Planar Artifacts(a sample of my work)

Post/Author/DateTimePost
#1

zombiegleemax

Dec 05, 2003 15:04:04
Planar Artifacts

The Reality’s End

Description:

Many Graybeards have though about, and theorized, what reality is, and where is it going. Few actually discover the truth. And those that do usually don’t live long enough to share it with others.

The Realty’s End was the result of one such investigation. Created around 100 years ago, during a time when the Multiverse was thought of in simpler terms by most of Sigil’s scholars, the Realty’s End appears as a dark orb of blackness surrounded by a translucent, glass-like material. Few realize that it’s this glass-like material which prevents their destruction, and indeed, the destruction of all things.

Background:

100 years ago, young Wild Mage named Dren lived as a member of the Doomguard Faction in Sigil. Numerous experiments by the Doomguard were being conducted during this time, in an attempt to speed up the gradual destruction of the Multiverse. The most successful of these was the creature known as the Entrope. But some of the Doomguard were not so patient. One such person was Dren.

Dren had what he thought was the perfect way of destroying the Multiverse. His plan involve procuring one of the dread magical items known as Spheres of Annihilation, and using vast amounts of magic to increase its power until entire planes began to be absorbed into the device.

Dren, the berk that he was, decided that he liked his idea so much that he’d attempt to share his screed with the Doomguard’s Factol!

Instead of embracing Dren and his idea, the Factol declared Dren a madman, and booted him from the faction(The Factol got it into his barmy head , perhaps wisely, that creating such an item would draw to much attention to the Doomguard, and bring the wrath of the other factions, and maybe even the Lady of Pain herself, on their heads).

In rage, Dren decided that he alone was one worthy enough to carry the mantle of the Doomguard’s cause of entropy, and isolated himself in his home in Sigil, working on his device.

Some years later, when thieves looted the tower(Killing Dren in the process), Dren’s nearly complete device swung into action, and devoured not just the intruders, but Dren’s entire tower as well!

And it didn’t stop there. The sphere began to grow, absorbing everything in its path, until it mysteriously vanished.

Truth is, the Sphere was a threat to Sigil, that everyone, even a backward prime would have realized, and the Lady herself probably intervened and took care of the sphere. Regardless, the sphere was gone, and with it, went its threat to the city.

Strangely though, the sphere reappeared years later inside the building that had been constructed over the remains of Dren’s tower.

Some have speculated that this means that the Sphere must have some intelligence behind it, and that it guided itself back to the area of its creation. Regardless, the sphere is an incredible dangerious artifact, with or without intelligence guiding it.

Powers:

The Reality’s End has several useful powers, but caution should be taken berk, because each has their price. First off, the artifact can act as a normal Sphere of Annihilation, with double the normal chance to retain control, if the user is a Wizard of high level (Sorcerers cannot use the item). The item has other more sinister powers, which only a Wizard of the highest of levels can discover, let alone make use of. The first of these secret abilities, is that of the Void-Sphere. The Spheres created by this power are tiny spheres of annihilation, about 1 centimeter in diameter, which the user can place at any place he or she wishes, regardless of Plane. The tiny spheres will absorb anything around them for miles, forests, towns, and even oceans. They are most useful in destroying Prime Material worlds however, and that was the originally intent of this power. To destroy a world, a wizard of the Highest of levels, uses the power normally, but orders the spheres placed at the center of a Prime world. Over the coarse of a year, the world will be destroyed from the inside out, leaving not even debris behind (Obviously an evil act).

The Second power of the Realty’s End, is that of booster. Lower-level characters can use this power, unlike the Sphere’s Void-Sphere and reality-warping powers. In the hands of a Void-Wizard (A Quasi-Elemental Vacuum specialist mage). The sphere acts to double the power and duration of the wizard’s spells.

The third power, and possibly the most bizarre, is the Sphere’s ability to Warp reality. When activated, this power causes the surrounding terrain, buildings, and people, to distort in shape, becoming twisted and misshapen.

Curse: Even possessing this item has its risks, especially in Sigil. First off, the ever-watching Lady of Pain may send anyone in even the same room as the Realty’s End to the mazes (25% each hour). Also, each use of the sphere has additional risks. Whenever anyone places his or her hands on the Sphere, there is a 1d20 chance that the sphere will absorb the mind of the person touching it. If the save is successful, the sphere merely absorbs the victim’s beliefs, turning the victim into someone with a Bleaker outlook on life. Nobody knows what happens to the minds of those absorbed into the sphere. Perhaps its better that it’s left in the dark…