Rod of Trimeg

A 6-foot staff of white wood, the

Rod of Trimeg is capped with a winged crown worked in silver.

Two silver snakes twine their way up the shaft, their coils forming a natural handgrip and their heads facing inward. The butt of the staff is likewise shod in silver, with a stout spike perfectly designed to pierce hard-packed earth and aid in walking over rough terrain.

Nonlegacy Game Statistics: Masterwork quarterstaff; Cost 2,000 gp. When holding the

Rod of Trimeg you are constantly protected by an endure elements spell (CL 2nd). The wielder of the Rod of Trimeg also gains a +2 circumstance bonus on Balance checks on rough or uneven ground. Omen: The Rod of Trimeg dislikes idleness. If it is left unattended, it moves when no one is watching it. The rod never goes far, nor does it leave your vicinity, but it is frequently found in odd places. HISTORY

In a kingdom long since crumbled to dust, the caduceus—a rod capped with a winged crown, twined with two serpents—was a potent magical symbol. It represented knowledge, healing, and travelers, along with countless other emblematic meanings. Messengers and envoys commonly carried the caduceus as a mark of their offi ce and inviolability, much like a white flag of truce. The herald Trimeg, a legendary messenger credited with many supernatural feats, carried this particular rod. (DC 15) Trimeg’s name first rose to prominence eight hundred years ago, during a fierce war between the monarchies of Althec and Karkos. The rulers of the two nations had once been fast friends, but when they both discovered evidence of the other sovereign making clandestine plans of invasion and conquest, they immediately declared war upon one another. Many costly battles followed. Trimeg, who was then in the service of Althec’s monarch, was wary of the circumstances that led the two realms to war. He kept his eyes open

and ears sharp as he bore missives to various nobles who owed fealty to the king. One fateful night, Trimeg uncovered the bitter truth when he overheard an Althecan duke plotting with advisors. The duplicitous duke planned to hold his greatest forces in reserve, and when Althec and Karkos were weakened by the war, he designed to snatch the crowns of both sovereigns. According to legend, Trimeg fl ed the castle with the duke’s forces hard on his trail, running all the way back to the capital of Althec to tell the king. The brave messenger then dashed all the way to Karkos to reveal the truth to its queen. In that single night, the war ended. (DC 18; Long Run) A less-known story of Trimeg is the tale of how he outwitted Nariel, a succubus trickster. Nariel was a cunning scoundrel, and she bore a longstanding grudge against the sorcerer Malkuth. As it happened, Trimeg was delivering a missive from Malkuth to the count of Blandish—along with a gift of a beautiful magic necklace for the countess—respectfully requesting permission to gather specimens of exotic beasts from the count’s forest reserve. Nariel learned of this through her infernal sources. Taking the guise of a simple but beautiful peasant girl, she met Trimeg on the road and convinced him to stay his mission merely for the evening. While Trimeg slept later that night, Nariel switched the message and gift with her own and departed for the Abyss. The demon could not so easily fool the wily Trimeg. He recognized her wormwood perfume as an odor especially pleasing to beings from the Abyss. Before he even entered Nariel’s home, Trimeg had already swapped the real message for a false one and the real gift for an empty box. With the true epistle and amulet tucked safely into his cloak, he enjoyed the company of the succubus and traveled on in the morning. (DC 25; Canny Trickster) Many more stories are told of Trimeg and his adventures, but the greatest—and, ironically, the least well known—is his fi nal tale. When Trimeg had grown old and could no longer run as swiftly as he had in his youth, he passed A messenger bearing the Rod of Trimeg his rod to Kadmon, his nephew. can never become lost or diverted Kadmon carried on his uncle’s

Illus. by W. England

Table 3–35: Rod of Trimeg

——————— Personal Costs ——————— Wielder Attack Skill Check Hit Point Skill Point Level Penalty Penalty Loss Loss Abilities

5th — — — — Masterwork/+1 quarterstaff 6th — — 2 4 Fleetness 7th –1 — — — +1/+1 quarterstaff 8th — –1 — — Survivor 9th — — — 2 Whispering wind 1/day 10th — — 2 — Nighteye 1/day 11th — — — — Winged feet 1/day 12th — — — 2 — 13th –2 — — — +2/+2 quarterstaff 14th — — 2 — Bend space 1/day 15th — — — — — 16th — –2 — — Locate creature 1/day 17th — — — — Find the path 1/day 18th — — 2 2 +2/+2 quarterstaff of speed 19th — –3 — 2 Wind walk 1/day 20th — — — 2 Walk worlds 1/day

legacy honorably, but all those who knew him agreed that he was no Trimeg, merely an adequate messenger. Trimeg was saddened at how his nephew was mocked, not for being a poor messenger, but merely for not living up to an impossible legacy. The old herald resolved to do something about it. He set off once more, intending to travel the planes until he found Fharlanghn, the god of roads, and entreated the deity to bless Kadmon with gifts greater than his own. Trimeg scoured the planes for a whole year, and though the myths disagree on whether he circled the

Great Wheel one time, three times, or seven times, he at long last found Fharlanghn in the Outlands.

