The Shield of the Winds was one of the first artifacts created by Diulanna, shortly after she ascended to Immortality. It was first used on Mystara by the Milenian hero Perias who used its power to defeat a greater medusa, among many other heroic quests. When the hero died, the Shield was passed to his successor, who was killed in battle with a fierce minotaur. The Shield was lost for a long time, but eventually was unearthed by a band of giants who had moved into the area where the Milenians had once lived. The giants, in conflict with Hinterland barbarians, finally offered the shield as part of a peace offering, never knowing its true value. The Hinterlanders accepted the shield, and one of their priests was informed in a dream of the Shield's true value. He told his tribal leaders, who then began arguing over who should carry the wondrous item. The squabble became quite spirited, and several fatalities resulted. Then, a young Hinterlander stole the shield and fled, hoping to stop the fighting by removing the cause. He disappeared into unknown parts, and was never heard from again.

Characteristics: Shield +4 (20 PP)

Activation: Reflection, Predict Weather, Invisibility and Shield all work by mere concentration. To Fly, the wielder holds the shield in the air and calls the wind to carry him. Gaseous Form is activated by gripping the shield at the edges and holding it tightly against the body while praying to Diulanna. Weather Control requires holding the shield in both hands high in the air, praying to Diulanna, and commanding the spirits of air to produce the desired weather effect.

Handicaps:

• The wielder of the Shield of the Winds becomes claustrophobic for as long as the Shield is possessed, and for 60 days following; the wielder must make a Wisdom check whenever he enters a cavern, and every four hours he remains in one. Failure means the wielder will immediately head for the surface, stopping only to defend himself or to rest. Once the surface is reached, the wielder will not attempt to re-enter the cavern for at least a day (Wisdom check required daily to enter a cavern). Note that houses and other civilized buildings are not considered caverns.

• In addition, the wielder suffers a -2 saving throw from earth-based attacks, including earth elementals and earthquake damage, as long as the shield is possessed.

Penalties:

• Whenever Invisibility is invoked, there is a 10% chance that the wielder will assume Gaseous Form unwillingly; this penalty does drain the normal TP from the artifact (30 TP).

• When Weather Control is invoked, there is a 70% chance that the wielder will lose 1d6 points of Strength and Constitution due to the power invoked; this effect lasts as long as the Weather Control effect.

• Whenever the Reflection power is used, the character has a 10% chance of Fumbling and dropping the shield if it is struck by a spell of higher than 2nd level. The character requires two full rounds to recover the shield and properly wield it again. Every time the Shield blocks a spell, the chance for another Fumble increases 5% until it is dropped, at which time the chance is 10% again.

Current Location: Right now, the Shield is the object of a quest, part of an NPC's Path to Immortality in the Sphere of Thought. However, who knows where it will turn up? That Hinterlander could have ended up anywhere, and so could the Shield...

BACK