Elven Artifacts of the Green Peril

Beryllinthranox the Green chose her territory late in the Dragon Purge during the early years of the Fifth Age. While her other brethren chose such lands as the Desolation and Southern Ergoth, Beryl chose the magical forest of Qualinesti. Crazed with envy over Malystryx the red’s power, Beryl decided to outmaneuver her adversary through magic, not might. By gathering the elves around her and harnessing their inherent magic, Beryl created a vast stockpile of magical items created through the torture and murder of the Qualinesti elves. Speaker Gilthas looked to his friend Palin Majere for help, and the Last Conclave convened to help solve Qualinesti’s problem. Armed with new magic, Palin Majere, the Shadow Sorcerer, and the Master of the Tower of Wayreth stormed Beryl’s magical stronghold with a platoon of elven warriors and managed to free many elves that had been missing. With their new magic, they defeated the fortress’ guardians and even managed to harness the elf spirits within the magical items. Using these spirits, the three sorcerers forced Beryl to stop her campaign of terror. Beryl’s plans were ruined, and her magical artifacts were destroyed. However, Beryl secretly continued to experiment on the elves around her. Using her awesome and dark magic, Beryl twisted and forced the magical essences of the elves she discreetly kidnapped into a powerful pool of arcane energy that she harnessed to create her deadly and awesome artifacts. For those using AD&D rules, all of the spell-like powers of her elven artifacts are cast at 12th level unless otherwise stated. Learning from her previous defeat, Beryl spread these artifacts among her underlings as well as deep within her lair. Now, the Green Peril is silently and stealthily spreading her dark influence throughout Qualinesti and beyond. Already, her dark army, now armed with powerful elven artifacts, stands ready for her signal to strike. Wyrmstones XP: 3,000 Cost: 1,500 stl Long ago, Beryl realized if she was ever to become a power in Ansalon, she would need a lot of wealth. While she herself had a large pile of treasure, she shuddered at the thought of handing it to her dark minions in order for them to complete her goals. Therefore, she created several gems known as wyrmstones. These baubles come in all different shapes and sizes. Some may also come with various additional enchantments to the original one that Beryl gave them. Traders in Sanction have reported seeing a sivak draconian with a white diamond the size of an eye that cast flames of white-hot intensity. A dark knight in Palanthas recalls bozak priest in possession of an emerald the size of a thumbnail that could change its owner’s appearance to match the likeliness of anyone on Krynn. However, all of these gemstones share common traits. All are relatively small and worth some steel, but not enough to attract much notice. All radiate a small amount of magic and are therefore are hard to detect even by a sorcerer with the knowledge of the school of divination. When examined closely, one may catch a glimpse of a haunting elven face screaming in torment. Only Beryl knows how many wyrmstones were created and where they are currently. Although she distributed the magical gemstones she created, Beryl keeps tabs on all of them. Powers Wyrmstones have two powers that are always active. The first one is the ability to increase its owner’s apparent wealth. This power gives its owner an automatic trump bonus for every Wealth action. This power allows Beryl’s minions to purchase their supplies and fuel her efforts for domination with ease. A wyrmstone does not need to take part in the transaction; it simply needs to be on its owner’s possession. The second ability of a wyrmstone is the ability to detect elves and half-elves. When any elf is within 100’ of a wyrmstone, the magical gem will begin to glow lightly and hum. The glow is fully visible to anyone present, but the hum is only audible to its owner. The hum and the glow of the wyrmstone increase proportionally to the amount of elves nearby and their closeness to the gem. Table One: Stone (Fate Deck) (1d10) 1 Emerald 2 Onyx 3 Sapphire 4 Ruby 5 Amber 6 Pearl 7 Glass 8 Crystal 9 Amethyst 10 Diamond * * Note: Roll twice on Table Two: Powers Table Two: Powers (Fate Deck) (1d10) 1-5 None 6 1 minor 7 1 minor & 1 major 8 2 minor 9 2 major 10 36 sorcery points ** ** Note: See the powers list. Wyrmstones may also have additional other powers which include but are not limited to the following: Minor Powers. Glow lightly upon