Amber and Ashes
Page 34
Spells Prepared (4/6+1/5+1/5+1/5+1/4+1/3+1/2+1/2+1; save DC 15 + spell level): 0—daze, detect magic, ray of frost, read magic; 1st—burning hands, cause fear*, identify (x2), magic missile, ray of enfeeblement* (x2); 2nd—darkness, false life*, ghoul touch*, locate object, scare*, spectral hand*; 3rd—deep slumber, halt undead*, ray of exhaustion*, stonesight, vampiric touch* (x2); 4th—animate dead*, bestow curse*, crushing despair, ethereal flame*, phantasmal killer, wall of ice; 5th—dominate person, empowered lightning bolt, feeblemind, fog of fear*, symbol of pain*; 6th—circle of death*, eyebite*, greater dispel magic, symbol of fear*; 7th—finger of death*, forcecage, greater arcane sight.
* These spells belong to the school of Necromancy, which is this character’s enhanced specialty. Prohibited schools: Abjuration, Conjuration, Transmutation.
Order Secrets: Magic of Darkness, Magic of Fear, Magic of Hunger, Magic of Pain.
Spellbook: As an experienced Black Robe wizard and one of Nuitari’s chosen caretakers of the Tower of the Blood Sea, Basalt has access to an incredible array of spells. He has knowledge of all arcane spells listed in the Dungeons & Dragons Player’s Handbook and in the DRAGONLANCE Campaign Setting (except for named spells, such as Fistandantilus’s Portal or Magius’s Light of Truth).
Equipment: Bracers of armor +3, ring of protection +2, +3 keen dagger, eyes of doom, robe of bones, necklace of adaption, ring of swimming, wand of acid arrow (22 charges).
CAELE
A savage heart beats beneath the black robes of the half-elf mage from Southern Ergoth. Ruled by his passions, which can go from icy coldness to white-hot rage in a heartbeat, Caele is unpredictable and highly dangerous.
Background: Caele never found out exactly what the relationship was between his mother, a Kagonesti elf shaman, and the Ergothian sailor who fathered him. His mother made it clear to the half-elf at an early age that any discussion of his father was forbidden. Though ostensibly part of the Kagonesti tribe, the two were never truly accepted and lived in relative isolation. Caele’s early years were spent in the wild—hunting small game, climbing trees, and swimming in clear streams.
For reasons unknown to him (though possibly related to his ostracism by his Kagonesti tribesmen), Caele had what he called “black moods” come over him. During these times, he lashed out at anyone near him, taking perverse pleasure in causing pain and distress to innocent victims. When he was young, he would feel guilty over the torment of small animals or people. As he grew older, he saw that these destructive forces brought him power over others and his guilt waned, eventually vanishing altogether.
Still a young man, Caele fell in love with a young woman of his tribe, one of the rare silver-haired beauties of the Kagonesti. A secret romance between the two blossomed and Caele felt that his black moods were forever behind him. He planned to run away with his lover and start a new life. The half-elf told the maiden his plans for them at one of their secret meeting spots near the top of a waterfall. The maiden refused to go. She didn’t want to leave her people, especially to run away with a half-breed.
Darkness overwhelmed Caele. He grabbed his lover and dragged her to the edge of the cliff. He ignored her screams and paid no attention to her flailing fists and scratching nails. He shoved her over the waterfall, watching dispassionately as her body smashed into the jagged rocks at the base of the falls. Caele gazed down at her for some time, until the water washed away all traces of his crime.
Although no one could prove that he had murdered the young woman, the two had been seen together and her disappearance aroused the suspicions of the tribe. Caele was termed a dark elf and forced to flee for his life. He traveled to the port towns of Northern Ergoth, earning his keep by thievery. The dark elf might have ended his days as a thief, except that he tried to rob an Ergothian sea-mage named Dunbar Mastermate, wizard of the White Robes.
The powerful and high-ranking wizard easily caught the inept young thief. Dunbar saw potential in young Caele, and hoped that compassion and understanding might bring the half-elf to the paths of light. Caele was not interested at first in learning magic, which he thought was for weaklings. A demonstration of magical power impressed him and caused him to change his mind. Scholarly pursuits did not come naturally to him, but he had talent and determination. Caele sailed the seas with Dunbar, and for a time, the sea brought peace to his troubled soul. Eventually, however, the black moods returned. He was constantly getting embroiled in fights and in arguments, until the crew took against him and threatened to maroon him.
