Minor Artifact

Minor artifacts are sometimes but not necessarily unique. So there can be more than one in the world, and they are extremely limited to maybe a twin. Each has history, and a tale told of them, that are grand, and sometimes usually. Minor artifacts are legendary relics, their current whereabouts are secretive.

A minor artifact could be introduced into a campaign with careful consideration. These items are powerful, and not just another magic item, often they are the center of many adventures. These items are made by great wizard, blessed clerics, and rare but sometimes deities, demigods, and ultra-powerful beings from alternate planes. Minor artifacts and there means of creation are lost and forgotten to the known world. The chance of an individual to recreate a minor artifact is one in a millennium, and would take a lifetime or two.

Unlike other magic items, minor artifacts cannot be easily destroyed. Each normally has one or two, sometimes specific means of destruction. The method of destruction can be very specific, and often just as whimsical as the item and its history.