Mystwalker

Mystwalker

(Note: Format follows Tome Of Artifacts. Eldritch Relics And Wonders)

Focus or Theme: Transportation and Travel
Origin: Crafted by beings or gods who existed before the creation of the current multiverse
Benefits: Immune to Fear and Fear-Like Effects
Spell-Like Abilities: No Spell-Like Abilities
Major Powers: Travel
Downsides: Bonded Artifact, Misfortune

The Tale of Mystwalker

The Dark Powers that control the Demiplane of Fear, while usually capricious and seemingly evil beyond measure, also seem to possess a darkly humorous side. This cruel whimsy usually comes in the form of a dramatically ironic death, and the failures of the Dread Lords to achieve their goals would most definitely be seen as amusing to the Dark Powers as well. This isn’t always the case, however.

When exactly the ring Mystwalker was originally created is unknown. There are records of the ring dating back some two-hundred fifty years or so, starting around year 500 on the Barovian Calendar. Those that have possessed the ring in the past have always ended up regretting it, despite the powers over the Mysts that it grants.

A minor noble from Dementlieu, Viscount Gilles Brideau (also known as “the bear” due to his abundant body hair and physical size), is one of the first noted to have worn the ring. He had a secret lover in Mordentshire that he would visit when the urge overcame him. Even if D'Honaire closed the borders to Dementlieu, Brideau  was easily able to make his way to Mordent and back. His trysts came to an end, however, when he was mistaken for an actual bear and brought down with a hunter’s arrow on the way back home one night.

Another unfortunate wearer was Urbano Zito, a legbreaker that worked for Ivan Dilisnya in Borca. One night, while shaking down an old teamster, Urbano realized he had forgotten his favorite club. Stepping out into the street he was nearly run over by a horse and carriage,. His cloak caught on the carriage framework, dragging him for quite a distance and making him lose his hat. On his way back he stepped in a puddle of foulness that a horse with severe diarrhea had left on the street, ruining his favorite boots in the process. When he finally returned, the teamster was able to prove he had paid his protection for the month and was immune to further shakedown.

One other wearer was Duke Aden Froth from Waterdeep. A wizard by trade, Froth used Mystwalker to travel back and forth in an attempt to procure unusual Ravenloft magic items to sell in Waterdeep (the Hand of Glory, enchanted wolf teeth, etc). For nearly two years then went on, until he was mistakenly arrested for selling contraband and sent to a Falkovian work camp. How he perished is unknown, but the ring ended up being sold from his shop in Waterdeep to persons unknown.

Researching Mystwalker

Most knowledge of Mystwalker can be found in Darkon in the Maykle library. More can be found in Waterdeep, Luekish in the Duchy of Urnst (in Greyhawk), Blackmoor, Lankhmar and several other lands. Because the information is so widely spread, the DC to research is slightly high.

DC     Knowledge Available
15     Mystwalker allows the user to travel between worlds and the Mysts.
20     Misfortune follows the wearer around, but it protects him as well.
25     The wearer can never be voluntarily rid of the ring.
30+   The character learns how to control the ring’s Major Power, and learns many of the stories of the ring.

Studying Mystwalker

Mystwalker is a large and dark silver ring. Designs that resemble a fleur-de-lis adorn the sides, but the most striking aspect of the ring is a small blueish-gray eye surrounded and held down by six claws and a pair of small skulls. The eye appears to be made of some kind of stone and is hard and immobile. The wearer will occasionally see the eye looking at him in his peripheral vision, but when viewed directly it simply looks straight up.

Mystwalker is completely immune to all divination spells and effects. It is completely invisible to Detect Magic, and anyone attempting to divine its powers is struck with a week long migraine.

Powers of Mystwalker

First, the ring makes the wearer immune to all fear and fear-like effects. Second, it allows the wearer to make a short journey between worlds and grants immunity to the effects of Dread Lords closing the borders of their Domains. Lastly, it can not be voluntarily gotten rid of and it causes misfortune for the wearer.

Using Mystwalker

The ring seems to be a completely passive magic item. The wearer simply desires to cross through the Mysts of Ravenloft or between worlds, starts walking, and he arrives where he wishes to be within 1d4 hours.

Constant Powers

When worn, Mystwalker protects the wearer by simply having him be in the right place to avoid being hit in combat. It comes across as coincidence to anyone viewing the melee rather than any skill on the part of the wearer.

Activated Powers

As said before, the wearer simply chooses to go to a world of her choosing and begins walking. 1d4 hours later she arrives, walking out of mysts, a forest or over a rise. She will innately know that she has arrived. She can take six more people with her, provided that they all stay within 10 feet of the wearer.

Consequences

Once the character comes into possession of Mystwalker, it will never leave him. It can be taken off and put away freely, but at some unnoticed moment it will just happen to be on the character’s finger. Even if the ring is put on by someone else, it will disappear in an inattentive second and reappear on the owner’s the next. Only upon the death of the character can the ring move on to someone else.

Secondly, three times per day the DM can call for a re-roll on any successful attack, save, or check, and the character must accept the worst of the two rolls. Mild misfortune also seems to follow the wearer, but this usually amounts to nothing more than tripping over his own feet or getting a glass of wine that has gone to vinegar.

Using Mystwalker in a Campaign

Mystwalker is effectively a deus ex machina, a very convenient way to allow the characters to easily travel between campaign worlds or within the Dread Realms. It is also a way for the DM to have a little fun with the character, putting him into unexpected situations or troubles.

Adventure Seeds

What? I don’t even...
The characters are lost in a deep forest when they come upon a dead goblin. The goblin is wearing the ring, his clothing is on backward and he has a human-sized boot strapped onto his head. There are no tracks, no sign of any combat and no other clues.

Um… I don’t think he’s happy with us…
The characters find the ring in a magic shop being sold for a ridiculously cheap price. After discovering its main properties, they travel to Ravenloft. There they go exploring, irritating Dread Lord after Dread Lord by crossing their boundaries freely. Minions are sent after them, and possibly even the Lord himself will go after them in an attempt to obtain the ring.

Destroying Mystwalker

The only way for Mystwalker to be destroyed is for a Dread Lord to be wearing the ring when he or she is slain on the border between two Domains. The ring will simply disappear and never reappear again.

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IMAGE COURTESY OF @bratjedi0 and is NOT Public Domain.