors could be used to scry on others.

It was possible to access a mysterious plane, the Plane of Mirrors, via a mirror. In this plane were several sets of mirrors that led to many different places.

A whole mirror or a small piece of one was used as a material component for a variety of spells in the Realms. These included dark mirror, detect scrying, spell turning, flesh mirage, physical mirror, and spell mirror. Older versions of sanctuary and scrying required a small silver mirror to cast, as did improved sanctuary. Additionally, a piece of a broken mirror was needed to cast Bane of Beshaba and crushed glass from one was needed to cast damage mirror.

Spells unique to the land of Kara-Tur that required a mirror to cast included remember and fire enchantment.

History
Mirrors had been used throughout the history of Faerûn. Glass mirrors dated as far back as the time of Netheril, where they first became available in.

Some regions, such as the Land of the Lions, even produced mirrors and exported them to others towns and cities across the land.

Reputation
Many faiths across Toril used mirrors to represent their deities. An aspect of Shekinester, the Empowerer, was represented by a mirror. The Spirit of the Sun of Kara-Tur was said to grant his followers, such as Matasuuri Shogoro, gifts, which included mirrors.

Large mirrors were outlawed in Turmish due to the fear of fetch, predatory creatures of the Abyss who used mirrors as portals to the Prime Material plane. An unsettling Turmite folk song about fetch was a popular explanation of the strange mirror-banning law.

Notable Mirrors

 * Flame-eye
 * Golden mirror
 * Mirror of curing
 * Mirror of life trapping
 * Mirror of mental prowess
 * Mirror of opposition
 * Mirror of enlightenment
 * Mirror of perfection
 * Mirror of Flattery
 * Mirror of spirit seeing

Individuals

 * In, Matasuuri Shogoro was gifted by the Spirit of the Sun a shining mirror, pearl, and sword in recognition of his efforts to unify the land of Wa. When he later became shogun, Shogoro decided the objects were bad luck and had them all given away. A century later in 1357 DR, the Spirit of the Sun visited and was offended to learn the objects were gone, leading to a tairo to instruct some adventurers to retrieve the objects. They tracked down the shining mirror to the businessman Oshiro Yoto, but it had been stolen by Korai Anteki.
 * Purfbin Doogrick was a gnome adventurer who had pockets full of useful junk at all times. A broken mirror was one of those items and it even saved his hide once.
 * Torleth Mindulspeer owned a unique Calishite mirror with an enchanted image of a snake in grass.

Religions

 * The Church of Sune's clergy sometimes offered their personal prayers to their goddess while looking into a mirror lit only by natural or candle light. Sune in turn would use mirrors to send visions to those seeking guidance in life by altering her worshiper's reflection.
 * One of the Church of Leira's most holy rituals, the Unmasking, required mirrors to be present.

Rumors & Legends
Breaking a mirror was seen as a bad omen around the entire universe.