The Three Skulls (3.5e Equipment)
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The Three Skulls[edit]
The Skulls[edit]
| “ | Death seeks out all, but only the strong seek out death. | ” |
| —Damion Leth, a Human Wizard. | ||
The Three Skulls have each been known by many names in the past: "The Unholy Skull", "The Faded Spirit", "The Forgotten", "The Black Bones" are but a few amongst a thousand. Though, no matter what they were known as at the time, they left a noticable scar in the history of the world. The Three Skulls were originally the skulls of three beings; an angel, a king, and a jackal. While each skull was created in it's own unique way, they somehow formed a bond between themselves, and that bond has manifested itself in rather spectacular ways.
Baatara[edit]
- The Skull of the King
History: Many ages ago, in a time when the world was still mostly wild, and nations were still a new concept, there was a king. This king ruled his land with a fair hand, but, he was remarked for having a temper that could be sparked with ease, and he often had punishments exacted swiftly, and had led his people to war many times in the past. This temper eventually led him to his death, for, one day, a necromancer rose to power, and attacked a city that was under the kings rule. The king veiwed this as an unacceptable slight to his honor and his lands, and so, before considering the threat at hand, formed a war party and marched against the necromancer. After a short battle was had, the necromancer stood victorious amongst the blood stained corpses that had once been the king and his personal warriors.
At this point, the necromancer decided to raise from the dead the forces that had aimed to slay him to fight by his side, beginning with the king himself. Though, when the king rose from the blood soaked soil, he did not have the lifeless stare of the undead. No, his eyes glinted with purpose still, and the moved, attacking the necromancer, instead of marching into line with the other cadaverous warriors he had risen for himself. The necromancer barely managed to kill the deathless king with his life intact, though, when he had, he took the kings body, becoming impressed with its insurmountable will power, and examined it. He eventually took the kings skull from the corpses body, and fashioned a tool from it, a tool that channeled the will of the king, christening it, "Baatara". This necromancer has been dead for a long time, though, Baatara still exists, lying deep within a dusty tomb.
Powers: Baatara is a heavily scratched skull that is missing it's lower jaw and appears to be extremely faded. When worn as a pouldron (thereby occupying a characters shoulder slot), bright white runes light up around its crown, and it is activated. While active, the wearer of the skull gains a +5 untyped bonus to their Will save, and the ability to take 10 on any Will save they must make. Additionally, any and all undead take a −2 penalty to attack rolls made against the wearer, AC when being attacked by the wearer, and saving throws made against the wearer's special abilities.
Serrasan[edit]
- The Skull of the Angel
History: Ages ago, a war was fought between the angelic forces and the infernal forces of the universe. During this war, many souls were lost on either side, and many realms fell to ruin and the passage of aeons. Though, everything that happened during this war seemed to lead up to a single event: a battle of titanic porportions. This single battle spanned across multiple planes, and brought with it much devastation. The lives of nearly every entity invovled in the battle was brought to a abrupt end during it's this battle, with only a few thouand devils retreating to the hells that were their homes, and only a few hundred angels withdrawing to the celestial planes to see to their wounded. Though, there was one being, who did neither. No, there was one general of the angelic armies who left the battlefield, and walked out to the material plane, seeking to escape from the horrors that she had witnessed, to escape from war. She lived her life in a town on the material plane for a long time after this, assuming the visage of a young human girl, and enjoying the kind and quite life she had found. She was the only being to ever have left the celestial realms at the time, and she knew that this was true.
Though, one night, a necromancer attacked the town, setting fire to buildings, killing hundreds of people, until the angel entered the battle, forcing herself back into war. She began to fight against the necromancer in that moment with a strength that few have ever witnessed. During that battle, the necromancer struck several blows that should have killed the angel, yet she kept on fighting, refusing to die until her body was all but destroyed. In the aftermath of this battle, the necromancer began thinking about this angel's ability to resist the pull of death. He experimented on the body with necrotic energies for a long time,eventually taking the skull from her form, and fashioned a relic from it, a relic that embodied the power of the angel, christening it, "Serrasan". This necromancer has been dead for a long time, though, Serrasan still exists, resting within the depths of an ancient tomb.
