DnD_Character_Repository

Selanar Durothil

-Selanar Durothil, the Ar’Tel’Quessir Kerymaer Selu’taar

Character Concept

Selanar is a Sun Elf Mage from Myth Drannor. During his childhood, when he started weaving his first dweomercræft, the traces of an ancient tattoo appeared on his right forearm. A tattoo last seen worn by Josidiah Starym, at least 7 centuries ago, symbolizing the rank of the Spell-Major of Cormanthyr. He was just a fresh recruit of the Akh’Faer when the city fell for the second time. With the revival of Mystra and the reconstruction of the Weave, Selanar started working on his life-long quest to revive the old elven magic teachings of Arselu’Tel’Quess. To accomplice that, he looks for the Quess’Ar’Teranthvar, a set of small scrolls that described fundamental magical theory (Nether Scrolls) and the Ary’Faern’Kerym, the ancient Elfblade that signifies the rank of the Spell-Major, which he considers his right to bear.

Character Basics

Full Name: Selanar Durothil, second son of Arandurian of House Durothil and Iamorasseianna of House Aluviirsan, loyal subject of Cor’Etriel Ilsevele of House Miritar, Scion of Tintageer and Aryvandaar, Akf’Faern of Cormanthyr, Aegiess of Myth Drannor, Seeker of Mysteries.
Race/Ethnic Group: Ar’Tel’Quessir (Sun/Gold Elf)
Class/Occupation: Faer (Wizard) / Kerymaer (Bladesiner) / Selu’Taar (Elven High mage)
Gender: Male
Age: ~150 years old
Skin: Bronze
Hair: Long wavy golden blonde
Eyes: Metalic silver
Distinguishing Marks: Tattoo on his right hand/forearm: silver lightning sigil on hand-back, an elaborate and large tattoo of fine azure lines with yellow finework among them wraps an entire forearm; (while in all individual azure and yellow lines, only under close inspection can one actually see that the tattoo is not a solid green color from wrist to elbow). A series of up to four interlocking circles can be added lengthwise along this tattoo. Concentric lozenges either intersecting the centers of the four rank circles or surrounding all the circles on the outside, all in silver.

Alignment: Neutral Good
Character Nature: A bon viveur that will go to the hell and back to save the people who he cares about.

Personality Traits:

Ideals and Goals:

Bonds:

Flaws:

Virtue: (Prudence) “People only act in ways that they perceive will bring them maximum good. It is the lack of wisdom that results in the making of a bad choice instead of a prudent one.”
Vice: (Lust) “Lust is the craving for salt of a man who is dying of thirst”
Motto: “Blood, lust, and pixie dust”

Short-Term Goal: Now that the Weave is stable again, I start to practice the art of the arcane magic once again.
Mid-Term Goal: I am searching for the Quess’Ar’Teranthvar and the Ary’Faern’Kerym.
Long-Term Goal: I am searching for ways to restore the ancient art of High Magic.

Allies:

Enemies:

Organizations:

Summary

Backstory

“It was Ches 10 in the year of Lightning Storms (1374 DR) when Arandur Durothil defied the will of the Durothil matron, Selsharra Durothil, and followed Seiveril Miritar back to Faerûn. If the greatest house is not going to help retake the elven ancestral lands back, then who is going to do it? When finally the city of Song was retaken, Arandur became the head of the Durothil house, while Selsharra stayed back in Evermeet, withholding her place in the Queen’s High Council.”

Born in the year of the Risen Elfkin (1375 DR), the second son of Arandur, Selanar had always had an easy life. While Taenis, his brother, was to succeed their father as the head of the house, Selanar had the freedom to follow his own path. Arandur had great dreams for his children, wanting them to help the Tel’Quessir recover their lost grandeur. Their bed stories were about Aryvandaar and old Cormanthyr while the dark stories of the Crown Wars and the Fall of Myth Drannor were the prime examples of how even the mighty can fall.

Born to the house of Durothil comes with some baggage though, no matter how free you want to be. That is the case with Selanar as well since when he started weaving his first dweomercræft, the traces of an ancient tattoo appeared on his right forearm. Fine azure lines with yellow finework among them wraps the entire forearm, with a series of four interlocking circles lengthwise along this tattoo and concentric lozenges intersecting the centers of the four rank circles, all in silver. A tattoo last seen worn by Josidiah Starym, at least 7 centuries ago, symbolizing the rank of the Spell-Major of Cormanthyr.