Dunbar tried to intervene with Caele, hoping to turn the young man aside from a path leading to true darkness, but their “talks” always ended in arguments. One morning, while sailing just off the coast of Solamnia, the crew woke to find both Caele and a lifeboat missing—along with some of Dunbar’s scrolls and magical accoutrements. Deciding not to pursue him, Dunbar heard nothing of Caele for many years.
The sea-mage was eventually elected head of the Order of White Robes, and took up semi-permanent residence in the Tower of High Sorcery at Wayreth. He was surprised one day to see Caele traveling through the forest, searching for the Tower, wishing to take the Test.
The Test forced Caele to relive the darkest day of his life—the murder at the falls. He was not interested in rewriting the past, nor in hearing his lover’s hurtful words once more. This time he cut her throat immediately, then shoved her bleeding body over the cliff’s edge. Nuitari claimed Caele for his own.
Caele grew in power rapidly under the dark light of the black moon and he rose quickly in the Order, hoping to challenge even the great Dalamar the Dark for control. Then the Summer of Chaos scorched the world. The black moon left the sky. Caele’s magic was gone.
The powerless wizard went back to the sea, sailing on merchant ships. He learned that magical objects of the Fourth Age could give him temporary power and he took to searching for and stealing any he could find. His thievery did not go unnoticed. He was arrested, convicted, escaped, arrested again, escaped again. A hunted man, he was forced to leave civilization behind and retreat to the wilderness. A capable survivor, he hunted and fished, determined to go on with his life, even without the magical power that had once defined him.
Caele’s powers returned with the three moons. One of the few truly powerful Black Robes left alive, Caele was sought out by Nuitari, who appeared to Caele and offered him the chance to become one of the dark god’s personal wizards. Caele agreed and became the second of the two caretakers of the Tower of the Blood Sea.
Appearance: Caele is tall, lean, and muscular. He has light brown skin and dark eyes. His long, wavy hair is jet-black. He dresses in the black robes of his Order for formal occasions, but, in the wilderness, he is completely at-ease wearing a loincloth or nothing at all. He has several faded tribal tattoos on his chest and arms. His face is closed and expressionless, even when he is in one of his rages, which makes him all the more frightening.
Caele: Male half-elf (Ergothian/Kagonesti) Bar2/Wiz5/Black Robe 10; CR 17; Medium humanoid (half-elf); HD 2d12+15d4+34; hp 92; Init +6; Spd 40 ft.; AC 19, touch 12, flat-footed 17; Atk +11 melee (1d3+2/x2, unarmed strike); SA rage 1/day, spells; SQ half-elf traits, darkvision 30 ft., low-light vision, uncanny dodge; AL NE; SV Fort +9, Ref + 6, Will +10; Str 14, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 17, Wis 8, Cha 10.
Skills and Feats: Climb +7, Concentration +21, Handle Animal +4, Intimidate +6, Jump +6, Knowledge (arcana) +22, Listen +8, Search +6, Spellcraft +24, Spot +2, Survival +7, Swim +10; Craft Wondrous Item, Empower Spell, Enlarge Spell, Improved Initiative, Scribe Scroll (B), Spell Penetration, Quicken Spell, Track.
Spells Prepared (4/5/5/5/4/4/3/2/1; save DC 13 + spell level): 0—acid splash, detect magic, mage hand, open; 1st—burning hands, enlarge person, identify, summon monster I, true strike; 2nd—bull’s strength, invisibility, protection from arrows, scorching ray, web; 3rd—clairvoyance, empowered magic missile, haste, lightning bolt, summon monster III; 4th—dimension door, globe of invulnerability (lesser), shout, stone
skin; 5th—baleful polymorph, prying eyes, quickened magic missile, wall of force; 6th—permanent image, programmed image, [Tenser’s] transformation; 7th—spell turning, summon monster VII; 8th—prismatic wall.
Order Secrets: Magic Betrayal, Magic of Darkness, Magic of Fear, Magic of Hunger, Magic of Pain.
