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Parchemins des ténèbres

Black Scrolls

Anyone who stays within ten feet of a Black Scroll gains Taint as if he were in the Shadowlands itself. Only encasing the scroll completely in crystal or jade will prevent this corruption.

Each of the Black Scrolls is sealed by a complex ward: a successful Spellcraft (DC 30) is necessary to open this seal. When a seal is broken and the scroll opened for the first time, a ripple of dark magic echoes across the land. This wave of darkness can be felt by any spellcaster or character with a strong connection to the world or otherworldly powers (Concentration check, DC 10 + distance in tens of miles). Creatures with a particular connection to the Green or holy powers gain a +5 sacred bonus to this Concentration check. This force is so strong that it disrupts benevolent magic : any caster not currently tainted must succeed at a Concentration check DC 10 + number of scrolls already opened whenever he casts a healing or “good” spell (DM’s call) or have the spell fail and become nauseated for 1d6 rounds. This disruption lasts for a number of days equal to the number of now open Black Scrolls.

Using a Black Scroll

Black Scrolls are spell completion items, though, as artefacts, they violate many of the rules. So long as the user is a spellcaster, he can use the Black Scrolls as if the spell were on his spell list, as a spell two levels higher than the highest level that he may cast (up to 10^th). A caster who suffers a mishap while using one of the Black Scrolls is immediately lost to infernal powers: his Taint score is set to 10 and he becomes a creature of true evil and corruption – on par with the demons themselves. The DC save for a Black Scroll is determined as normal. However, the power of the Black Scrolls is terrible and fatal to any creature and so, all checks made to beat spell resistance are made with a +5 blasphemous bonus. Each casting of a Black Scroll increases the caster’s Taint score at twice the usual rate

The Black Scrolls can be mastered so that they become the equivalent of 9^th level spells the user may cast at his discretion but the scroll itself is still required as a focus component. Mastering such dark magics inevitably leads to damnation and one who masters a Black Scroll increases his Taint score by a full rank – protection is ineffective against this increase since the Taint and the spell are indistinguishable and must both be accepted in order to gain the power.

THE FIRST BLACK SCROLL

Dark Divination

Divination [Negative energy]

Casting Time: 10 minutes

Range: Personal

Target: You

Duration: Instantaneous

This spell has two separate effects, from which the caster must choose upon casting. The first use of this power allows the caster to ask three questions which can be answered with one word. You receive truthful answers to all three questions – it most be noted that the forces involved are dark and malicious so the answers given may not be what they would initially appear to be.

The second application allows the caster to gain a vision of the greatest threat to the casters plans, a foresight of some action that will be taken by your enemies in the immediate future that you have the power to prevent. It must also be remarked that this power will only reveal such information if the caster is currently planning to conquer, dominate or destroy some opponent – if not, the Dark Powers will give a vision of those who would stop such a conquest and will generally try to make the caster think that the vision pertains to some crucial plan of his, especially if such a plan has benevolent ends or if the Dark Powers can involve those close to the caster as opponents in the vision. In such cases, the vision is often brought about by the actions of the caster who fears failure or betrayal – to the sorrow of all involved and the great delight of the Dark Powers.

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THE SECOND BLACK SCROLL

The Wasting Disease

Necromancy [Negative Energy]

Casting Time: One standard action

Range: Touch

Target: One living creature

Duration: Instantaneous

Saving Throw: Fortitude negates

Spell Resistance: Yes

The target you touch contracts the Wasting Disease and immediately suffers a full day’s effects – there is no incubation time for the victim. The victim of this spell is doomed and cursed for there is no known cure and no spell has ever overcome the power of the Wasting Disease in the initial host; but, what may be even worse is that –for the initial host only – the Wasting Disease will never reduce a score below 1. Any living creature (including the caster) that comes within 10 feet of the host must save or become infected as well. However, the DC is reduced by 2 and decreases in the same manner for every successive generation. A creature that succeeds on the initial infection saving throw is forever immune to infection but remains vulnerable to a direct casting of the spell.

The Wasting Disease is a terrible malady that robs the victim of everything. Every day, an infected creature must succeed on a successful saving throw or suffer 1d4 points of damage to every ability score. A poor soul that does not succeed this initial save must make another save for each ability score or one point of damage is instead a point forever lost – drained. The disease is practically impossible to cure and any check made to help the infected creature is made against a +10 DC increase to the regular difficulty and spells that would ordinarily cure a disease without a check must make one or be ineffective. While the disease is active, no damage may be healed – especially ability damage – by any known means.

Rodents (and Slitheren) are immune to the Wasting Disease’s effects but they may become carriers for 1d6 months if they fail to save against the disease. Curative spells do function as normal – without the increased DC – against the Wasting Disease when born by a simple carrier.

