Punishment. Eternal punishment. The prospect of an eternity of Hell weighed heavily on the mind of Black Harran in his final years. He could not undo a life of sin, but he could seal himself away from the consequences.
Soul Sanctuary
Aura strong abjuration and conjuration; CL 20th
Slot none; Weight 1 lb.
Description
Tiny silver and cold iron tubes surround and feed into a fist-sized diamond. Dark patches churn through the diamond’s core, marring its beauty. An effect similar to a continuous mind blank affects the soul sanctuary, shielding the device from prying eyes. By succeeding on one or more consecutive Knowledge (arcana) checks (each check requires a move action to perform), the owner of the soul sanctuary can unleash several magical effects.
Knowledge (arcana) check DC; number of consecutive successes required: effect
DC 10; 1: resistance
DC 12; 1: protection from evil/law
DC 15; 2: rope trick
DC 20; 2: nondetection
DC 25; 3: mage’s magnificent mansion
DC 30; 4: mind blank (owner only)
By succeeding on six consecutive DC 40 Knowledge (arcana) checks, the owner of the soul sanctuary can transfer himself or herself to a demiplane where time does not exist, cheating death and the fate that comes after it. Failing on a check fractures the owner’s soul (as insanity; no saving throw allowed).
Destruction
The soul sanctuary must be crushed between a marut’s fists on the Astral Plane. The soul sanctuary’s destruction will resonate across the planes and will momentarily disrupt the demiplane’s timelessness. Time will instantly and fatally catch up with anyone residing in the demiplane.
His fingers traced the artifacts intricate tubing, his mind desperate to deduce their purpose. So long…it had taken him so long to acquire the item. Not much time remained. They would come for him soon, but he would not be there for them to collect. No more need to fear the flames. Smiling, Black Harran grasped his salvation tightly.
Lore
Knowledge (arcana)
- DC 18: A soul sanctuary offers a way to escape the dire consequences that are attached to dark pacts and living a sinful life. It offers a safe haven to those who deserve Hell.
- DC 21: The soul sanctuary transports those who use it to a demiplane unaffected by the passage of time, effectively cheating death and the fate that a soul deserves. Because of this, the inevitables known as marut search for the soul sanctuary; their quest may last an eternity because their magic fails to locate it.
- DC 24: The timeless demiplane is not the only destination that the soul sanctuary offers.
- DC 27: Using the soul sanctuary to reach the timeless demiplane is not without danger; improper use can destroy the user’s mind.
Knowledge (the planes)
- DC 20: None have ever returned from the soul sanctuary’s demiplane. To return would mean death for most users of the soul sanctuary, as the passage of time would be applied retroactively.
No room for error—he was so very close now. Beads of sweat fell from Black Harran’s brow as he handled the device, making intricate adjustments at various stages of the ritual. Suddenly, a blinding flash of light….
I’m prolly going to get beat up a little for this but I always assumed that evil rewards itself in 3.5/Pathfinder. The bad guys worshiped evil dieties that rewarded them for evil behavior. Thus the market for this item would be people who suck at being properly evil.
That said we missed you Darkjoy!
Well, can you really trust the powers of Hell for your just reward in the afterlife?
The truth is, you cannot, they are going take your soul and have their way with you, forever!
Yeah, you may get raised to lesser devil / demonhood, but then you can look forward to an eternal struggle to get to the top of the pile………..
So it’s way better to just lock yourself away in a nice pleasant demi-plane.
The way I see it, infernal contracts are like a spiritual credit card – you get what you wanted right now, but have to pay (with rapidly-growing interest) later. Some may be like a balloon mortgage, with the interest rate suddenly skyrocketing after a given date – this gives the villain an urgent need to complete his Master Plan ASAP…
In fact, what if the soul market suffered a bubble collapse similar to the recent mortgage crisis? Suddenly a few mid-level devils rise to major wealth/status, hundreds of others are demoted, thousands of low-level devils are left “penniless” (and their contracts sent immediately to the Collections Department). There could be major impact on the Prime Material, as dozens of evil villains are suddenly sucked away in clouds of brimstone as their debts come due early, while at the same time a plague of desperate impoverished minor devils erupts across the land, willing to promise almost anything to anyone willing to sign a contract, any contract, just one contract, pleeeeease? … Other evil outsiders such as night hags could also be disrupted due to their “investments”, much as the US mortgage collapse produced debt crises in many other countries (such as Greece).