Clockwork Faefly (Patreon)

Wondrous item, uncommon

This brass clockwork mechanism is 2 inches long and whirs with the hum of tiny gears inside. You can tap the head of the faefly twice as a bonus action. When you do, the mechanism flutters 5 feet in the air. The faefly has AC 10 and 10 hit points and flies in this way until it falls to 0 hit points or a creature grasps it. If you move more than 60 feet from the hovering faefly, it follows you until it is within 60 feet of you. It takes the shortest route to do so. If prevented from moving, the faefly sinks gently to the ground and becomes inactive, and its light fades out. While it's flying, you can use a bonus action to speak its command word to cause it to move up to 20 feet.

If you are within 60 feet of the faefly, you can speak another command word as an action to cause it to emit the light spell or cast faerie fire (save DC 13), targeting a 20-foot cube originating from the faefly. Faerie fire does not require concentration when cast in this way, but ends early if the faefly falls to 0 hit points. Once it casts the faerie fire spell, it can't cast it again until the following dawn.

The faefly is considered a magical object and is not a creature. If the mending spell is cast on it while it has at least 1 hit point, it regains 2d6 hit points. If the faefly drops to 0 hit points, it can't be used again until 2 days have passed, at which point it regains all its hit points.

The small gnome took an even smaller creature from his pocket. A bronze insect, whirring with the sound of spinning gears and machinations. He tapped it gently, as if to pet it, and it sputtered up into the air with a new purpose. Its glass base glowed with an unexpected brilliance, and its wings and eyes followed suit with a similar light. Among the drips and uneasy silence in the cave, the steady hum of the gnome's crafty artificery was a reassuring constant.