(Note: Format follows Tome Of Artifacts. Eldritch Relics And Wonders)
THE TALE OF THE AMULET OF XARVOX
Hundreds of years ago, Xarvox was a wizard on a quest. For far too long, demons and devils had been plaguing his kingdom thanks to a lich that lived deep within a northern mountain range. Many adventurers had lost their lives trying to stop the lich, and Xarvox was running out of options.
Growing more and more desperate (his favorite wench had been killed by an imp), Xarvox started looking into strange and forbidden lore. One ancient tome that he discovered by accident suggested a solution to the problem lay in a bargain with an outsider, but one of the upper planes rather than the lower.
Going through the required ritual, Xarvox somehow managed to summon a lacertal, a lizard-guardinal. After explaining what the problem was, the lacertal agreed to help. Summoning powerful magics, the celestial turned himself into a rune-covered amulet with a single small lizard-like eye in the middle of a six-pointed star.
Using the amulet, Xarvox and a brave group of adventurers defeated the lich and ended the evil that had blighted the kingdom for so long. Many decades later Xarvox died and the amulet was buried with him. However, the amulet decided that its job was not yet complete, and entered the world in a mute quest to destroy evil outsiders wherever they could be found.
RESEARCHING THE AMULET OF XARVOX
Since Xarvox died several hundred years ago, knowledge of his amulet has become exceedingly rare and hard to find.
STUDYING THE AMULET OF XARVOX
The amulet is of a dark gray metal. Around the edge are various indecipherable runes. Further in are runes that name twelve different guardinals. Above all of this is a interwoven six-pointed star and circle. In the very middle lies a small, green lizard's eye. The eye has been seen to occasionally look around, but when it does so can not be predicted in any way. The amulet is non-communicative, despite having once been a celestial.
Strong Abjuration magic can be detected with the Amulet of Xarvox, but surprisingly no good radiates from it. This is thought to be because lacertals are Neutral in alignment, but this is up for conjecture. Whenever the bearer of the amulet is near lizards of any natural kind (not including dragons, drakes, etc), they will be very calm and curious, only attacking if attacked.
POWERS OF THE AMULET OF XARVOX
When worn, the wearer will slowly (over a period of 2d4 weeks) learn the powers of the amulet. If the user is herpetophobic at all then he will be cured of this phobia once the time has passed.
USING THE AMULET OF XARVOX
When worn on a chain around the neck, the wearer (and only the wearer) will hear a series of hisses and clicks, alerting him to the presence of an evil outsider of any sort. The eye will shift about, looking for its foes and will glow slightly when they are found.
CONSTANT POWERS
The amulet grants the wearer a +3 Natural Armor bonus to his AC, and can detect evil outsiders that come within 110' of him.
ACTIVATED POWERS
Five times per day the wearer may cast Banishment and Control Area (evil outsiders).
CONSEQUENCES
Any evil creature that wears the amulet will gain two negative levels for the entire time it is worn.
USING THE AMULET OF XARVOX IN A CAMPAIGN
This amulet is a good way for the DM to assist the players without giving them a campaign-ending magic item.
ADVENTURE SEEDS
DESTROYING THE AMULET OF XARVOX
The amulet can be destroyed if it is worn by a Balor at the time of the demon's explosive death.
