Illus. by D. Murin
ITEMS OF LEGACY
CHAPTER 3
BOW OF THE BLACK ARCHER
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began a crusade to recover the holy bow. He followed in the footsteps of his god, venturing into the underground lairs of the drow. Striking from the shadows The Bow of the Black Archer is a plain, unadorned longbow made of solid black wood. Black leather and never allowing himself to be detected, Valaderion slew every dark elf he came across. (DC wrapped around the staff provides a firm grip, and even the bowstring has been dyed black. 18; Hunter in the Dark) Nonlegacy Game Statistics: +1 longbow; Cost Valaderion succeeded in recovering the Bow 2,375 gp. If drow come within 60 feet of the bow, the of the Black Archer, and he journeyed toward the surface with it. As he traveled upward, he met a whispers (see Omen, below) become more frequent and angry, speaking of terrible vengeance on all drow woman—an exile named Kiralasha—and dark elves. was forced to cooperate with her to destroy a nest Omen: Though its appearance of beholders occupying tunnels they both is unremarkable, when it is had to cross. As the pair worked together, wielded, the bow intermithatred gave way to grudging retently whispers softly spect, then to admiration, and in Elven (audible finally to love. Torn between the dictates of his only to its wielder), speaking of loss god and his feelings for and grief. Kiralasha, Valaderion decided to return the HISTORY bow to Shevarash’s Shevarash is clerics and retire for a the elven deity time to consider his of revenge and path. Sadly, he nevhatred of the er got the chance. drow. Once, he As soon as he set was a mortal elf, foot inside one of famous as one Shevarash’s temples, of the finest he was struck archers in the down by the deiworld. When ty’s wrath, slain drow raiders for daring to consort with attacked his village and one of the hated drow. (DC 25; slaughtered his family, Shevarash forePurity of Enmity) swore his former life, vowing to After Valaderion’s death, the Bow of the Black Archer was kept safe in the most prominent of never rest until the drow were purged from all Shevarash’s temples, and many clerics and the world. Shevarash slew many dark elves, rangers made pilgrimages to see the weapon. gaining infamy as the “Black Archer” in drow Seven centuries later, when drow once again folklore, before he was finally captured and slain. Upon Shevarash’s death, Corellon Larethian grantmenaced elven lands, Salariel, the high priestess of Shevarash’s clergy, carried the bow into ed him the spark of the divine, transforming him into a minor deity. (DC 15) battle. With the weapon’s help, she led the mustered elven forces to victory but After Shevarash’s passing and apotheosis, the bow he carried as a mortal The Bow of the Black Archer was was slain in a battle against a hideous crafted to be the bane of drow spider demon conjured by drow priestwas lost for centuries, probably locked esses. The Bow of the Black Archer was away in the treasure vaults of the drow priestess who had killed the Black Archer. Three hunlost once again, presumably carried back into the dred years after Shevarash was made into a deity, one dark places of the earth by the retreating dark elves. of his devoted followers, a ranger called Valaderion, (DC 31; Legacy of Salariel)