Those who die from the Wasting Disease are suffused with negative and infernal energy and will return as undead – possibly fiendish undead! – if proper measures are not taken: buried on sacred ground, etc. Most will return as simple undead but especially powerful individuals may rise as powerful creatures filled with malice and a taste for death. Simply destroying the body will cause the creature to come back as an incorporeal undead.

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The Third black scroll

Blessings of the Dark Lord

Transmutation [Negative energy]

Casting Time: 1 hour

Range: Touch

Target: One living creature

Duration: Permanent (D)

Saving Throw: Fortitude negates

Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell confers a blessing of darkness upon the target creature, increasing its connection to the Dark Powers. The target gains one Shadowlands Power (see Creatures of Rokugan, p. 101), chosen randomly by the DM, obeying the normal rules for acquiring Shadowlands powers. The target gains Shadowlands Taint in proportion to the power gained: a Minor power increases the target’s Taint modifier by two, a Major Power increases the target’s Taint modifier by six. The Shadowlands Taint inflicted by this spell cannot be removed in any manner unless the other effects of this spell (the Shadowlands Powers) are also removed.

Targets that become Lost due to the use of this spell fall under the caster’s permanent control (as long as he possesses the scroll – it need not be on his person but he must still be the “owner”).

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THE FOURTH BLACK SCROLL

The Dark Lord's Eyes

Conjuration (Calling) [Negative energy]

Casting Time: 10 minutes

Range: Medium (100 feet + 10 feet/level)

Target: At least 1 sentient creature within a 30 feet radius summoning circle

Duration: Instantaneous

Saving Throw: Will negates

Spell Resistance: Yes

This hideous spell transforms the sentient creatures within the summoning circle into uridezu (Manual of the Planes p.164). The caster must first subdue or at least control the sentient creatures and then traces a summoning circle – should the caster have a permanent circle, the future targets can be brought in after the crafting of the circle. The circle must respect all rules applicable for such magical constructions.

Once the spell is cast, 2d10 uridezu spirits are conjured within the circle and attempt to take possession of a creature. The uridezu strike randomly at all creatures but never twice against a single creature. Those subjected to a uridezu’s attention must succeed their saving throw or be immediately transformed into a uridezu. When transforming, the initial creature dies, it’s soul ripped from it’s shell but not further harmed by this spell – of course, it is possible that a caster or demon would be ready to capture escaping souls since they are already ejected from their bodies and, as such, much easier prey than they otherwise would be.

If there are an insufficient number of creatures or if to many resist possession, the uridezu spirits remain as wraiths that attack the caster when it breaks the circle to free the uridezu before returning to the abyssal realms. They may only leave once the caster has been destroyed. These wraiths may be controlled as normal.

The summoned demons are not under the caster’s command but they will perceive him as their master and serve him as they would any other demon prince – which is to say until any weakness is shown or an opportunity for betrayal presents itself. While the EL for all summoned uridezu is equal or greater than double the caster’s CR, they will test his strength.

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THE FIFTH BLACK SCROLL

A Terrible Oath

Transmutation [Negative energy]

Casting Time: 1 minute

Range: Medium (100 feet + 10 feet/leve)

Target: Willing living creatures, no two of which may be more than 30 feet apart

Duration: 1 day

Saving Throw: None

Spell Resistance: No

This spell must be cast within one hour of the sacrifice of a sentient creature (intelligent being). By drawing on this creature’s life force and the dark power within the Black Scroll, you share the power of corruption with nearby allies. Willing creatures within range gain a +6 enhancement bonus to Strength, Dexterity and Constitution, a +4 natural armour bonus and two ranks of Taint. You may choose whether or not you wish to be one of these targets.

When the spell ends, all targets suffer the given bonuses as penalties, permanently. A new application of this spell removes the penalty as well as offering the regular effects of the spell.

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THE SIXTH BLACK SCROLL

Return of the Fallen Lord

Necromancy [Negative energy]

Equates to the spell Animate Dead. The caster may cast any version: lesser, greater, diminished, regular or heightened: all are available through this scroll. However, the truename component is removed – you need not anything about a creature to raise it. The creature is not under your control as a result of this spell.

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THE SEVENTH BLACK SCROLL

The Iron Citadel (The Obsidian Citadel)

Conjuration (Creation) [Negative energy]

Casting Time: 1 hour

Range: Long (400 feet + 40 feet/level)

Effect: One citadel

Duration: Instantaneous

In an area strong in Taint (or Dark: they are interchangeable), you may call into being a huge castle made entirely out of black steel and obsidian. The castle’s walls have a hardness of 20 and 40 hit points per inch of thickness. This castle can be up to 1,000 feet in every dimension, including underground, and the interior rooms can be placed in any arrangement you desire. If you desire it, up to your level in doors or windows in the castle are enchanted with an arcane lock or glyph of warding (your choice; the spell glyphs can be enchanted with any spell you can cast). The castle has up to ten secret doors, up to five illusory walls, and is completely furnished. (All furnishings are in fact part of the castle itself and cannot be removed.)

