Bow of the Black Archer

Illus. by D. Murin

The Bow of the Black Archer is a plain, unadorned longbow made of solid black wood. Black leather wrapped around the staff provides a firm grip, and even the bowstring has been dyed black.

Nonlegacy Game Statistics: +1 longbow; Cost 2,375 gp. If drow come within 60 feet of the bow, the whispers (see Omen, below) become more frequent and angry, speaking of terrible vengeance on all dark elves. Omen: Though its appearance is unremarkable, when it is wielded, the bow intermittently whispers softly in Elven (audible only to its wielder), speaking of loss and grief. HISTORY

Shevarash is the elven deity of revenge and hatred of the drow. Once, he was a mortal elf, famous as one of the finest archers in the world. When drow raiders attacked his village and slaughtered his family, Shevarash foreswore his former life, vowing to never rest until the drow were purged from the world. Shevarash slew many dark elves, gaining infamy as the “Black Archer” in drow folklore, before he was finally captured and slain. Upon Shevarash’s death, Corellon Larethian granted him the spark of the divine, transforming him into a minor deity. (DC 15) After Shevarash’s passing and apotheosis, the bow he carried as a mortal was lost for centuries, probably locked away in the treasure vaults of the drow priestess who had killed the Black Archer. Three hundred years after Shevarash was made into a deity, one of his devoted followers, a ranger called Valaderion,

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 and never allowing himself to be detected, Valaderion slew every dark elf he came across. (DC 18; Hunter in the Dark) Valaderion succeeded in recovering the Bow of the Black Archer, and he journeyed toward the surface with it. As he traveled upward, he met a drow woman—an exile named Kiralasha—and was forced to cooperate with her to destroy a nest of beholders occupying tunnels they both had to cross. As the pair worked together, hatred gave way to grudging respect, then to admiration, and finally to love. Torn between the dictates of his god and his feelings for Kiralasha, Valaderion decided to return the bow to Shevarash’s clerics and retire for a time to consider his path. Sadly, he never got the chance. As soon as he set foot inside one of Shevarash’s temples, he was struck down by the deity’s wrath, slain for daring to consort with one of the hated drow. (DC 25; Purity of Enmity) After Valaderion’s death, the Bow of the Black Archer was kept safe in the most prominent of all Shevarash’s temples, and many clerics and rangers made pilgrimages to see the weapon. Seven centuries later, when drow once again menaced elven lands, Salariel, the high priestess of Shevarash’s clergy, carried the bow into battle. With the weapon’s help, she led the mustered elven forces to victory but 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 priestesses. The Bow of the Black Archer was lost once again, presumably carried back into the dark places of the earth by the retreating dark elves. (DC 31; Legacy of Salariel)

Table 3–4: Bow of the Black Archer

————— Personal Costs ————— Wielder Attack Save Hit Point Level Penalty Penalty Loss Abilities

5th — — — Drowseeker 6th — — 4 Eyes of shadow 1/day 7th — — 2 +2 longbow 8th — –1 — Longstrider 3/day 9th –1 — — Hidden hunter 10th — — — — 11th — — — +2 drow bane longbow 12th — — 2 Solace from weakness 2/day 13th –2 — — Friend to shadows 1/day 14th — — — Shocking shot 15th — — 2 +3 drow bane longbow 16th — –2 — Deny the Demonweb Pits 2/day 17th — — — Escape the spider’s bonds 18th — — 2 Mindarmor, fast movement 19th — –3 2 +4 drow bane longbow 20th — — 2 Pierce the black heart

LEGACY RITUALS

Three rituals are required to unlock all the abilities of the Bow of the Black Archer.

Hunter in the Dark: You must stalk and kill at least one drow whose Challenge Rating is at least equal to your character level, initiating the conflict without first being detected. Both mundane and magical forms of concealment are acceptable. If the would-be target detects you prior to your first attack, the ritual fails.

Cost: 1,625 gp. Feat Granted: Least Legacy (Bow of the

Black Archer).

Purity of Enmity: Echoing the tale of Valaderion and Kiralasha, you have to travel to the ruins of the temple where Valaderion died, which are located in the heart of a primeval forest. There you must perform a three-day ritual of meditation and purification. If you have had any peaceful interaction with a dark elf within the past six months, this ritual automatically fails. Cost: 13,500 gp. Feat Granted: Lesser Legacy (Bow of the Black Archer).

Legacy of Salariel: Alone, you must kill a spiderlike demon (such as a bebilith or retriever) and a cleric of Lolth. The demon must have a Challenge Rating of 10 or higher, while the cleric must be 10th level or higher—an Encounter Level of 12 or more. You can use any abilities at your disposal, but the Bow of the Black Archer is the only weapon you are allowed.

Cost: 38,000 gp. Feat Granted: Greater Legacy (Bow of the Black Archer). WIELDER REQUIREMENTS

Rangers or clerics of Shevarash get the most use out of the Bow of the Black Archer, but any character who

regularly battles against dark elves might find this weapon useful.

Bow of the Black Archer Wielder Requirements

Cannot be drow Base attack bonus +3 Hide 2 ranks Move Silently 2 ranks Favored enemy elves +2

LEGACY ITEM ABILITIES

All the following are legacy item abilities of the Bow of the Black Archer.

Drowseeker (Su): At 5th level and higher, while wielding the Bow of the Black Archer, you can detect any drow within 60 feet, although you must concentrate (a standard action) to do so. The bow ignores any damage reduction a drow possesses. Eyes of Shadow (Sp): Beginning at 6th level, once per day on command, you can use darkvision as the spell. Caster level 5th.

Longstrider (Sp): At 8th level and higher, three times per day on command, you can use longstrider as the spell. Caster level 5th.

Hidden Hunter (Su): At 9th level, you gain a +5 competence bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks.

Solace from Weakness (Sp): You gain power against the poisons and necromancy so commonly used by drow. Starting at 12th level, two times per day on command, you can use lesser restoration as the spell (self only). Caster level 5th.

Friend to Shadows (Sp): In near-lightless conditions, you can strike with relative impunity and then