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An ordinary elm wand with a small prism attached to one end. Etched along its
length is a carving of a human female, with a vampire's fangs and bat wings.
If detected, the wand radiates strong auras of conjuration, abjuration,
necromancy, and a weak aura of divination. If detect evil is used, it radiates
strongly as such.
Function:
The wand casts any spell capable of being cast by a 13th level, non-
specialized, magician. (In game terms, this means the wand can "memorize" up
to the following: 5/1st; 5/2nd; 5/3rd; 4/4th; 4/5th and 2/6th) Once cast, the
wand loses that spell until it is "rememorized". The only way to purge a
spell from the wand is to cast it. For the wand to "memorize" a spell, it
must be passed across a written version of the spell. This action requires one
round per spell level, and only one spell can be "memorized" at a time.
Casting time is as normal for the spell though no components are required.
The wand is usable only by mages and bards.
History:
Vesalta was an early rival of Lord Magician Telvas Vrin. Though both were decidedly evil, Vesalta was by far the kinder of the two. Both were born and battled in an area near Baldur's Gate when the grand city of Waterdeep was nothing more than a backwater one horse town. Both controlled a small city state, and constantly warred with each other to the exclusion of all else. Conditions were terrible for the citizenry as Vesalta and her enemy turned to the blackest of arts to destroy their foe. Human sacrifice and torture were common. Fiends stalked the streets and the populace suffered. Finally, the mists of Ravenloft gathered its own unto itself and ,thankfully, their lands separated from the Realms forever.
The Dark Powers were more responsive to Telvas than his enemy. Through the
blackest of arts, and complete sacrifice of his remaining humanity, Telvas
gained the power he needed to defeat Vesalta. Telvas created a wand to trap
the wizardess' soul, and bind it to his will. Her truename was painstakingly
etched upon it, and in a master stroke, Telvas fled before Vesalta and allowed
himself to be captured. Telvas was held in a magical trap of such power, he
was separated from his magic. The last step in Vesalta's plan, which Telvas
knew well, was to cut out the lich's black heart with a special silver dagger,
a dagger which Telvas had secretly replaced with his wand. And so, at the
moment of her triumph, when the wizardess touched the wand, she was imprisoned
within and enslaved to her age-old enemy . . . forever.
Present Time:
As Kismet sometimes throws a hand, the unexpected may occur. A group of dwarves and a gnomish bard unexpectedly arrived in Telvas's domain by a failed gate spell. This group destroyed Telvas' mortal form, albeit not permanently, and escaped to another domain. Delairn Stonebeard (see entry, Roe's Antiques) took the wand with him. Following numerous misadventures, Delairn returned to the Realms and brought the wand with him.
Delairn is aware of the wand's functions and limitations, but not its
history. If he were, he would destroy it. Delairn's use of the wand has been
limited. He uses it only for Legend Lore, as it saves on components and time.
Submitted By Justin J Chupp
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