This spell can only be cast in Tainted areas unoccupied by creatures or structures (ruins may be ok – DM’s call). Only one Obsidian Citadel may be in existence at any time. If an Obsidian Citadel is already in existence, this spell may be cast on its premises to cause that structure to collapse upon itself in a most dramatic fashion.

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THE EIGHTH BLACK SCROLL

Black Wind From the Soul

Conjuration (Creation) [Negative energy]

Casting Time: 1 minute

Area : Spread centred on ritual bowl (which is next to you) in a 1,000 feet radius

Duration: Instantaneous

Saving Throw: Will half

Spell Resistance: No

This scroll is special in that more than one caster may participate in its casting. When this spell is cast, you release a furious blast of negative energy that fills the area of effect. This black wind deals 1d6 points of negative energy damage for every spellcaster level participating in its casting.

Only living creatures are harmed by this spell. Constructs and inanimate objects are unharmed. Undead creatures are healed an equal amount of damage and extra healing is gained as temporary hit points. If the Black Wind bestows more temporary hit points than the creature’s normal maximum, it explodes in a burst of negative energy.

Shortly after the Black Wind passes through the area, it slows and starts to coalesce into dark pockets of fog that slowly turn to a greenish black. These pockets become bane clouds during the following round and may act immediately upon the beginning of the second round after the casting. The spell creates 1d10 bane clouds per five caster levels. The bane clouds are not under the casters’ control.

To properly invoke the spell, bottles of obsidian filled with deadly poison gas (at least 4,000 gold pieces worth) must be placed inside a ritual bowl with a gallon of liquid pain (1,000 gp). The mix ignites and is consumed in dark fire when the spell is invoked.

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THE NINTH BLACK SCROLL

The Horsemen of Despair

Conjuration (Calling) [Negative energy]

Casting Time: 1 hour

Range: Medium (100 feet + 10 feet/level)

Effect: 5d6 specially prepared statues that are no more than 30 feet apart burst into life as armanites

Saving Throw: None

Spell Resistance: No

This most powerful of incantations allows the caster to summon the dark and demonic horsemen known as armanites. To get the proper result, the caster must, before hand, prepare horrible statues of clay within which are encased either centaurs or mutilated and reassembled humanoids and horse corpses that are pieced together to form a centaur-like cadaver. The cadavers must be mostly whole but need not have been killed for this spell specifically. However, none of the creatures encased must have been killed in a manner that would prevent their raising from the dead – i.e. the soul must still exist and be attached in some manner (no matter how tenuous) to the corpse.

If there are an insufficient number of statues, the armanite spirits become centaur shaped wraiths that seek to slay the caster before returning to the abyssal realms. They may only leave once the caster has been destroyed. They may be controlled normally as regular wraiths.

The summoned demons are not under the caster command but they will perceive it as their master and serve him as they would any other demon prince – which is to say until any weakness is shown or an opportunity for betrayal presents itself. While the EL for all summoned armanites is equal or greater than double the caster’s CR, they will test his strength.

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THE TENTH BLACK SCROLL

The walking Horror of the Dark Lord

Necromancy [Negative energy]

Enables the construction of demonflesh golems without the spell requirements, gold or experience costs. The basic material components (i.e. demon parts) are still required however – at the DM’s discretion, these may be abstractly represented by a gold cost equal to half the regular construction cost.

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THE ELEVENTH BLACK SCROLL

Fury of the Dark Lord

Necromancy [Negative energy]

Casting Time: One standard action

Range: Close (25 feet + 5 feet/2 levels)

Effect: Ray

Duration: Instantaneous

Saving Throw: Fortitude partial

Spell Resistance: Yes

A ray of utter darkness emanates from your eyes, striking down one target with the absolute power of the Taint – Dark. The target suffers 1d4 negative levels and 1d8 permanent drain to all ability scores and is nauseated for one hour. A successful save negates the ability drain and the nausea. Creatures immune to negative levels instead suffer 8d10 points of vile damage.

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THE TWELFTH BLACK SCROLL

The Scroll That Has No Name

Conjuration (Calling) [Negative energy]

This, the most famous of all the scrolls, contains no spell or power usable by eager casters. This most powerful of artefacts has only one purpose, one use and one power – it unleashes the Fiendwurm (see Monster Manual II). This scroll is much stronger than the others and it can only be opened once the eleven other scrolls have been opened. Once all others have been opened, the scroll can be unfurled like any regular piece of writing, but once it is unfolded and a creatures’ eyes fall in dismay upon the blank parchment, the Fiendwurm is conjured – and the gods shall weep the death of their children.