This weapon is a fun one. It's a debuff stick that imposes an accuracy/action economy cost on the target (or their ally who pulls the shards out for them), but it can hit like a damage stick when they're either desperate enough or angry enough to swallow 2d4 per-action. It's great for locking down spellcasters, but the 'actions that require motion' bit leaves an opening for the creative use of metamagic and non-somatic spells. It led to some interesting scenarios during the playtest.
On the lore front, quests from academic institutions really can be fantastic. It's a great way to introduce recurring NPCs with plot-relevant knowledge who aren't directly involved in the plot alongside the party, and you can squirrel away all sorts of lore, back-up plots, and one-shots in a college campus. There's a lot to explore.