Trimeg was near death by then, but he told the god why he had come. Fharlanghn was so impressed by the mortal’s tenacity, he agreed to Trimeg’s request.

The deity touched Kadmon’s caduceus, the very same one the young man inherited from Trimeg, and imbued it with the speed, guile, and trickery of Kadmon’s grandfather. When he saw this done,

Trimeg smiled, thanked Fharlanghn, and died. The fables say Fharlanghn took Trimeg’s soul to himself and made the renowned courier his personal emissary. (DC 31; Honor the Traveler) LEGACY RITUALS

Three rituals are required to unlock all the abilities of the Rod of Trimeg.

Long Run: According to the tales, Trimeg ran from Althec to Karkos in a single night to stop a war. While you need not accomplish such a superhuman feat, you are required to run without stopping from dusk until dawn. Use the rules for hustling on page 164 of the Player’s Handbook. Cost: 1,700 gp. Feat Granted: Least

Legacy (Rod of Trimeg).

Canny Trickster: As Trimeg himself was a clever and sly trickster, you must likewise have a sharp wit and a quick mind. You must outwit or defeat through guile an intelligent creature with a higher CR than your character level. Cost: 12,000 gp. Feat Granted:

Lesser Legacy (Rod of Trimeg).

Honor the Traveler: You have to travel to the

Concordant Domain of the Outlands and visit the site where Trimeg died. There you must pay homage to the hero’s memory. Cost: 40,000 gp. Feat Granted:

Greater Legacy (Rod of Trimeg). WIELDER REQUIREMENTS

Rogues and rangers are the most likely to benefit from the Rod of Trimeg. Any character routinely traveling long distances, or through hostile terrain, can garner advantages from the staff.

Rod of Trimeg Wielder Requirements

Climb 4 ranks Survival 4 ranks Swim 4 ranks Run

LEGACY ITEM ABILITIES

All the following are legacy item abilities of the Rod of Trimeg.

Fleetness (Su): At 6th level, you gain a 5-foot enhancement bonus to your base land speed.

Survivor (Su): At 8th level, you gain a +5 competence bonus on Survival checks.

Whispering Wind (Sp): Sometimes, a messenger cannot complete his task directly. Starting at 9th level, once per day on command, you can use whispering wind as the spell. Caster level 5th.

Nighteye (Sp): At 10th level and higher, once per day with the command word “nighteye,” you can use darkvision as the spell. Caster level 5th.

Winged Feet (Sp): Beginning at 11th level, once per day on command, you can use fl y as the spell. Caster level 10th.

Bend Space (Sp): At 14th level and higher, once per day on command, you can use dimension door as the spell. Caster level 11th.

Locate Creature (Sp): Starting at 16th level, once per day on command, you can use locate creature as the spell. Caster level 11th.

Find the Path (Sp): At 17th level and higher, once per day on command, you can use fi nd the path as the spell. Caster level 15th.

Wind Walk (Sp): Beginning at 19th level, once per day on command, you can use wind walk as the spell.

Caster level 15th.

Walk Worlds (Sp): At 20th level and higher, once per day on command, you can use plane shift as the spell. Only willing creatures can be transported.

Caster level 15th. ADVENTURE SEED (EL 5)

While exploring the ruins of an ancient border fort, the PCs come across a secret chamber hidden behind a false wall (Search DC 20 to locate). Traps and hazardous terrain guard the room, but at the far end of the chamber, something can be seen gleaming on a large, stone pedestal. Characters who navigate the traps can claim the Rod of Trimeg. Pits (CR 2) The fi rst three pits are 15 feet across and 20 feet deep. Nasty spikes line their bottoms. The DC to jump the fi rst pit is 15, since enough room exists to get a 20-foot running start. The remaining pits, however, require a DC 30 Jump check. The walls of the pits are smooth, requiring a DC 25 Climb check to scale (the DC drops to 5 if a rope can be secured for the climb). A fall into one of these pits deals 2d6 points of damage, and 1d4+1 spikes attack the faller. Each spike has a +10 melee attack bonus and deals 1d4 points of damage. Balance Beam (CR 3) The narrow beam set across this 60-foot-deep pit requires a DC 15 Balance check to negotiate. Characters failing by 5 or more fall off of the beam, but they can catch themselves with a DC 20 Refl ex save. Those who fall into the pit take 6d6 points of damage from the plunge. Gust of Wind Trap Designed to discourage fl ying creatures from circumventing the balance beam, this trap consists of permanent gust of wind spells traveling from left to right. The wind is easily heard, and it crosses the balance beam at the point indicated on the map. A large grid of spikes mounted on the right wall waits for those blown far enough to hit them. Someone who hits the spikes is attacked by 1d4+1 of them. Each spike has a +10 melee attack bonus and deals 1d4 points of damage. Altar The Rod of Trimeg rests atop this altar. Amazingly, it is not trapped or protected in any way.