The tragic passing of Iamorasse Aluviirsan, their mother, was never fully explained and was speculated by many that it was a political assassination from the house’s enemies. Fearing for the lives of his greatest treasures, Arandur sent both his sons away from Myth Drannor. Under the watchful eye of Berrenion Faerondalan, they were sent to the “Glade of Elistraee”, the fortified secret retreat of House Durothil. Having lost both their parents practically, the brothers had only each other and Berrenion to hold on. It was not until their father’s passing, many years later, that the children, men now, returned to Myth Drannor to reclaim their rightful place.

Under the care of Berrenion, both grow to become great examples and paragons of the House Durothil and the Ar’tel’quessir of Myth Drannor. Berrenion also initiated them to the Corellite clergy as Faerna. When the children came to age, Taenis followed the road of the warrior, like their father, while Selanar chose the path of Arselu’Tel’Quess, like their mother. Soon after his brother joined the military school in Evermeet, Selanar left to study at Lady’s College. There he studied history, geography, biology, and many other fields. But most importantly he studied Cosmology and the Arcane. As a talented wizard and someone with a cooperative spirit, he joined the Order of the Silver Twilight, a fraternity inside the College whose objective is the advancement of magical knowledge through both ongoing research and archaeological investigation of lost arcane disciplines.

That led Selanar to an archeological expedition in the ruins of Sharlarion, to the ancient elven kingdom of Aryvandaaran. After years of research, hampered by the occasional attacks from the dhaeraow who want the secrets of the old city, as well as the remaining terrors that live in the ruins, Selanar’s treatise on Aryvandaaran was ready. This publication was greeted with respect from the mentors of the Academy, who awarded the title “Seeker of Mysteries” to Selanar for this.

Soon after this expedition, Selanar reunited with his brother for the funeral of their father. Taenis, as Arandur’s heir, took over the reins of House Durothil and Selanar helped him to establish his station. The house’s enemies became visible to the brothers and a great deal of time and effort was spent to fortify the house from future intrigues against them.

In the Year of the Rune Lords Triumphant (1487 DR) he, along with his brother, was among the knights that were tasked with protecting the Coronal, during that attack of the mercenary forces of the Netherese. At the end of the 3rd day of the fight he stood along with Taenis, Ilsevele Miritar, Fflar Starbrow Melruth, Storm Silverhand, and 3 more knights as the last defenders of the Tel’Quess. And when they gotten surrounded by the countless sell-swords is when he saw her; Sapphire-blue hair swirled, dark eyes blazed, the lone petite elf slashed with a sword that was not there, a bloody edge of sharp force sweeping through the air and cleaving flesh, bone, armor and blade alike. Srinshee. In a blink her visage blurred, along with the deepening darkness as the floating city came down on all their heads. The next blink he was somewhere else. Somewhere green and forested and familiar, that lacked tall spires and human butchers-for-coin beyond number and fallen Tel’Quess everywhere. He blinked again, to make sure. Semberholme, that’s where he was. There were elves everywhere around him, in bloody armor, swords in their hands, weeping and embracing. His people, the last Myth Drannans who’d fought beside Ilsevele, she who was now coronal of nowhere.

Three winters passed since then. With the revival of Mystra and the reconstruction of the Weave, Selanar started working on his quest to revive the old elven magic teachings of Arselu’Tel’Quess. He caught wind that Volothamp Geddarm was in [Baldur’s Gate/Waterdeep/Neverwinter], so he decided to pay him a visit. He made his way to Iriaebor to buy passage on a ship to the [Grey Harbor/City of Splendors/Jewel of the North]

Lore

House Durothil

Durothil claims to be one of the founding houses of the ancient Gold elven dynasties, and its members never cease letting people know it. Known as a great house of warriors and wizards, Durothil has many of its fighters among Evermeet’s army, and has more high magi than any other house. The house’s crest portrays a gold dragon’s head, and its colors are yellow and white.

The family’s current patriarch is the ancient high mage Ilianaro Durothil, who fought at the siege of Myth Drannor and carries the house’s greatest weapon, the axe Redethemar, which is said to be bound with the spirit of an ancient elven goddess.

Durothil’s estate in Leuthilspar, Evermeet is a vast wooden structure grown over centuries from a single grove of trees. The manse is said to have numerous secret passages and hidden rooms, and holds much treasure and ancient magic.

Notable members

Cormanthyr

Cormanthyr is one of many Tel’Quessir (elven and eladrin) empires that have graced Faerûn. For much of recent history it has been in ruin, though recently it has risen again under a new Coronal. Its capital, Cormanthor, was the first of any city to have a mythal created by wizardry, whereas previously, all mythals were created by elven High Magic. After the mythal was raised the capital was referred to as Myth Drannor.