command 3/day. This is equivalent to a light spell 3/day. Deal damage to anyone touching the stone equal to a random draw from the Fate Deck 1/day. A hero must succeed in an average Reason (Perception) resist the spell or cast the spell. This is equivalent to a shocking grasp spell 1/day. Change one feature on its owner via Alteration spell 2/day. This cannot change any ability scores. Decrease the difficulty of any one action 1/day. This is the equivalent to adding a +2 bonus to any saving throw 1/day. Major Powers. Shoot five lances of light at any targets, with each dealing damage equal to a random card drawn from the Fate Deck 3/day. A hero must succeed in an average Reason (Perception) action resist the spell or cast the spell. This is equivalent to casting magic missile 3/day. Completely change the appearance of its owner 2/day. This change allows an allotment of five extra points to any ability scores and all ability scores may be “juggled.” Can charm a person via Mentalism spell 3/day. A hero must succeed in an average Spirit (Presence) resist the spell or cast the spell. This is the equivalent to a charm person spell 3/day. Sorcery Pool. A wyrmstone may also hold a sorcery pool, which an adept mage may draw strength from. Casting a spell using a wyrmstone’s sorcery pool requires an initial average Reason action to establish contact with the magical reservoir within the gem. AD&D. A wyrmstone with a sorcery pool acts as a unique ring of spell storing. Wizards may store a number of spell levels equal to their level. For instance, a 5th level mage may memorize an additional 5 levels worth of spells through using a wyrmstone. However, a mage cannot cast a spell out of his grasp, so the aforementioned mage could not use a wyrmstone to cast a 5th level spell. If a wyrmstone is somehow separated from its mage owner, then the mage cannot cast the spells stored in the stone. Curse Many wyrmstones actually carry no curse. These magical trinkets usually did not warrant enough attention for Beryl to weave a curse. However, for the wyrmstones that possess additional magical powers, however, Beryl has managed to exact a price for power. Every time a minor power is, the gemstone must be immersed in half a cup of pure elven blood. Everytime a major power is used, the gemstone must be immersed in a full cup of elven blood. Blood cannot be reused in this manner, and a wyrmstone need not stay immersed for very long. If an owner of a wyrmstone fails to comply, then they must succeed in an easy Spirit action or be compelled to murder an elf. If the person manages to overcome his murderous tendencies, then he must make another action, with the difficulty increased by one degree, or give in to the gem’s power. This cycle continues, with the difficulty of each successive action increasing until the owner of the gem immerses the gem in elven blood as necessary, or the owner slays an elf. AD&D: If a PC decides not to immerse a wyrmstone in elven blood after using a power, then he must succeed in a saving throw vs. death magic or become overwhelmed with a murderous rage and slay an elf. If the PC’s saving throw is successful, then he must continue making a saving throw with a cumulative –2 penalty everyday until he either immerses the stone in elven blood or he slays an elf. Rumors Many whisper that many of the cursed gems are given to Beryl’s most faithful, so as to insure that they spill as much elven blood as possible. Beryl’s minions certainly do enjoy spilling elven blood and many wonder if there is a connection between these stones and the bloodlust of the Green peril’s minions. The wyrmstones, however, have been reputed to have an additional purpose. When a wyrmstone discovered, many elven parties were completely unaware of the wyrmstone’s nefarious curse. Therefore, it is whispered that Beryl’s stones have caused elves to go on an involuntary killing spree in their villages. What’s worse, there is new evidence that using a wyrmstone’s power may be addictive for elves. Adventure Nuggets The heroes have just defeated a large group of draconian warriors. When searched, a wyrmstone is found. While initially useful, the deadly curse of the wyrmstone will soon emerge. The heroes enter an elven village that is plagued by an unknown killer. The community is small, with no strangers, barring the heroes, and everyone loves everyone else. When the murders begin, everyone points their fingers at the heroes, especially non-elven heroes. The killer is actually an elf who has fallen under the addictive curse of a powerful