Black Kyanite
Though it is speculated by
some that the immortals of Theliad might be descended from true Inadasir
blood, and others have suggested that
they might be avatars of some sort, the reality is a bit stranger. Deep in the
bowels of an ancient cavern in the Agardash Mountains there lies a special vein
of arcane crystals called the Black Kyanite.
This particular source is almost utterly black unless under strong
light, revealing a deep, dark blue quality to the stone. The Black Kyanite
appears to have strange properties, not unlike the divine Zodiac Stones, in
that those who even touch the stone are gifted with great boons as well as
immortality. The ability of one to make
something of such a gift is highly dependent on the recipient of the gift, and many fail to even survive the
initial touch of the stone. Others are wracked with curses and disease worse
than the gifts bestowed; the ones who are able to harness the power of the
Black Kyanite are most likely those few immortals now known to be like
demiurges to the Theliadics.
Black Kyanite can be found in
only a few locations. Some is known to have been stolen away and is kept in an
ancient dungeon deep beneath the city of Zheranos by the Canerous King Azeros,
who himself has been bestowed with immortality at a terrible price. The lost
Cavern of of the Agardash Mountains is the source of the purest and most
powerful Black Kyanite, and it is believed that each of the “true” immortals of
the land visit this cavern, and possibly took a piece of the powerful stone
with them. Other sources of the stone may exist, and one rumor is that the
ground beneath the ruin of Afar is riddled with impure versions of the stone.
If someone comes in to contact
with the substance it will grant them a Boon, and also a Curse unless they
succeed at a DC 21 Wisdom save, or sometimes a DC 21 Constitution save if the
desire of the intended recipient of the boon seeks a great physical
enhancement. Failure still grants a boon and immortality (no longer ages), but
also a curse. Success, which happens rarely, leads to the boon and agelessness
without a major curse, though debilitating side effects of the boon may still
be evident.
The stone can be touched once
a year to gain further boons (and curses), though each subsequent effort to do
increases new saves by 1. If the save is ever critically failed (natural 1) the
subject is killed immediately and transforms into Black Kyanite with all the
properties of the stone. On a natural 20 the subject always gains the boon with
no curse.
Characters who undergo this
transformation gain the following perks from touching Black Kyanite:
1 Boon (see DMG for samples, or see more below)
Gain immortality (ageless; still can die of unnatural causes)
Gain one minor impairment as a side
effect of boon (example: ability to
cast burning hands at will also requires PC to sleep on nonflammable material
at night or they catch on fire)
On Save Failure Gain Major Curse (see chart below)
Sample Curses from the stone include:
D20 Curse
1
Lose immunity to
disease and roll at disadvantage on disease saves
2
Lose eyesight
3
Lose hearing
4
Become hideously
deformed (disadvantage on Charisma and Dexterity Saves)
5
Grow 1D3 extra
eyes
6
Must concentrate
or turn into a blob like mass
7
Animals attack on
sight
8
Lose all sense of
touch (disadvantage on tactile Dexterity checks)
9
Develop
vulnerability to metal (any contact with metal deals double damage, or causes 1
damage per round for passive contact)
10
Lose ability to
benefit from a short rest
11
Plagued by
nightmares; Must make a DC 17 Wisdom save each night to benefit from a long
rest
12
Lose half hit
dice permanently
13
Reduce Int and
Str to 3 permanently
14
Reduce Cha and
Dex to 3 permanently
15
Gain Disadvantage
on all magic saves
16
One limb transforms
into living Black Kyanite; susceptible to spells like Shatter as if an
inanimate object
17
Lose ability to
eat, can only sustain life with blood
18
Develop incurable
lycanthropy
19
Lose ability to
speak (either lose voice, or all dialogue is babble)
20
Translucent skin
reveals organs; gain disadvantage on Charisma checks but advantage in
Intimidation
Examples of Additional Boons Granted by the Black Kyanite:
Flame Control: gain the ability to cast burning hands at will; cannot
control while sleeping
Stone Skin: develop skin of pure stone, but unable to “feel” like
normal again.
Invisibility: Become permanently invisible, but all clothing and
objects remain visible.
Ability Enhancement: Gain +5 points in one ability of choice but lose 5 in another
ability (to 20 max).
Flight: gain the ability to fly, but lose the ability to
touch the ground (must always hover just above the ground). Falling becomes a
non-issue, but sleeping becomes difficult, as does any other act that benefits
from being grounded.
Any boon from the DMG,
accompanied by an appropriate minor curse of hindrance, is acceptable as well.
No comments:
Post a Comment