Abraxas Stone

Also called fever stones, these nondescript totems provide powerful relief from the foul diseases that often accompany the undead.

Aconite

The fir'Bolg craft this weapon poison from a very toxic plant found in their home, the Ermine . . . The forest dwellers don't often sell this substance to outsiders, but have provided it to the Legion's Bowmen on occasion.

Antero's Bestiary

"Thus Antero said unto me, and to what few of his other pupils that still lived, "Even in Forgall's work some amount of speculation must have been neccesary to complete certain entries, but now, because of this terrible war, the beasts of myth walk the land once more!"

And so it came to pass that my master petitioned the Trow for my safe passage into their lands, that I might observe their natures and record their habits for Antero's Bestiary."

"Is man to have an entry as well?"

The tone of his voice left no doubt in my mind as to how I should answer.

I made a note to suggest its inclusion on my return home.

Anvil of Culwyeh, The

Little is known of this near-mythical artifact once weilded by Shiver and reportedly destroyed in Connacht's purge. Most scholars believe Shiver used the Anvil to force wicked weapons empowered only for undead weilders, but a few of the greatest archmages hint that the name Anvil misleads: The artifact had nothing to do with weapon-crafting and bore no resemblance to a blacksmith's tool.

Whatever it's real nature, the Anvil would elicit great concern and dread should rumors crop up that it survived Connacht's attentions.

Balmung

Don't get too close to Alric when he's wielding his sword.

Alric's sword is a powerful weapon against massed forces.

"The tales of Alric's swordsmanship cannot begin to describe what I have just witnessed. He possesses the sword Balmung and wields it with such skill that the magics contained therein spring forth to strike his enemies down. In this man Soulblighter has truly met his match."

"The sight of Alric hacking his way through the enemy, Balmung flashing in his hand, caused many of our own men to stand aside in awe."

Generally regarded as the most powerful enchanted weapon in all of Myth, Balmung boasts a storied history dating back to the earliest days of the Cath Bruig empire. Alric currently owns the blade.

In addition to being a very fine broadsword, Balmung features a variant Lightning attack. On any successful sword strike, this does additional lightning damage to the target, then arcs to any nearby targets as per the Dispersal Dream.

Balmung does not distringuish friend from foe, other than it will not attack its owner, so is best weilded by a great hero at good distance from his companions.

Rumor has it that Balmung posesses other great powers, including some disadvantages that may make even the mightiest archmage wary of unsheathing it too often. This suggests that Balmung may be intelligent, and that it attempts to neize control of its user.

No price can be placed on such an item.

Crom Crauch

Little is known of this near-mythical artifact once weilded by Shiver and reportedly destroyed in Connacht's purge. Most scholars believe Shiver used the Anvil to force wicked weapons empowered only for undead weilders, but a few of the greatest archmages hint that the name Anvil misleads: The artifact had nothing to do with weapon-crafting and bore no resemblance to a blacksmith's tool.

Whatever it's real nature, the Anvil would elicit great concern and dread should rumors crop up that it survived Connacht's attentions.

Forgall's Bestiary

"When Covenant fell and the Great University burned, we lost countless generations of accumulated knowledge - chief amongst the loss was the last surviving copy of Forgall's Bestiary."

"Even in Forgall's work some amount of speculation must have been neccesary to complete certain entries, but now, because of this terrible war, the beasts of myth walk the land once more!"

Bow of Furious Incandescence, The

"A few men and I are leaving the main column in a few moments to discover the fate of a scouting party which has not returned. None of us expect to find them alive, but we must recover an artifact carried by their leader, gr'Uman, Lieutenant of Archers."

Bow of Stoning, The

A bow which launches arrows that turn their targets to stone. It was found by iu'Shee in the Barrier during the Great War.

bre'Unor Shrine

Don't desecrate the bre'Unor shrine.

Deceiver's Scepter

"Today the Dramus River is frozen solid, but back then it was a muddy torrent of melted snow and ice brought on by the eruption of Tharsis. The Deceiver was plunged into the river and swept far downstream, his scepter sinking to the bottom.

