Monday, July 5, 2010

Magical Skulls - Stygian Lantern

Rufus walked slowly on, the soft tapping of his shovel marking his going as he made his nightly rounds.  George, his constant companion, sniffed helpfully at the base of an ash tree.  The lantern squeaked a little as it rocked with each step, it's yellow light casting shadows among the tombstones.  

"Come on boy, only a little more to go, and then we can fry up those sausages we got from Miss Sims."  

George's golden tail wagged gently back and forth, and his mouth watered at the thought of sausages. 


They walked a little bit further on before the lantern light began to flicker, and as it did the color shifted to more reddish tones.  George let out a soft wine.  Rufus, made a slow circle, holding the lamp out in front of him.  One of the graves, a fresh one, gave off a reddish glow and the ground began to push upward.  Rufus walked toward the grave, arriving just as the zombie got it's head above ground.  "Margaret, go back to sleep." Rufus said, squatting down just out of the braineater's reach, the lantern between them.  "Go on now.  There's nothing for you up here."


The zombie grunted, it's eyes drooping, and it squirmed back under the dirt.  Rufus returned the dirt to the grave with his shovel.  "I know I ask you this every time, but why would anyone ever put a graveyard over a Hellmouth?  I'll never understand some people."  He sighed as he tapped down the dirt one last time. "Lets go get those sausages." he said as he patted George on the head.

 

The Stygian Lantern is a magical lamp made of black iron and a human skull.  In all respects it functions as a normal lantern.  In addition while in the presence of undead the lantern's light will become red (detect undead 30' constantly).  This will reveal even invisible undead by causing them to glow with a reddish nimbus.  It will also allow the bearer to turn undead as a 3rd level cleric.

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