Thanevoor’s Rebuff (broken)

Posted on June 23, 2016

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Thanevoor’s Rebuff; Thanevoor Houdested (whose family – and the shield – was present at the Joining of Vineland in 2289 (it is said the event plays out still, reflected in the inner polished works of the shield) was a prince of Dunador that survived the Great Purge. Because of his noble blood though, he was pursued for years – a decade. Even after the Blue Wall was erected, wave after wave of undead army attempted to kill him to eliminate all the legitimate claims to the northern kingdom.
He fought for years atop part of the Blue Wall – it was a hope of the powers that be and the High King’s counselors that the Lich Lords would ultimately spend themselves out on an attempt to kill him, but ultimately it proved that their persistence would somewhat pay off. The Lich Lords launched an attack of unprecedented proportions. It included several undead giants, and a White Dragon Dracolich. A dread vampire shaman of the northern tribes used his elemental magics first to curse the famous shield to attract missile weapons. Then the Dracolich cursed it further, using his own blood to amplify the danger of the curse. While it held the shield, its necrotic cold ice breath made the shield brittle. Spears thrown by zombie frost giants and the attack of the Dracolich proved to overwhelm the hero and his spear of the northern kings. Pierced by a frost giant spear and torn by a Dracolich claw he finally went to his death. His last act of defiance was to use the Spear of Kings to crack a huge piece of the Blue Wall and bring it down upon the horde – breaking the spear named ‘Ice Cutter’ in the process, ending the horde that could have driven through the Blue Wall in its infancy and destroyed its magics. The Dracolich’s wings were broken, and it crawled off into the wastes, never to be seen again, though the giant and humanoid zombie horde was obliterated by the avalanche of massive ice blocks.

His cursed shield was found embedded into the ice at the top of the wall. Two ‘holes’ had been made into it, though the Blue Wall magic caused the broken shield to heal the dragon’s curse, the rest of the curse was unabated. It was strangely formed and the Dracolich breath weapon has altered it forever. The edge on one side is like a razor – it can be used as a Short Sword (D6) equivalent but slashing damage only, if used as a weapon (it can use used a Bonus Action but all the penalties for Dual-Wielding still apply). The first person who tried to touch it was a soldier and was cut. It was left in the wall and the wall grew under it and around it as it rose taller. It was finally pulled out by Braenymr Thomson, who was subject to its curse. He bore it in battle along the Blue Wall, eventually he was killed by arrow fire from the zombie archers below. As were the next 8 men to carry it, until the curse was discovered. It was thrown off the Blue Wall in 8240 by a Priestess of Gaia. It was carried by various undead, all who died by fire arrow or ranged weapon fire until they eventually figured it out. It was left on the frozen wastes of Kalascor until the Pine Tribesmen found it, marked it as cursed and left it outside the gates of Thurlow for disposal since they could not destroy it. There it made its way as a historical curio. It was eventually discovered by one of the agents of the Black Gorgons and put to use as a deterrent aura in the Shattered City to keep people way from the teleport location.

Whats left of the shield enchantment: [reinforced] Medium +1 Shield (not large +3) – could re-repaired to +2 enchantment
> It does have 3 resilience (about 76 HP total) but can only be repaired by magical cold damage (3rd level+; very expensive).
When wielded or slung grants resistance to all Cold and Ranged Weapon Damage; if held it grants resistance to normal fire damage.
The shield no longer automatically shows the reflection of those trying to back-stab in combat – would-be assassins get a DC 15 Stealth check (but it does negate advantage); Wielder gets 2 of D6 Superiority Dice that replenishes with each Short Rest (now a Long Rest); If the wielder already has Superiority Dice, they get +1 to their role or 1 more dice. The shield allows maneuvers for: Parry and Push Attack (Push Attack has 50% chance it will fail).
When propped in front of/above a hearth fire, it will replay out the 20 minute scene of the Joining of Elms that made the Kingdom of Dunador, reflected on its polished inner surface.
Shield itself is immune to Necrotic and Cold damage, and resistant to all types of Fire.

CURSE: Shield of Missile Attraction (attracts all missiles within 10′)
> Minor Effect – Makes the skin of the wielder cold to the touch – like the dead.
> Major Effect – not just cannot get rid of it, wants it. Belief that the shield is the only thing that will say the wielders life – it must always be carried or slung. The cursed will sleep with one hand on it or worn and covering them at night, and kill any who take it from them.
Remove curse only works if its cast on top of The Blue Wall; the first allows the wielder to be rid of it, the second removes the minor effect. To truly remove the curse from the shield requires contacting another plane and asking some ancient spirit or god-like power.

About/Chronicle

• Common
• Uncommon
• Obscure/Rare
• Secret