Blackfeather (The Grimoire of Geraldine Aelishan)

Steel Realms

SOURCE: Dunstrand Rising – The Hearltands Spark is an Epic Campaign that allows the characters to transform the duchy into a different position and political power that could shift the fate of the entire heartlands of the realms. Set in Grand Duchy of Dunstrand in the Steel Realms of the [Fantasy] Steel Realms Setting (planet of Helca), and run as a Living World story within Dunstrand Rising Living World

Blackfeather is an single occult codex/grimoire that came from Geraldine Aelishan. She wanted an occult legacy for her daughter, and in her dark thoughts, a dark legacy was born. The tome is menacing in its very appearance, and by reputation of Geri’s own wickedness all that is known is that it was made, not its location or contents. Of course, the dark nature of the nefarious one-time leader of The Gallants fuels speculation of its contents as lessons in evil and dark thoughts. A black twine is secured in the binding of the book (Geraldine’s hair) and secured to a feather inside the front cover. No matter how hard the book is pressed shut, the hair and feather (from Amerhou’s wing & worn by Geri – it radiates its own ancient magic) stay healthy and whole. The feather can be used as a bookmark and was obviously used as a quill to inscribe the work therein.

Inside:

An oily sigil covered in dust that adheres to it is apparently stamped on the inside of the front cover. It seems crude, but as you look at it, every smudge is both intentional and sinister. It gives you a bad feeling when you gaze upon it, but it passes swiftly after you look away.

The “Front Sigil” – It radiates as Evil; DC 20 Sanity check or 1 Level of Exhaustion. Breaking the Seal drains 1 Essence permanently and causes 1 Level of Exhaustion (until a Long Rest). It will reseal after a Short Rest, each successive breaking will increase the amount of each effect by 1.

Once the seal is broken, a shadowy figure (a spiritus of Geri) will come forth, and silently guide the user without stopping 30’/round to the throne of Malek under the church (Gallantine Reliquary/rally point) in Bar-Innis, where the original copy of the script from Midnight in Cavaris is located. There is a note that says an incomplete copy was made, and passed in secret through the Gallantine leadership (this is likely what Jack read).

Amerhou’s Contributions: [text written in Celestial] A ‘foreword’ to the tome was written as a punishment to avoid the powers of Dwindor turning against her. It includes an oath (required by Geri), signed in Amerhou’s blood, to serve the vale as the past ‘witches’ have done. She writes her vitriol in a cipher that sometimes appears as gibberish; descriptions of torment she wished upon Geri – all manner of hells and abyssal torments. Unknown to Geri, Amerhou (as the oath-sworn ‘Witch of Dwindor’/Dunstrand Vale) added her own blood to its penned appendix pages and margin scrollwork, writing runes and concealing her mark.

  • The Witch of Dwindor can easily track its location in Dunstrand Vale.

D20 Blackfeather Powers

Visions in Black: Reading and processing the basic contents of the tome takes 2 full weeks, working 10+ hours a day. The reading of the words is agonizing, they bend and twist, sometimes drifting around on the page or off. Shadows fall upon the reader constantly, making it difficult to read. It has several illustration which seem to subtly move and flow.

Requirements: Occult 1, Intelligence 12; [Fated] DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check > +2 all checks if the reader has any Aelishan blood in them

Success: -1 (Inhibited) Vitality
Failure: -1 Sanity (permanent loss); the contents are beyond comprehension until the character increases their Sanity beyond its original score.

Ritual of Oath-Following: [No Aptitude Requirement] DC 20 Investigation check to notice the spell words woven into the scrollwork. Speaking the words Amerhou bound herself to, and the words deciphered in the scrollwork, a caster can use a 3rd level spell slot to summon a Gibbering Mouther (the caster must possess a 3rd level spell slot from any class to be able to do this).

Attunement: [1 Essence] While carried it, it gives a Wizard or Warlock +1 Prepared Spell. The thick back cover has an embedded compass like object; 3 inner rings with symbols on them (meaningless) = opens about 16″ cube worth of Dimensional Pocket space opens and closes with a specific ring alignment and whispering a command “Aini” (as Ai-Nee) A DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) to understand there is a Deep Attunement as well.

Spells Recorded in the Grimoire

Only those attuned to it can correctly read the script the spells are penned in – a form of Celestial and some dark tongue.

  • Prestidigitation [Cantrip] If the caster already has it, no effect (though they learn the version inscribed in the tome). If not, they can learn the version inscribed in the tome as an extra cantrip with a DC 12 Arcana check, or simply learn it when they can learn a new cantrip by class.
  • Alarm
  • Comprehend Languages
  • Detect Magic
  • Fog cloud
  • Illusory Script (a note that it was used for sending commands throughout the Gallants channels)
  • Protection vs. Good/Evil
  • Silent Image
  • Unseen Servant

Deep Attunement:

  • Aelishan Bloodline: The tome can serve as a [wizard] Book of Rituals (per Ritual Caster [Feat] without buying it as a Feat. The tome cannot be altered, and only the ritual spells in it can be cast.
  • Scribed Spell Modifications: at 4th level, the following changes are made to the effects of casting the spells learned in the tome:
    • Fog Cloud: Is treated as if the caster had Spell Mastery with it. It also has double the volume.
    • Illusory Script: Lasts 30 days if written with the tome’s quill.
    • Prestidigitation: Two effects manifest in one casting, and up to 6 going at once.
    • Silent Image: If prepared, it is added to Arcane Recovery without taking any Spell Levels.

Incarna Core Blackfeather Powers

About/Chronicle

Knowledge is broken down by ease of discovery/availability. If nothing is indicated, assume Common Knowledge.

Common Knowledge / Easy Difficulty

Most Recent History

Commonly Understood Origins

The magus Geraldine Aelishan penned a work that synthesized her occult knowledge. She documented forbidden knowledge of dark things to empower some of the magical powers, and some of these fueled the contents of the grimoire.

Commonly Understood Development

It was a set size, contained from beginning to end. None else are known to have used or added to its contents.

General knowledge…

  • Key Places: Dunstrand, county Bar-Innis
  • Key Entities: Geraldine Aelishan, of the house of Aelishan of Bar-Innis
  • Key Concepts: Spells, Powers, Insights

The grimoire is written in red-black ink on sheets of dingy

Rare Knowledge / Very Hard Difficulty

Creation arranged and approved by Geraldine Aelishan – she laughingly called it Midnight in Bar-Innis.

Obscure Knowledge / Near-Impossible Difficulty

Note: Secret Knowledge is information not available in any known references; It is not necessarily Forbidden Knowledge.

SECRET: Written by Amerhou the fallen celestial (who became the Witch of Dwindor), in Geraldine’s blood (drained ahead of time), and bound in the skin of the lich Aruna.

The Front Sigil was made with the teeth and finger bones of the lich Aruna, then they were ground up and used to seal the Front Sigil with icor of demon blood.

Realm's Aptitude Powers: Divine, Occult, and Psychic