Gifts from the Void

When the multiverse was whispered into being by the first words of creation, there was an echo of that generative moment. Nothingness in a dark reflection left behind in contrast to All That Is, the Void is All That Is Not. A place of dark, cold, and madness, the Void is beyond the reason and understanding of mortal creatures. Even the gods themselves fear to stare into that yawning gap between the planes, save those already slipping into the grip of madness or nihilism. It is said that the terrifying artifacts, the spheres of annihilation are pieces of the Void itself, trapped within bounded reality.

There are other objects, some mere trinkets, others of great and terrible power, that hold a sliver of the Void within them.

Black Phial

Wondrous item, uncommon

This black stone phial has a tightly fitting stopper. The phial has three charges. As an action, you can fill the phial with blood taken form a living humanoid, or one that’s been dead no longer than 1 minute, and expend 1 charge. When you do so, the black phial transforms the blood into a potion of greater healing. A creature who drinks this potion must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 hour.

The phial regains 1d3 expended charges daily at midnight. If you expend the phial’s last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, the phial crumbles into dust and is destroyed.

Kyshaarth’s Fang

Weapon (dagger), rare (requires attunement)

This dagger’s blade is composed of some black, bone-like material. Tales suggest the weapon is fashioned from a voidling’s* tendril barb. On a successful hit with this dagger, it deals an additional 2d6 necrotic damage. If you are in dim light or darkness, you regain a number of hit points equal to the necrotic damage the target creature takes.

*see Tome of Beasts

Nullifier’s Lexicon

Wondrous item, very rare (requires attunement)

This book has black leather pages with silver bindings, and a silver front plate. Void Speech glyphs adorn the front plate, which is pitted and tarnished. The pages are thin sheets of corrupted brass, and are inscribed with more blasphemous glyphs. While you are attuned to the lexicon, you can speak, read, and write Void Speech, and you know the crushing curse** cantrip.

By intoning certain passages from the lexicon, you can cast the following spells: conjure voidborn**, dominate monster, life drain**, shatter, thunderwave.

**indicates a spell from Deep Magic 3: Void Magic

You can cast a spell once from the nullifier’s lexicon without difficulty. For each successive casting, you take a cumulative 1d6 necrotic damage. This resets when you finish a long rest.

Finally, you can spend 1 minute pronouncing a complicated passage in Void Speech to rearrange reality to your will. State your general intention when you make the pronouncement (“Strike down my enemies,” “repair the damage the dragon’s breath did to me,” etc.). The DM decides the form this alteration of reality takes, but the effect of any wizard, cleric, or Void magic spell is appropriate. When the effect occurs, you suffer 5d10 necrotic damage, and you can’t use this ability again for 7 days.

Rift Orb

Wondrous item, rare

A sphere of obsidian 3 inches in diameter. When you speak the command word in Void Speech, you can throw the sphere as an action to a point within 60 feet. When the sphere reaches the point you choose, or if it strikes a solid object on the way, it immediately stops and generates a tiny rift into the Void. The area within 20 feet of the rift orb becomes difficult terrain, and gravity begins drawing everything in the affected area toward the rift. Each creature in the area at the start of its turn, or when it enters the area for the first time on a turn, must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be pulled 10 feet toward the rift. A creature that touches the rift takes 4d10 necrotic damage. Unattended objects in the area are pulled 10 feet into the rift at the start of your turn. Nonmagical objects pulled into the rift are destroyed.

The rift orb functions for 1 minute, after which time it becomes inert. It can’t be used again until the following midnight.

Voidskin Cloak

Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement)

This pitch-black cloak whispers as it moves, and absorbs light. By touch, it feels like thin leather with a knobbly, scaly texture, though none of that detail is visible to the eye. While you wear this cloak, you have resistance to necrotic damage. While the hood is up, your face is pooled in shadow, and you can use a bonus action to fix your black gaze upon a creature you can see within 60 feet. If the creature can see you, it must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of its turn, ending the effect on itself on a success. Once a creature succeeds on its saving throw, it can’t be affected by the cloak again until it finishes a long rest. Pulling the hood up or down requires an action.

Voidwalker

Ring, legendary (requires attunement)

This band of tarnished silver bears no ornament or inscription, but is icy cold to the touch. The patches of dark corrosion on the ring subtly move and change. This never occurs while anyone observes the ring, but happens constantly.

While wearing Voidwalker, you it functions as a ring of free action, and a ring of cold resistance. It has the following additional properties.

Forbidden Lore. Voidwalker knows a great deal about esoteric and dark topics, and has the following skill modifiers: Arcana +8, History +8, Religion +8.

Necrotic Absorption. When you would take necrotic damage, you can use your reaction to absorb the damage instead. You regain hit points equal to the necrotic damage you would have otherwise taken.

Void Step. You can use the ring to cast misty step at will. Instead of a puff of mist, you fade and reappear in a black smear in the air.

Sentience. Voidwalker is a sentient neutral evil ring with an Intelligence of 14, a Wisdom of 12, and a Charisma of 16. It has hearing and darkvision out to a range of 120 feet.

The ring communicates telepathically with its wearer, and can also speak Abyssal, Common, Infernal, and Void Speech. It constantly whispers suggestions for its wearer to find new pathways to the Void, often as a means to solve any problem or dilemma the wearer faces.

Personality. Voidwalker is an obsequious thing that takes great pains to cater to the desires of its wearer. It comports itself as an advisor, majordomo, or other high-ranking servant. In truth, its purpose is to return to the Void and to take a mortal “master” with it. Conflict arises if its wearer tries to seal a breach or gateway into the Void, or to discard the ring.

The ring is clever, and knows that most mortals want nothing to do with the Void directly. It also knows that most of the creatures with strength enough to claim it will end up in dire straits sooner or later. It doesn’t overplay its hand trying to push a master to take a plunge into the depths of the Void, but instead makes itself as indispensable as possible. It provides counsel and protection, all the while subtly pushing its master to take larger and larger risks.

Once it’s maneuvered its wearer into a position of desperation, generally on the brink of death, Voidwalker offers a way out. If the master accepts, it opens a gate into the Void, most likely sealing the creature’s doom.