Varnathar world illustration - Fantasy theme
Fantasy

Varnathar

F
Funkylocks

A desolate world of barren wastes and rock formations, where ruins tell of a lost civilization.


Author's Note: Varnathar is a world ravaged by millennia of neglect and destruction. Once a vibrant land teeming with life, it now lies in a state of perpetual desolation. The sky is often choked with swirling, ashen clouds, casting a dull, sickly light over the barren landscape. Jagged rock formations pierce the earth like the bones of a long-dead titan, and vast stretches of cracked earth are interspersed with deep canyons and dried riverbeds. The wind howls through the ruins of ancient cities, carrying with it the echoes of a forgotten civilization. Only the hardiest of creatures survive here, thriving in the shadows of the once-glorious peaks and crumbled monuments that dot the land. Few dare to venture into the wastes, for those who do are often lost to the endless, unforgiving expanse. The world’s fractured history is told through the scattered remnants of its past—ruined temples, crumbling libraries, and broken statues that hint at a time of power and prosperity, long since lost. There is a constant undercurrent of decay, with the very earth itself seeming to mourn the passing of its glory days. Only the desperate or the foolhardy seek refuge in Varnathar’s heart, believing that among the ruins lie the answers to a greater mystery, or perhaps the key to reversing the devastation that has marred the world for centuries.
Played5 times
Cloned0 times
Created
100 days ago
Last Updated
76 days ago
VisibilityPublic
Orb of Dragonkind
ArtifactGear (Wondrous Items)
Orb of Dragonkind
Weight15.00 lb.

Description

Ages past, elves and humans waged a terrible war against evil dragons. When the world seemed doomed, powerful wizards came together and worked their greatest magic, forging five Orbs of Dragonkind (or Dragon Orbs) to help them defeat the dragons. One orb was taken to each of the five wizard towers, and there they were used to speed the war toward a victorious end. The wizards used the orbs to lure dragons to them, then destroyed the dragons with powerful magic. As the wizard towers fell in later ages, the orbs were destroyed or faded into legend, and only three are thought to survive. Their magic has been warped and twisted over the centuries, so although their primary purpose of calling dragons still functions, they also allow some measure of control over dragons. Each orb contains the essence of an evil dragon, a presence that resents any attempt to coax magic from it. Those lacking in force of personality might find themselves enslaved to an orb. An orb is an etched crystal globe about 10 inches in diameter. When used, it grows to about 20 inches in diameter, and mist swirls inside it. While attuned to an orb, you can use an action to peer into the orb's depths and speak its command word. You must then make a DC 15 Charisma check. On a successful check, you control the orb for as long as you remain attuned to it. On a failed check, you become charmed by the orb for as long as you remain attuned to it. While you are charmed by the orb, you can't voluntarily end your attunement to it, and the orb casts suggestion on you at will (save DC 18), urging you to work toward the evil ends it desires. The dragon essence within the orb might want many things: the annihilation of a particular people, freedom from the orb, to spread suffering in the world, to advance the worship of Tiamat, or something else the GM decides. ***Random Properties.*** An Orb of Dragonkind has the following random properties: 2 minor beneficial properties 1 minor detrimental property 1 major detrimental property ***Spells.*** The orb has 7 charges and regains 1d4 + 3 expended charges daily at dawn. If you control the orb, you can use an action and expend 1 or more charges to cast one of the following spells (save DC 18) from it: cure wounds (5th-level version, 3 charges), daylight (1 charge), death ward (2 charges), or scrying (3 charges). You can also use an action to cast the detect magic spell from the orb without using any charges. ***Call Dragons.*** While you control the orb, you can use an action to cause the artifact to issue a telepathic call that extends in all directions for 40 miles. Evil dragons in range feel compelled to come to the orb as soon as possible by the most direct route. Dragon deities such as Tiamat are unaffected by this call. Dragons drawn to the orb might be hostile toward you for compelling them against their will. Once you have used this property, it can't be used again for 1 hour. ***Destroying an Orb.*** An Orb of Dragonkind appears fragile but is impervious to most damage, including the attacks and breath weapons of dragons. A disintegrate spell or one good hit from a +3 magic weapon is sufficient to destroy an orb, however.

Details
TypeGear
CategoryWondrous Items
RarityArtifact
Weight15.00 lb.
Cost0 Gold Pieces
This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC . The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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