wyrmstone, but can the heroes discover the truth in time? Blight-Barrier XP: 12,000 Cost: 7,500 stl Blight-Barrier is a target shield of distinction, carved from the heart of a dead aspen, approximately 3 feet in diameter. Its sides have been covered with blackened steel with sharp barbs jutting from the dark metal. A twisted elven skull, also wrought from the same dark metal as the sides of the shield are, with twisted horns and distinct elven ears, has been set in the center of the shield. The eye-sockets of the skull emblem seem deep and bottomless, with pinpoints of light shining in them at all times. The skull is surrounded by a ring of aspen leaves connected by a thorny vine which had been painstaking carved into the aspen wood. There are twelve leaves, all equidistant from each other, which gives the shield the look of a macabre clock. The top-most leaf, situated directly above the skull emblem, resembles a perfectly healthy aspen leaf, the symbol of elven purity. However, the leaves following that initial leaf grow more and more sickly until the last one is a grotesque, tattered counterpart of the first one. This cycle of decay winds clockwise around the leering elven skull in the center of the shield. The shield is slightly concave outward, like a gnomish lense, with the leering skull stuck out in front. The backside of the shield has been bound by black leather specially prepared to stretch tightly across the shield’s frame. Two additional leather straps have been attached to the center of the back of the shield for its owner’s arm. Strange carvings of tortured, screaming elven faces frequent the arms straps. Powers Blight-Barrier is a target shield of distinction offering its owner a defense rating of –7. Blight-Barrier also has many other powers. When the command word blight is spoken, the command word is carved into the back of the shield, the shield begins to glow a bright green. When the shield is glowing, it lends its owner a powerful magic resistance. Any action by Blight-Barrier’s wielder to resist a spell warrants an automatic trump bonus as long as this power is activated. This power has an unlimited duration for as long as it is activated. The command word barrier, also carved into the back of the shield, shuts down the shield’s power. AD&D: Blight-Barrier is a shield +2, +4 vs. sylvan folk and plant-like creatures. When activated, Blight-Barrier bequeaths upon its owner a 60% MR rating. 3/day it can cast a light spell as if it were a 6th level mage. Curse For every minute that Blight-Barrier’s power is activated, the surrounding plant-life suffers. The energy field surrounding the Blight-Barrier, when activated, is similar to the destructive power of defilers on Athas. After several minutes, the plant life surrounding the Blight-Barrier dies. After 1 minute, all of the grass and plants along the ground turn a light brown and begin to wither. After 2 minutes, the grass begins to turn into die and turn into ash. Low-level ferns and bushes begin to turn brown. After 5 minutes, all of the grass has been turned into ash. All ferns and bushes wilt and begin to crumble. Trees begin to shrivel and lose their crackling leaves. Fruits, nuts, berries, and vegetables burst and crumble into ash. After 10 minutes, all trees begin to topple and decay. The ground is now covered in thick, dark ash. After 15 minutes, all plant life within a 15’ radius is destroyed, leaving the floor covered with a thick layer of ash. This ability works whenever and wherever the shield’s power is activated. It cannot be stopped or slowed without shutting down Blight-Barrier’s power. Only through careful nurturing, combined with the mystic sphere of animism, can a person ever hope to heal an area desecrated by the Blight-Barrier. When used against plaint-like creatures, Blight-Barrier can be a very dangerous weapon. Every minute a plant-like creature is exposed to Blight-Barrier’s power, it must succeed in an average Spirit (Presence) action or suffer 5 damage. Nymphs, nature-elementals, and the like are affected. All sylvan folk, including nymphs, dryads, elves, and sprites are all hostile to the owner of Blight-Barrier. Treat this as if the owner of Blight-Barrier can never have a trump bonus to any Presence action involving these folk as long as he owns Blight-Barrier. Half-breeds of these races are indifferent towards the owner. AD&D: Every round that a plant-like creature is exposed to Blight-Barrier’s destructive power, including creatures tied to nature like dryads and nymphs, must make a saving throw vs. death magic or