Trench Totem

Wondrous item, uncommon

This fist-sized stone figurine can be used to create a trench in natural ground, such as dirt, sand, or unworked stone. You can use an action to place the figurine on the ground at a point within 5 feet of you and speak its command word. A four-foot-deep trench then appears in the ground, provided it’s eligible; the trench is composed of up to six 5-foot-square segments. Each segment must be contiguous with at least one other segment, and they must form a straight line on the surface of the ground originating from the figurine. The trench can’t extend underneath a structure or similar obstacle: its surface must remain exposed.

The trench remains until the figurine is removed from the ground (no action required); the figurine remains above the trench unless each space on the ground surrounding the point is part of the line. When this happens, anything within the trench is lifted upward as the ground fills in beneath it. Once the trench disappears, this property of the figurine can’t be used again until the next dawn.

A Medium or Small creature within the trench has three-quarters cover against ranged attacks made from outside the trench; if such a creature is prone, it instead has total cover against such attacks. Especially tall creatures may need to crouch in order to gain the trench’s cover against ranged attacks (GM’s discretion), whereas Tiny creatures may be completely obscured from outside view within the trench.

“DUCK!”
The bark carried over the hill, pulling the man’s attention from the beautiful dagger rolling between his long fingers. He looked up just as the half-orc crested the rise, sprinting across the clearing full tilt: her feet barely touched the grass.
He cocked his head to the side a little.
“DUCK!” she repeated.
With a sigh, he tucked the dagger away and grabbed their supply bag. He rummaged through the canvas sack—keys, boxed trinkets, strange little charms. No duck.
Then he looked up.
Behind the half-orc came a furious hill giant, armed with a boulder raised overhead.
The man dove back into the bag, snatched a small vulpine half-figure from the bottom, and slammed it into the earth just as the rock struck the ground behind his companion. The impact swallowed his shout beneath a thunderous crack, but the ground split open beside him. He threw himself and the bag into the trench, the half-orc skidding into the trench in after him moments later.
The boulder tore past them, rolling through the campsite and carving a ruinous path into the woods beyond.
Neither hesitated. They scrambled out, curses etching on their lips, and seized what they could from the remainder of their camp before fleeing. Still, the man made sure to reclaim the silly charm from the ground, waving it once in her direction before shoving it safely away.
“FOX!"