I asked Twelve Motion why King Alric believes The Deceiver will throw in with our lot. He explained how The Deceiver has been frozen in a half-death beneath the river, clinging to life through sorcery alone, with no power left to free himself. The King believes that if we were to revive him and return the scepter, the focus of his power, he would no doubt join our cause."

Use the Deceiver's scepter and an incantation to revive him.

In addition to the Staff enchantment, the Deceiver has enchanted his personal staff with Magic Resistance . . . making the effect cost no energy for a mage weilding the staff. The top of the staff features a skull, glowing with the light of a Powerstone imbedded within it.

Deep Fen Boots

These boots of fir'Bolg invention feature Walk on Water . . . wearers can walk across water, bogs, quicksand, etc, for as long as they can maintain the spell.

Eblis Stones

"A single berserk reached us yesterday, after having come all the way over the mountains from the city of Willow, fourteen hundred miles away. He delivered to Alric a single package the size of a man's fist, wrapped in rags, and refuses to talk with anyone about events in the west."

"As Balor approached, Alric drew from his robe one of the five Eblis Stones, and for a few moments it made him an equal of Balor."

Magic artifacts of great power. Those who control them are said to be unstoppable in battle.

"...he drew from his robe one of the five Eblis Stones, and for a few moments it made him an equal of Balor. The rest of the Legion was sacrificed... to give us time to take Balor's head."

"Magic artifacts of great power. Those wielding an Eblis stone are said to be unstoppable in battle. Alric used one of these artifacts to defeat Balor in the Great War."

[Connact] dispatched his lieutenant Damas to seek out items of power - the five Eblis Stones, Tramist's Mirror, the Total Codex, and more. Damas - far less the governor than Connacht but far better the adventurer - destroyed what he could and secreted the rest.

Connacht reportedly destroyed these mighty war totems, but at least one of the original five survived to provide Alric the crucial edge he needed against Balor. That stone provided a ranged Total Paralysis spell. Legend has it the other stones featured different effects, but each just as mighty. Given their historical significance and overwhelming reputation in battle, any surviving stones would be priceless.

Energon Cubes

"Alric has only three magical attacks to use. Even large groups of enemies should be disposed of in other ways if your units can handle them."

This is another name for the unrechargable Powerstone variant normally called a Manastone . . . In this setting, its customary to carve the gem into a cube shape prior to enchanting. Manastones are more common than Powerstones in Myth.

Ghol Godhead

"The Ghols worship enormous pieces of unworked stone, moved in antiquity to the open meadows far below their mountain dwellings. They alone remember the names of the dark gods."

"...turning the godhead of the ghols into a monument to Balin's victory. Nothing else has done more to sustain the mutual hatred since the ghols raided the crypt at Myrgard for 'victuals'."

"...with the destruction of their most sacred shrine at Myrgard and driven out of the Dwarven lands, the Ghols have only redoubled their efforts to '... devour the dwarves from existence'."

Gleaming Wands of Malagigi

The archmage Malagigi created these glowing sticks to end the long-ago Siege of Seven Gates. The Gleaming Wands force the Mahir to become corporeal, temporarily losing their Shadow Form disadvantage. This is an areas effect with a duration of one minute. The component spell to enchant Gleaming Wands has been lost in history.

Halcyon Stones

These two fragments of a single stone each gave the user great power over wind and weather (all Air and Water elemental spells, with four levels of Power and Counterspell only vs. the other stone's spells). The only known fragment was lost in Balor's sack of Muirthemne.

Heaven Stones

These sapphires are supposed to keep their owner safe from malign influences. Legend has it they weild the most power when held in the mouth. Treat as Moly amulets (Magic Resistance vs. one college only), with only half effect if not held in this fashion.

Ibis Crown of the Cath Bruig, The

"Legend states that whoever wears the Ibis Crown has at his disposal truly staggering power. Such was the artifact's power that Ceiscoran, at fantastic expense, commissioned eleven ordinary copies of the thing to be made in order to make theft of the true crown more difficult.

King Alric believes it was secreted away in the catacombs below the Mausoleum of the Cath Bruig. Knowing that entering the haunted crypt is tantamount to a death sentence, the King has called for volunteers."