suffer 1d6+4 damage. Moving 15 ft. or more away from the cursed shield stops this horrendous power. Any wounds inflicted in this manner cannot be regenerated magically and can only be healed naturally. Rumors Beryllinthranox reportedly bequeathed the Blight-Barrier to his trusty kapak draconian minion Kherash. However, the kapak assassin was slain by elven rebels and Blight-Barrier fell into elven hands. A reputed elven warrior named Ioelus was to bring the shield to Porthios, the dark elf leader of the elven resistance, for examination, yet the elven warrior never completed his mission. Search parties discovered a large clearing filled with ash and dead plant-life. Ioelus’ sword, shattered into three pieces, lay scattered about the ash in the clearing. Further investigation yielded no further clues on the fate of Ioelus or the whereabouts of the Blight-Barrier. Some speculate that Beryl’s minions caught up with the Blight-Barrier and slaughtered the poor elf guarding it. Others insist that a darker force stole the shield and slew Ioelus for its own nefarious purposes. For what purposes, however, they declined to elaborate on. A few others, however, believe that Ioelus faked his own demise and stole the shield. They point out that the similarities between the Blight-Barrier and the Silvanesti Shield, especially their effects on plant-life, may have prompted Ioelus, a Silvanesti elf, to investigate the possible magical connection further. None of these theories, however, have been proven as of yet. Adventure Nuggets While in a verdant forest or jungle, the heroes notice a trail of destruction carved through the foliage. A path has been blazed through the land, leaving dead plants, ash, and decay. Along the path are several larger areas of destruction and death where evidence of deadly battles are found. Quith-pa, or elven rations, is found on this trail of ash, yet what kind of elf would desecrate a forest? Is the Blight-Barrier responsible? The Legion of Steel, along with some experts from the Academy of Sorcery are nearing a breakthrough in researching a way to halt the Silvanesti Shield’s destructive power on the forest. However, several sorcerers believe that only the Blight-Barrier can provide the clues necessary to halt the destruction of the Silvanesti forest. Elven Eyes XP: 4,000 Cost: 2,000 stl Elven eyes are among the gruesome of Beryl’s magical creations. Rather than simply use the elven spirits, Beryl decided to strike terror in her elven subjects by brutally rending her elven prisoners into several pieces. To create an elven eye, Beryl tore out a drained elf’s eye and imbued it with arcane powers. Creating an elven eye consumed so much time, however, that Beryl only created a dozen or two. An elven eye resembles an elven eye with a trail of meat, gore, and tendon hanging behind it like a tail. An elven eye glows an eerie violet color, and is always bloodshot. Since no eyelids are attached to an elven eye, an elven eye stares eerily at its surroundings. However, its most unsettling feature is its ability to fly through the air with ease. Only Beryl’s most powerful followers are bonded to elven eyes. While they are often given to favored servants, Beryl sometimes forces a mutinous minion to bond with one as punishment. Elves always speak of elven eyes in hushed tones and attempt to slay anyone owning an elven eye to “lay their brother to rest.” Powers Elven eyes are not truly alive, yet they give some semblance of life. The magical powers of an elven eye only work for its owner. Elven eyes bond with their owners. This bond lasts until either the eye is or its master is destroyed. An eye may bond with a new owner if the old one dies. Eyes float about and travel where their masters want them to. If a person bonded with an elven eye can cast spells, then he can cast spells from the elven eye. For purposes of range, treat the eye as the origin of the spell. An eye can never travel more than 10 miles from its current owner. Should this happen, then the eye will fall limply to the ground and wither until it “dies.” A person bonded with an eye “sees” whatever the eye sees, so an elven eye is a very useful for missions of stealth and observation. Even though an eye is plainly visible under normal conditions, it is small enough to remain hidden. Although individual owners may later “customize” their eyes, all share several basic powers. Beryl imbued all elven eyes with the following powers, although it is rumored that she added more enchantments to some. 3/day, an elven eye may turn invisible via a