Powers: Serrasan is a bright, clean, white skull that is missing it's lower jaw and appears to be perfect in shape and condition. When worn as a pouldron (thereby occupying a characters shoulder slot), bright white light shines from it's eyes, and it is activated. While active, the skull grants it's wearer a +5 sacred bonus to AC. Additionally, any and all undead take a −2 penalty to attack rolls made against the wearer, AC when being attacked by the wearer, and saving throws made against the wearer's special abilities.
Jasmaguran[edit]
- The Skull of the Jackal
History: In aeons past, in a time before even the the first glimmers of written language began to surface, there was a terrible beast, known only as "The Jackal". This beast had supposedly existed since before any living thing could remember, and, thusly, was viewed as a god by the few tribes that struggled for existance in this harsh world, and a vicious god at that. They offered it sacrifices many times to appease it and to avoid it's vile wrath from being brought down upon them, but the beast was without thought, and aimed to kill those who worshipped it all the same. So the world was at the time, and so it lasted, for an age, entire tribes vanishing before the the onslought of the Jackal, and those that weren't entirely destroyed, quaking with fear at the mere mention of the beast. Until, that is, a paticuar tribe grew strong, and their numbers stretched into the hundreds, and they began to loose the fear that had gripped them so.
This tribe rose up in this time, rising above other tribes, and banding them together behind their name, becoming stronger with each passing moment, until they turned to the Jackal, and sought to overthrow the tyrannical god that had laid waste to them so many times before. They were victorious too, rising above the massive frame of the Jackal, and celebrating for months afterward, revelling in their freedom. Until, one of the branches of the tribe was laid waste to, and the Jackal was seen, stalking through the countryside. Now all that remains of the tribe that struck down the Jackal is but a few blood stained tablets that hold their history, and even these were lost for a long time. Though, one man, a necromancer, found them one day, and decided to seek out the Jackals body, to research it's powers. He eventually found it, and took the faded bones from the ground, fashioning a powerful item from it, an item that channeled the undying perception of the Jackal, christening it, "Jasmaguran". This necromancer has been dead for a long time, though, Jasmaguran still exists, lying upon the floor of a rotting monestary, deep underground.
Powers: Jasmaguran is a massive dog skull that is missing it's lower jaw and appears as though it's been burnt to the point that it turned black. When worn as a helmet (thereby occupying a characters head slot), tine patterns of bright red lines light up all over it, and it is activated. While active, the wearer of the skull gains an extraordinary mode of sight that duplicates a true seeing spell and that stretches out to a radius of 60 ft. Additionally, any and all undead take a −2 penalty to attack rolls made against the wearer, AC when being attacked by the wearer, and saving throws made against the wearer's special abilities.
The Trio[edit]
Jasmaguran & Baatara[edit]
- The Vile
Ambient Effects: When the skull of the king, and the skull of the Jackal are both worn by an entity (Jasmaguran being donned as a helmet and occupying the characters head slot, and Baatara being donned as pouldron and occupying the characters shoulder slot), they are both activated at the same time, and strange effects begin to manifest themselves around the wearer. For example, the white runes that originally only lit up around the crown of Baatara actually slide off of it and begin to move along the wearers skin. Additionally, the entities eyes begin to glow a bright red as the energies from Jasmaguran are magnified and altered.
Further Powers: While both skulls are active, the wearer of the skull gains a +5 untyped bonus to their Will save, the ability to take 10 on any Will save they must make, and an extraordinary mode of sight that duplicates a true seeing spell, just as they normally would gain from the skulls, but the powers of each individual skull seems to magnify the strengths of the other, and grant the wearer additional powers. The wearer of the skulls also gains a +5 untyped bonus to their Reflex save, the ability to take 10 on any Reflex save they must make, a 60 foot increase to the range of the true seeing mode of sight (making the range be 120 feet), and tremorsense out to 60 feet. Additionally, any and all undead take a −6 penalty to attack rolls made against the wearer, AC when being attacked by the wearer, and saving throws made against the wearer's special abilities. This penalty overlaps (does not stack with) the penalties imposed by the two skulls individually.
