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A glint of sunlight through golden amber catches your eye. Hanging casually from a knob on a chair's back is a beautiful amulet wrought of gold and deep, red amber. Light dances among the myriad imperfections in the resin, creating tiny, yellow rainbows on the wooden chair. You pick it up and cup the precious jewel in your hand. Suddenly, you hear a disembodied voice say, “Deeeaaatthh….Doooooom shall be yours if the two who were twain are not reunited in darkness. Dooooommmm!” and a swirling, black cloud begins to form around your hand. Startled, you almost drop the necklace. With an exasperated sigh, the elven woman walks over and takes the amulet from your hand. Holding it up before her eyes, she says, “Oh, for the love of Pete. Stop scaring the straights or I'm going to give you to that magpie that has been eyeing you for the last two weeks.” What you hear next sounds suspiciously like a raspberry. “You're no fun anymore.” If you didn't know better, you would think the necklace was smirking. The woman shakes her head and slips the necklace on. The amber amulet drops down to nestle beneath her bodice. You hear a slightly muffled voice pipe up, “You know, there are advantages to being stuck in a necklace…Hubba Hubba!” A long-suffering expression crosses the elf's face. “Allow me to introduce you to Samuel…” |
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Malachim was a very powerful sorcerer who was determined to defy death. He searched for years for the components necessary to turn him into a lich, but was unsuccessful. The winter of his life was drawing near, and so, he turned his studies in another direction. He knew, basically, how to create a phylactery. So, he decided to make a modification on that concept. The amber was enchanted so that when Malachim died, his spirit would be transferred into the body of the person wearing the amulet. The unfortunate victim's spirit would then be trapped within the amulet. When the stolen body finally began to die, Malachim's soul would return to the amulet and transfer the original owner back to their body. After that, Malachim would switch with whomever put the amulet on next and the cycle would begin anew. The first victim of Malachim's plan (and current resident of the amulet) is Samuel, a bawdy, fun-loving illusionist with more charm than common sense. He was a young, handsome, healthy man….just perfect for Malachim's needs. Malachim managed to form a friendship with Samuel in order to trick him into accepting the amulet as a gift. In order to cover it's true purpose, Malachim had enchanted the necklace to act as an Amulet of Protection +2. Thus, Samuel was never truly alarmed by the fact that it was magical. He never took the time to examine it closely (after all, Malachim was his friend!) and see that there was a definite interweaving of two different magics about the gift. So, when Malachim grew ill several years later, the stage was set for the exchange. Needless to say, Samuel was not pleased by the turn of events. Now comfortably ensconced in Samuel's body, Malachim locked the amulet away in safekeeping for the next time he must switch bodies. He was quite surprised to find the amulet gone several days later. Malachim was furious! How had this happened? The safe had one of the realms best locks and was magically sealed to boot! There was a simple answer really. You see, when Malachim created the amulet, he set it up so that he could still use his magic from within, just as if he were still in a body without rememorization. So, Samuel could still use his magic, as well. And, if you will recall, Samuel was an illusionist. He simply cast a spell of invisibility upon himself and waited for Malachim to open the door. The magical emanation from the safe itself, and the amulet's natural magic helped disguise him from a detect magic spell. Thus, Malachim, thinking the amulet gone, left the safe door open for longer than he should while he ranted in fury. Samuel was able to call his familiar, a ferret by the name of Cap'n Sparkles, to him. Capt. Sparkles, being an animal and not as easily fooled by illusions, followed his master's instructions, picked up the amulet and ran for the hills. Samuel came into my possession late one afternoon when I discovered Capt. Sparkles raiding the gooseberry pie Rumply had left out to cool. The ferret had dropped the amulet into the pie and Samuel was just a tad indignant about that. As you've no doubt noticed, he is a vocal character. That's when Samuel told me his story and I now endeavor to try and discover a way to undo the enchantment. The DM can decide which spells are at Samuel's disposal. Other than that, the amulet acts as an Amulet of Protection +2. Remember, Samuel has a personality all his own and access to all of his spells. He can be a great asset, if you are willing to put up with his little eccentricities. Below are his relevant statistics: Samuel, 7th level illusionist Intelligence: 17 Wisdom: 10 Alignment: Chaotic neutral Samuel always has been, and always will be, an incorrigible prankster. If given the opportunity, he will try to fool, taunt, and scare anyone who comes in contact with him because, well….it's fun! And, he's bored. Let's face it. Not having a body seriously limits your recreational activities. No more nice meals, no more riding, no gambling, no women, no books, nothing. Just the ability to talk and cast illusions. However, don't let his seemingly shallow ways fool you. If he takes you in as a friend, you will find a true and steadfast companion. (Unless you trap him in an amulet. Then, all bets are off.) He will gladly do whatever is necessary to help and protect a trusted comrade. He does care very deeply for his friends, and sometimes, you can catch him in a serious moment when he will talk softly and gently, offering words of support and love. Most of the time, however, his support comes in the form of a joke to make a depressed friend laugh. Nothing delights him more than pointing out the ridiculousness of life in general. |