spectramancy spell. A desperate Perception action is needecd to discover an invisible elven eye. This is equivalent to invisibility spell 3/day. 1/day, an elven eye can reverse the gravity in a room for 15 minutes, so that all in the room will suddenly “fall” towards the ceiling. This spell has an area of “large room.” This is the equivalent of reverse gravity 1/day. 2/day, an elven eye can deliver a powerful shock from its pupil. This affects only one person in personal range (in respect to the eye), and it deals 3 dmg. This is equivalent to a shocking grasp spell 2/day. Curse Many of Beryl’s elven eyes were handed out to her draconic minions. However, Beryl knew that her magical items could one-day fall into the hands of her enemies. To help wage war upon her enemies, Beryl bestowed a powerful curse upon all elven eyes. When a person who does not share dragon blood (i.e. humans, elves, and other normal hero races) becomes bonded to an elven eye, no clue of the deadly curse is apparent. However, on the next full moon, the owner of an elven eye begins to transform into a green dragonspawn. If the owner is human, then he transforms into a normal green dragonspawn and flies back to Beryl’s domain. If the owner is not human, such as an elf, then he becomes a mindless, spawn abomination. Narrators may decide what statistics, strengths and weaknesses apply to an abomination spawn, as they are all different. Should a hero becomes bonded to an elven eye, he too will suffer. On the next full moon, he must succeed in a challenging Spirit action or become a green dragonspawn and fly off to Beryl. If the hero succeeds, then he begins to grow subtle green scales until the next green moon, where he must succeed in a challenging Spirit action or become a green dragonspawn and fly off to Beryl. This pattern continues, with the difficulty for each successive full moon increasing by one rating, until the bond between the eye and the hero is somehow broken, through powerful mentalism magic, or until the heroes becomes a spawn. During this time, the hero will grow green scales, fangs, claws, and, eventually, wings and a tail. AD&D: If a hero is afflicted by the curse of an elven eye, then he must succeed in a saving throw vs. death magic or become a green dragonspawn. If the PC survives, then he begins to grow scales and slowly transform into a green dragonspawn. Each successive full moon incurs another saving throw vs. death magic, with a cumulative –2 penalty for each new saving throw, until either the bond between the eye and the PC is broken, or the PC fails his saving throw and becomes a spawn. Rumors The elven resistance has grown wary of draconian patrols since they discovered the existence of the elven eyes. Suspicion that draconians may be spying on them using elven eyes is growing. A crucial mission to free many elven captives was stopped by an awaiting task force of green dragons and draconians during the summer of 34 Saer Cataclius. Porthios suspects that elven eyes may have alerted Beryl to his plans. Worried that the magical eyes might spell the end for the resistance, Porthios has ordered his troops to bring back a specimen. He is not aware, however, of the eye’s terrible curse. Adventure Nuggets A sorcerer friend of the heroes decides to accompany them on their next adventure. He proudly displays his new magical artifact, an elven eye. However, on the next full moon, he begins to turn into a green dragonspawn. Can the heroes save their friend before he becomes one of Beryl’s minions? A small village is experiencing several attacks from Beryl’s draconian minions. While the villagers have been able to hold off the draconians with the help of the Legion of Steel, their position is precarious. Several bizarre murders, however, have begun to plague the village. Several legionnaires were found torn apart. The villagers are at a loss to explain. Actually, the draconians left several elven eyes for the Legionnaires to find, and several Legionnaires bonded. Those Legionnaires managed to resist the full effects of the curse during the first full moon, but they grew scales and claws. During the day, they are fine. And have no recollection of their nighttime activities. However, whenever the sun goes down, they revert to primitive animals and kill all around them. Elfbane XP: 12,000 Cost: 8,000 stl Elfbane is a large, curved, ceremonial dagger that is studded with large, ornate gemstones. The blade is nearly two feet in length, and curved like a serpent. The bladed is double-edged and composed of blackened dragonmetal. The