"Legend states that whoever wears the Ibis Crown has at his disposal enormous power. Before the fall of the Cath Bruig empire, Ceiscoran, at enormous expense, commissioned eleven ordinary copies of the crown to be made in order to make the theft of the true crown more difficult. When Muirthemne fell to the Fallen Lords, the true crown was nowhere to be found."

Perhaps the greatest enchanted item in Myth's history, the Ibis Crown is a massive headpiece of bejewelled platinum posessing a vast inventory of powers. Its wearer, if a mage, can cast Fear, Bravery, Berserker, Daze, Sleep, Peacefull Sleep, Madness, Nightmare, Loyalty, Charm, Emotion Control, or Suggestion, all benefitting from the crown's four levels of Power. Any wearer will enjoy [an increased IQ]. A Conceal Magic speel gives any mage [less ability] to detect the crown's magical powers. The crown also has other powers, kept secret by the state.

When the Cath Bruig emperor Ceiscoral realized the power of the thing that his mages had crafted, he ordered the creation of 11 ordinary copies at huge expense to make stealing the original that much more difficult. The one true crown was lost when Balor sacked Muirthemne, but subsequently recovered by Alric.

Journal, The

"As we were breaking camp, Garrick handed me a journal he had recovered from Cruniac's belongings. The commander must have taken it from one of the Baron's libraries.

What significance it may have had to Cruniac I do not know, other than it appears to have been written by a man who served in the Legion during the Great War."

Magic Armor

"Alric babbled about a suit of armor so powerful that its wearer was invulnerable to attack and tireless in battle. He claimed that it was buried somewhere in the eastern desert, and that he had been sent by The Head to retrieve it."

Magic Crystals

Dwarves can pick up crystals. When a Dwarf is near where a crystal belongs, he'll throw it.

You'll need to find a crystal elsewhere in the camp to release the Deceiver. Any unit can retrieve it.

"There is a sixth crystal... find it."

"Yes, yes, now complete the circle..."

Mandrake Plants

Certain plants that grow near the river can be chopped up to yield the Mandrake roots that Journeymen use for healing.

Mandrake Roots

Heron Guards have the Journeyman's healing skills and carry Mandrake roots. They can pick up the roots of dead Heron Guards.

"Their healing ritual has its roots in the initiation rites of the Heron Guard, but what brings about immortality in a truly exceptional person merely restores the vitality of lesser men."

Heron Guards and Journeymen carry these to power their healing spells. Their order teaches them to never use their own fatigue to do so in combat, for fear they'll exaust themselves.

These can be found for sale from time to time. Most of the expense reflects the difficulty of finding and procuring the root itself, which emits a ghastly shriek as it's unearthed that automatically slays any living digger. A variety of tricks - involving undead minions or Earth spells if available, cheap trained dogs if not - will circumvent this unhappy side effect.

Maul of the Dwarven Kings, The

This incredibly heavy weapon boasted several Air spells in addition to high Accuracy and Puissance. The Dwarves will not say whether they retain the legendary artifact after the sacking of their cities, but were not prone to bring it out into public view even when they clearly did have posession.

Myrkridian Skull Platforms

"Tradition tells us almost nothing of the Myrkridia save for the horrible skull platforms they would build from the severed heads of their enemies. We found one of these a few hours ago, thirty feet high and a hundred feet across, each skull arranged with a mad precision that was terrifying to behold."

Myrkridian Standards

"Many of the skulls were human, or at least humanoid, but among these were others which were certainly not, whose shapes and curves I have tried to forget ever since. In the center of the platform, far above our heads, rose the ancient battle standard of the Myrkridia."

"Alric's plan is a mad one.

One of the many strange things we found while trapped inside the Tain was the shredded battle standard of that long dead race of evil creatures called the Myrkridia. I thought that we had left it behind, but someone must have climbed that horrible pile of skulls and brought it out with them when we escaped.

[ . . . ]

Alric intends to approach within a hundred yards of the fortress, and raise the Myrkridian standard. Because of Balor's old enmity toward the Myrkridia, Alric is certain that this will so enrage Balor that he will come to deal with us himself.

All we have to do is plant the standard and wait."

"Where did you find that accursed thing, Alric, and what madness made you raise it here?"