Note: Caele has chosen not to take an arcane focus as a Wizard of High Sorcery.
Spellbook: As an experienced Black Robe wizard and one of Nuitari’s chosen caretakers of the Tower of the Blood Sea, Caele has access to an incredible array of spells. He has knowledge of all arcane spells listed in the Dungeons & Dragons Player’s Handbook and in the Dragonlance Campaign Setting (except for named spells, such as Fistandantilus’s Portal or Magius’s Light of Truth).
Possessions: Amulet of natural armor +4, ring of protection +3, cloak of the manta ray, boots of elvenkind, ring of elemental command (water), rod of metamagic (empower).
THE GOD’S EYE
A powerful item created by Nuitari during the dark god’s attempts to locate the lost world of Krynn during the early years of the Age of Mortals, the God’s Eye is a magical scrying device that can pierce the veils of the planes of existence and see into the realms of both mortals and gods. Though the Eye did not help Nuitari locate the missing world, it becomes a valuable tool for spying during a time when he feels no one—man or god—should be trusted.
The God’s Eye is a large bowl created from dragonmetal (the same silvery substance used to forge dragonlances). It is shaped like a serpentine dragon coiled about itself, its long tail forming the bowl.
Game Information
Only focused spellcasters (clerics and wizards) may use the God’s Eye. If a spontaneous spellcaster (mystic, sorcerer, or bard) attempts to use the artifact, the liquid inside will boil away within seconds and nothing useful can be accomplished.
When filled with water, wine, or any other mundane liquid, the bowl functions exactly like a crystal ball with a caster level of 20. Anything viewed is subject to the effects of a true seeing spell. The DC of a Will save against the scrying attempt is 25.
The God’s Eye gains its true power when the vessel is filled with the blood of a dragon. (This must be a true dragon, not a creature of the dragon type such as a draconian.) Only fresh dragon’s blood will function as a catalyst. After forty-eight hours, the blood is drained of its magic and becomes inert. A minimum of 10 hit points of damage must be inflicted (either voluntarily or forcibly) to acquire the blood needed to fill the Eye. (Blood gained from a willing dragon is preferred, because it is likely to be freshest, but the dragon blood used may be obtained by any means.)
With fresh dragon’s blood, the God’s Eye allows the user to scry any location, on any plane of existence. A Will save is allowed to detect the scrying attempt, with a DC of 40 plus 1 for every age category of the dragon whose blood is being used. If a deity is the subject of the scrying attempt, the viewer must make a Wisdom check (DC 18) the first round or become confused for 2d4 rounds. A cleric gains a +2 competence bonus to the check, while a cleric of the deity being scryed gains a +4 competence bonus.
When dragon’s blood is used as the catalyst, the God’s Eye can also be used to cast certain spells on the location being scryed. All spells of the illusion school, as well as any Compulsion or Mind-Affecting spell, can be cast through the Eye unaffected by range (as long as the target or area is within the place being scryed). The saving throw DC of any spell cast through the Eye is increased by 1 for every age of category of the dragon whose blood is in the bowl.
Use of the God’s Eye is not without risk. Any deity who discovers he or she is being scryed is not likely to be forgiving. Even the gods of good would not appreciate anyone spying on their affairs, even one of their own chosen, and, if discovered, the spy is likely to be severely punished. Obtaining the fresh dragon’s blood necessary to fuel the artifact’s power is also an extremely dangerous undertaking.
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About the Author
Margaret Weis was born and raised in Independence, Missouri. In 1983, she moved to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, to take a job as book editor at TSR, Inc., producers of the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® role playing game.
At TSR, Weis became part of the DRAGONLANCE® design team. In collaboration with Tracy Hickman, she wrote the DRAGONLANCE Chronicles, which has sold over twenty million copies worldwide. Weis is also the author of many best-selling series, including the Death-gate Cycle, the Sovereign Stone series, and her new Dragonvarld series for Tor Books.
Weis is also the owner of Sovereign Press, the publisher of the DRAGONLANCE d20 roleplaying products licensed from Wizards of the Coast LLC.
DRAGONLANCE, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, d20, WIZARDS OF THE COAST, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries. ©2011 Wizards.