crosspiece resembles a skeletal bat with its wings outstretched. Several gemstones are embedded in the crosspiece, and the hilt is wrapped in dragonscales. A large ruby the size of an eye is set in the dagger’s blade next to the crosspiece. If examined closely, one can see an elven face screaming in torment within the ruby. This ruby is the focal point of the dagger. The sorcery points stolen from elves are stored here. If removed, the ruby will theoretically still be able to perform its purpose, but the rest of the dagger will lose all magical powers. Powers Elfbane is a dagger of glory, lending a +10 damage bonus to its owner. However, against elves and half-elves, Elfbane deals double damage. Elfbane can shed light in a 15’ radius upon command. Elfbane can also make all within 10’ invisible 1/day. Treat this as invisibility, 10’ radius 1/day. However, Elfbane’s most terrible power is its ability to harness the magical powers of elves. The ruby set in Elfbane’s blade is a magic collector. It can hold up to 81 sorcery points before becoming full. These sorcery points may be tapped anytime by the blade’s owner in order to cast spells. However, the ruby regains its pool of sorcery points in an unusual and gruesome way. In order for the ruby to regain any spell points, its owner must slay an alf with the dagger. While an elf may be defeated with any other weapon, the dagger must make the killing blow in order for the ruby to regain sorcery points. For every non-sorcerer elf slain by Elfbane, the ruby regains a number of sorcery points equal to the elf’s Reason score. For every elf with access to sorcery slain by Elfbane, the ruby regains double the elf’ Reason. Half-elves do not recharge the ruby. AD&D. Elfbane is a dagger +4. It does twice the normal damage to elves. Elfbane acts as a unique ring of spell storing. Wizards may store a number of spell levels equal to twice their level. For instance, a 5th level mage may memorize an additional 10 levels worth of spells through using Elfbane. However, a mage cannot cast a spell out of his grasp, so the aforementioned mage could not use Elfbane to cast a 9th level spell. If Elfbane is somehow separated from its mage owner, then the mage cannot cast the spells stored in the stone. Every time a spell level of spells is cast through Elfbane, killing an elf can only recharge the magic lost. Killing a non-mage elf restores 1 spell level to Elfbane. Slaying an elven mage restores a number of spell levels equal to his level. Therefore, slaying a 10th level elven mage would restore 10 spell levels back to Elvenbane. Curse Some would claim that Elfbane’s spell-storing power is a curse in itself. However, Elfbane does possess two unique curses. The first is relatively mundane. The owner of Elfbane never receives a trump bonus for any Presence action involving elves. The second of Elfbane’s curses is the more terrible of the two. Every full moon, Elfbane must be at full power; that is, Elfbane’s sorcery pool must be completely full. If it is not, then Elfbane wil begin to “leech” energy from its owner. For every 5 sorcery points that Elfbane is missing, Elfbane drains 1point from its owners Reason score. This drain is permanent. For every Reason point drained, Elfbane recharges 5 sorcery points. Should the owner of Elfbane ever have its Reason score fall below 1 point, then he is slain instantly. Once a person has claimed Elfbane, he cannot give the dagger away. The only way he can part with the dagger is to destroy it, or himself. Rumors An aurak sorcerer nicknamed Blade is reputed to own Elfbane. Blade is a favored minion of Beryl, as well as the leader of a large group of draconian warriors dedicated the Beryl. Many elves have been slaughtered to slake Elfbane’s thirst, and many more simply for Blades’ amusement. Porthios has ordered that the aurak be hunted down and slain, but no elf has even come close to identifying Blade. A shape-shifter, Blade is rumored to sneak into elven encampments and slay the officers before dawn. Adventure Nuggets The heroes are accosted by elven warriors and brought into an elven encampment. Several murders have been committed, and the heroes are prime suspects. The truth, however, is that Blade is hiding in the encampment under the guise of an elven lieutenant. Every night, he slays an elven sorcerer to slake Elfbane’s thirst. Can the heroes stop Blade in time to prevent the death of all of the elven sorcerers The heroes may run into a draconian war party and discover Elfbane. While the magical weapon may seem a boon to any sorcerer in the