Oriflamme, The

The royal standard of the house of Mabingion of Tyr, this cast a powerful combination of Bravery on the bearer's companions and Terror on his foes. It was lost early in the war against Balor, in a fortnight battle in the Bagrada Valley.

Quivers of Power

The fir'Bolg specialize in creating quivers of incredible magical power: Any arrow left in them for more than a day and fired by the quiver's wearer will be treated as if fired from a magical bow, regardless of the actual bow's properties! Enchantment costs are the same as for a bow of the same properties. Examples including Accuracy, Puissance, Quick-Aim, and other standard weapon enhancements have all been seen.

Rune Stones

These are the original rune stones of Myth, landmark-sized monoliths thought to be fragments of the One Dream, barrows of the Callieach, or both. Their rough surfaces become reflective if an archmage taps them. Each apparently facilitates study and casting of a single dream, but archmages are extremely tightlipped about any additional properties. Their locations are kept secret by those who know them.

Tain, The

"I do not understand what has happened. Falling back before two myrmidons in Forest Heart, I was enveloped by a greenish haze which tore me from the earth.

[ . . . ]

Murgen believes us to be trapped inside the Tain, a relic forged by the Smiths of Muirthemne during the Wind Age.

[ . . . ]

Soon after its construction, the Tain was taken from Muirthemne by raiding barbarians from the south, and believed to be lost forever.

[ . . . ]

But they say that the darkest artifacts have the ability to bend men to their will. Calling soundlessly to the wicked and discontent from thousands of miles away or hundreds of feet beneath the earth or sea, and that in this way they always come to light again, no matter how buried or forgotten."

"Murgen believes that we are close to finding a backdoor. A secret exit from the Tain added by its creators so they could escape the thing if it were ever used against them. It will be hidden, of course, and almost certainly protected by traps, but it is our only chance of escape."

"I think Soulblighter lost his nerve when the Tain shattered. To him, only a few seconds passed between the invocation of the thing and its sudden destruction, while it took us two days to escape the caves inside it."

"The old journal records that, during the Great War, Soulblighter trapped the Legion inside an artifact called the Tain. After two days of searching, the avatara Murgen discovered a secret exit. At the cost of his own life, he was able to free the Legion by shattering the Tain from within.

When Soulblighter fled after the Tain was destroyed, he must have taken some part of it with him, knowing that even a tiny fraction of the artifact would be useful in the future."

"The Tain is filled with obstacles and traps. You'll need Dwarves and The Deceiver to get through. Keep them alive."

"This place is wholly outside of my experience. The air is cool and very dry and has a metallic taste. There are sections of cave wall that merge seamlessly with emptiness. Looking into these voids brings on feelings of nausea and I cannot shake the feeling that we are being watched.

[ . . . ]

The Summoner has been inside the shattered artifact for five months now, slowly resurrecting [the Myrkridia]".

"Traveling through the Tain Shard has left us at a loss as to exactly where in the world we are."

The most powerful Gate artifact ever enchanted, the Tain resembled a jewel box of a very strange design. Its holder could send those around him into another plane, a cavernous place of shadows seamlessly merging with walls.

Connacht comissioned the Tain to hold the thousands of creatures he desired to dispel from the lands. Its user could cast a powerful version of Plane Shift Other to transport those around him into the Tain. The secret of getting back out died with the two archmages who discovered it, shattering the Tain in the process. Each fragment of the Tain can still access the alternate plane to which the original led, though it's doubtful that a fragment boasts the ability to force creatures into that plane as the original did.

Tarnkappe

These capes incorporate a self-powered Hide spell. The Dwarves are known to have enchanted 12 of them.

Thalor's Eye

This isn't an enchanted itme, but the magical legacy of a powerful Myrkridian mage-pack leader. The eye constantly casts Wither Plant. Anyone who looks into its gaze must resist the eye's [power]. Looking at the back of the eye is safe. This item has been lost in time.

Total Codex, The

"The Head appears to know something about everything, and now it has us looking for an artifact called the Total Codex. It's been located in the ruined city of Covenant, but the first group sent to retrieve it has not returned."