Baatara & Serrasan[edit]
- The Exalted
Ambient Effects: When the skull of the angel, and the skull of the king are both worn by an entity (Both being donned as pouldron and both being able to be worn silumtaneously while only occupying the characters shoulder slot), they are both activated at the same time, and magnificent effects begin to come about around the wearer. For example, the white runes that originally only lit up around the crown of Baatara actually slide off of it and begin to move along the wearers skin. Additionally, a halo of white light appears, encirling the wearers head.
Further Powers: While both skulls are active, the wearer of the skull gains a +5 untyped bonus to their Will save, the ability to take 10 on any Will save they must make, and a +5 sacred bonus to AC, just as they normally would gain from the skulls, but the forces anchorred within of each of the individual skulls seem to focus the energies of the other, and grant the wearer even more potent powers. The wearer of the skulls also gains a +5 untyped bonus to their Fortitude save, the ability to take 10 on any Fortitude save they must make, and a +5 sacred bonus to initiative. Additionally, any and all undead take a −6 penalty to attack rolls made against the wearer, AC when being attacked by the wearer, and saving throws made against the wearer's special abilities. This penalty overlaps (does not stack with) the penalties imposed by the two skulls individually.
Serrasan & Jasmaguran[edit]
- The Storm
Ambient Effects: When the skull of the Jackal, and the skull of the angel are both worn by an entity (Jasmaguran being donned as a helmet and occupying the characters head slot, and Serrasan being donned as pouldron and occupying the characters shoulder slot), they are both activated at the same time, and terrible energies begin to pierce out into the world around the wearer. For example, the wearers eyes begin to glow a bright red as the energies from Jasmaguran are magnified and altered. Additionally, a halo of white light appears, encirling the wearers head.
Further Powers: While both skulls are active, the wearer of the skull gains an extraordinary mode of sight that duplicates a true seeing spell and a +5 sacred bonus to AC, just as they normally would gain from the skulls, but the energies bound within the skulls seem to twist and magnify the energies of the other, and grant the wearer even more intense powers. The wearer of the skulls also gains a +5 sacred bonus to attack rolls, a 60 foot increase to the range of the true seeing mode of sight (making the range be 120 feet), and [[SRD:Blindsight and Blindsense#Blindsight (Ex)|Blindsight]] out to 60 feet. Additionally, any and all undead take a −6 penalty to attack rolls made against the wearer, AC when being attacked by the wearer, and saving throws made against the wearer's special abilities. This penalty overlaps (does not stack with) the penalties imposed by the two skulls individually.
The Three Skulls[edit]
- The Trio
Ambient Effects: When all three of the skulls are worn by an entity (Jasmaguran being donned as a helmet and occupying the characters head slot, and both Baatara and Serrasan being donned as pouldrons and both being able to be worn silumtaneously while only occupying the characters shoulder slot), they are all activated at the same time, and nearly uncomprehendable forces begin to come into existance around the wearer. For example, the wearers eyes begin to glow a pure white as the energies from Jasmaguran are magnified and lensed by the other skulls, a halo of black lightning appears, encirling the wearers head as the magics within Jasmaguran and Serrasan cross paths, grey runes begin to flow all over the wearers skin, with such density that it appears that the wearers skin is merely grey in color.
Final Powers: While all three skulls are active on a single entity, the wearer of the skulls gains a +5 untyped bonus to their Will save, the ability to take 10 on any Will save they must make, a +5 sacred bonus to AC, and an extraordinary mode of sight that duplicates a true seeing spell, just as they normally would gain from the skulls, but the potent powers of each individual skull leaps into the paths of the powers of the others, focussing them, granting them more momentum, to the point that the wearer is nearly indestructable. The wearer of the skulls also gains a +5 untyped bonus to their Fortitude and Reflex save, the ability to take 10 on any Fortitude and Reflex save they must make, a +5 sacred bonus to initiative, a +5 sacred bonus to attack rolls, a 120 foot increase to the range of the true seeing mode of sight (making the range be 180 feet), tremorsense out to 120 feet, and blindsight and blindsense out to 120 feet. Additionally, any and all undead take a −10 penalty to attack rolls made against the wearer, AC when being attacked by the wearer, and saving throws made against the wearer's special abilities. This penalty overlaps (does not stack with) the penalties imposed by any of the three skulls individually, or any combination of any of the three skulls.
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