party, it soon proves to be a deadly bane during the next full moon. Elfslayer XP: 15,000 Cost: 12,000 stl Elfslayer is an ornate elven longsword. Forged through powerful magicks and endowed with potent enchantments, Elfslayer is one of the most powerful of the magical artifacts that Beryl created. Elfslayer’s blade is composed of mithril and is slightly curved like a cutlass. The blade is very reflective and shiny so that it is so bright in full sunlight that most eyes cannot bear to look at it. The hilt is crafted of the finest steel mixed with silver and gold. Unlike many other of Beryl’s creations, Elfslayer is not decorated with precious gems and stones. The hilt is wrapped in the finest leather, and the end holds a diamond, the sword’s only decoration. The diamond is perfectly spherical, and, if one looks closely, the images of countless screaming elven souls can be seen within. Powers Elfslayer is a longsword of legend, lending its owner a +17 damage rating. However, against elves, Elfslayer is particularly deadly. Against elves, Elfslayer does double the normal damage. The owner of Elfslayer gets an automatic trump bonus when attacking elves. Elfslayer also has the following powers: A 15 damage lightning bolt 2/day. A 15 minute alteration spell that can change its owners very nature, supplying an additional 10 points to be “juggled” into its owners ability scores as needed, 1/day. A 2 point or 2 card healing spell 3/day. A minor earthquake that lasts 15 minutes and affects a large house 1/day. AD&D: Elfslayer is a longsword +5, and it deals double damage vs. elves. Its owner’s THAC0 is lowered by an additional 2 points against elves. Elfslayer has the following powers cast at 15th level: Lightning bolt 2/day. Polymorph self 1/day. Cure minor wounds 3/day. Earthquake 1/day. Curses Intimidate Elves Action Ability: Presence Opposition Ability: Spirit Difficulty: Challenging Every time the wielder of Elfslayer meets any elves, he must succeed in this action or the elves will immediately become hostile to him. They will insult him and refuse to have any dealings with him. If pressed, they will attack. Mishap: The elves are so infuriated that they automatically attack the wielder of Elfslayer and his companions. Resist Rage Action Ability: Presence Opposition Ability: None Difficulty: Daunting Every time the wielder of Elfslayer meets any elves, he must succeed in this action or he must immediately attack them. A character affected in this way will fight until all elves are slain. Mishap: The owner of Elfslayer is so clouded with rage that when he attacks, all actions become one degree harder. The owner of Elfslayer is not subjected to as much punishment of many other owners of Beryl’s magical items, yet the fearful reputation of this deadly weapon proceeds it. The owner of Elfslayer must perform a Intimidate Elves (see: sidebar) action every time he encounters an elf. If he fails, then the elf is immediately hostile towards the owner. Owners of Elfslayer are also magically compelled to attack all elves in their presence. Owners must succeed in a Resist Rage (see: sidebar) or immediantly be overwhelmed with rage and must attack the elves before him. One last power that Elfslayer possesses is one that its wielder does not immediately realize. Since Elfslayer is one of her most powerful artifacts, beryl magically “marked” it. Beryl can track the location of Elfslayer as long as it is on the same continent. That means, if a hero possessing Elfslayer travels to Taladas, Beryl will lose contact with the sword. However, Beryl will know the sword’s last location. Although Beryl is vengeful when it comes to the theft of her magical items, she may plant Elfslayer in order to track her enemy’s movements. Rumors Elfslayer was rumored to have given to mighty sivak warrior named Kruger. Kruger was chosen because he was the mightiest of warriors within Beryl’s ranks. Kruger has slain many elves and is deinfitely on the elven resistance’s hit list. There have been rumors that Kruger leads a large band of draconians and green spawn that is constantly searching for the Tower of Wayreth. As of lately, they have unsuccessful in their efforts. Adventure Nuggets Kruger and his band of draconians may prove to be powerful adversaries for the heroes, who may try to oppose their efforts to locate the Tower of Wayreth. The heroes my be “enlisted” by the elven resistance to search for and destroy Elfslayer. Of course, its owner, Kruger the sivak, and his band of draconians, as well as Beryl herself, will oppose the hero’s efforts.