"Against my better judgment, I opened the Codex last night to a random page and read about the life of a man not yet born, who would resurrect the Myrkridia and visit horrors on the world without equal in history or myth. I believed every word. I have resolved to destroy the thing before allowing it to become an instrument of the Dark."

"King Alric is convinced that Soulblighter is searching for a man known as The Summoner. He says that the birth of a man 'who would resurrect the Myrkridia and visit horrors on the world without equal in history or myth' had been foretold in an ancient tome called the Total Codex."

A magical book of immense power, in which is written the fate of every creature that will ever be born.

"I opened the Codex... and read about the life of a man not yet born, who would resurrect the myrkridia and visit horrors on the world without equal in history or myth."

"And now we come to the tale of how Fang-Grinder, the infamous 'King of the Ghols', met with his own grim demise as told in the Total Codex itself!"

This indestructable book contains the fate of all things, and thus all of history. The book is infinitely long, though it appears of mundane size and weights but 15 pounds. No one can turn to a specific fate upon opening it, though the great archmage Mazzarin could usually turn to a page near his own fate. Treat reading the Total Codex as casting a Divination spell with no prerequisites. Instrumental in the recent wars, the Total Codex is in Alric's possession.

Tramist's Mirror

"...her spirit disconnected from her body, set adrift on the ether... gathered up by Soulblighter and... made corporeal with the terrible power of Tramist's Mirror."

Soulblighter used this artifact to gather up Shiver's spirit and make her corporeal once again. It might be an instrument casting or assisting Resurrection. It might cast or assist a spell to create a powerful undead. No one got close enough to Shiver in her short second lifetime to divulge the mirror's function from her nature. The mirror currently is considered lost.

Wards

The fir'Bolg often wear jewelry enchanted with a Fortify variant that need not be enchanted on clothing or armor. The cost is twice that of standard Fortify enchantments.

Watcher-Bone Arrows

"[The Nine] hope to use The Watcher's arm against him, if we find it. Rather like knowing his true name, only better. Again, I don't pretend to understand."

"Yesterday I saw iu'Shee, captain of archers, with a fist full of white arrows five feet long and tipped with fragments of bone. I lost track of who was carrying The Watcher's arm when we fled Silvermines, but I suspect its turned up again."

"We held Soulblighter at the Gjol long enough to let Alric spring his trap on The Watcher. Turned out I was right about those arrows: Alric had been working on them since we entered the marsh two weeks ago, and they were tipped with fragments of bone from The Watcher's arm.

I sure wouldn't have wanted to get stuck with one, but apparently they turned The Watcher into stone, leaving him paralyzed and helpless.

But he didn't die."

To defeat a Fallen Lord, Alric once created an arrow - tipped with the bone of the intended victim himself - that triggered a Flesh to Stone spell when it struck its target. The unusual choice of arrowhead materials suggests that at least a fragment of the victim's bone (obtained from a severed limb in this instance) is a prerequisite for this powerful enchantment. Further details appear to be known only to Alric and his trusted subordinates.

Watcher's Arm, The

"The old stories all tell that when Balor freed The Watcher from his prison under the Cloudspine, one arm was left trapped in his prison of solid rock. But it didn't."

"Imprisoned by Connacht during the Wind Age, The Watcher only escaped by tearing off his left arm at the elbow, like a wolf chewing through his leg to escape a snare."

World Knots

"But we can't wait for them: There is a World Knot west of the Cloudspine and The Head insists that the enemy has learned to travel through the Knots. If we don't destroy this portal we might hold the mountains only to be outflanked by forces emerging from the Knot behind us."

Ancient relics which allow near-instantaneous movement from place to place.

"Garrick believes there is a World Knot directly west of us on the other side of the Cloudspine. Although it was destroyed during the Great War, the Dwarves seem confident they will be able to repair it. This I will have to see for myself."

"The old maps, he says, all show a World Knot in Rhi'anon, though it has never been used in our time."

Scattered throughout Myth, these sites have the energy cost and skill penalties to Teleport to a World Knot or from one toward the caster. They have a radius of 3, allowing 19 human-sized subjects to be teleported at one time while benefiting from their Beacon enchantments. Most possess no Name and can be used freely by any mage. All World Knots incorporate four curved pylons that must be intact for the Beacon enchantment to work.