History

The history of the elven realm of Cormanthyr spans more than five millenia and dates back to the ancient forest of Arcorar where fledgling elven realms born from the Crown Wars existed.

Pre-History and Early History

Cormanthyr was formed from four existing elven realms settled in the forest of Arcorar, which would later become Cormanthor. The existing realms were Elven Court, Semberholme, Uvaeren, and Jhyrennstar. Problems began arising for the realms, including a meteor that destroyed Uvaeren and a drow incursion into Elven Court, and the Coronal Oacenth of Jhyrennstar, as a prophet of Labelas Enoreth, requested the creation of the Elfblades to determine a ruler who would unite the tribes to fight their foes together. Kahvoerm Irithyl was the first to draw the Rulers’ Blade, and became to first Coronal of Cormanthyr in -4000 DR.

The early millennia of Cormanthyr were relatively uneventful. The title of Coronal was passed on through five more elves by -223 DR, when Eltargrim Irithyl took the throne. During this time, most of their conflicts came with the drow, who built the Twisted Tower and effected raids upon the elves and surrounding lands. Also during this time, the humans and dwarves began to settle on the fringes of Cormanthor, which made the elves nervous but led to Eltargrim’s most renowned changes.

The Age of Alliance and the Decline

Following his interpretation of Coronal Oacenth’s wishes, Eltargrim decided to embrace the approach of other races rather than be in conflict with them. In 220 DR, he opened the forests to any non-elf wizards and druids as well as non-human settlers. By 261 DR, he extended the Opening to the city of Myth Drannor despite rebellion and attacks on his life, and the city flourished for four hundred years.

However, in 661 DR, four centuries after the Opening, Eltargrim died, leaving a lone heir, Aravae Irithyl, who was unready to take the throne. Three years later, she was murdered, and left no heir. In 666 DR, the powerful wizard Srinshee enacted the Claiming Ceremony that was needed to identify a new ruler of Cormanthyr, by drawing the famed Rulers’ Blade. Over many days, elves died in attempts to draw the sword to no avail, and in the end, the Srinshee herself was resigned to draw it. While successful, she did not take on the role of Coronal, and instead departed for Arvandor to leave the elves to mull over their sins. For the next fifty years, Cormanthyr fell under the rule of the Council of Twelve, and experienced great decline.

The Fall of Myth Drannor and the Retreat

In 711 DR, the Army of Darkness, led by the Trio Nefarious (recently released from their prison above Myth Drannor) attacked Cormanthyr in what became known as the Weeping War. The elves fought bravely and slew all three of the nycaloths who led the army, but ultimately Myth Drannor fell under fiendish control in 714 DR, and the realm fell into shambles.

For centuries to follow, the elves tried to contain the fiendish evil in Myth Drannor, having moved their power base to Elven Court. The realm became scattered and divided, and ultimately in 1344 DR the elves began the Retreat, when more than 90% of their population abandoned Cormanthor’s woods for other settlements in the west. The dream that was Cormanthyr was over.

Modern Conflicts and the Revival

The woods of Cormanthor became infested with drow after the retreat, who moved into the abandoned habitats of their kin. These drow attempted to seize the mythals and use the power for their own purposes. However, their plans never came to fruition as Myth Drannor was invaded by Sarya Dlardrageth and her Daemonfey, who attempted to take control of the region in 1374 DR. In a complicated conflict involving the Zhentarim, Sembia and Hillsfar, the Dales, as well as an Elven Crusade from Evermeet and their allies in Evereska, the Cormanthor War was fought in the woods and surrounding Dales. Eventually, House Dlardrageth fell to the Crusade, which became the Army of Myth Drannor led by Ilsevele Miritar. The Army of Myth Drannor eventually defeated the Zhentarim and seized control of Cormanthyr for the first time in seven centuries. In 1377 DR, the Srinshee returned and granted the Rulers’ Blade to Ilsevele, who drew it successfully and became the first Coronal of the Present Age.

In 1487 DR, after years of war against Netheril, Thultanthar fell upon Myth Drannor, destroying both cities and thereby the second Cormanthyr. Ilsevele and her surviving subjects fled to Semberholme.

Quess’Ar’Teranthvar

Quess’Ar’Teranthvar, also known as the Golden Grove of Hidden Knowledge, are five sets of 10 Nether Scrolls each, changed into the form of a tree.

The empire of Netheril had acquired a set of the Nether Scrolls, explaining their rapid rise and their mastery of magic. The elves arranged for the scrolls theft from the Netherese, and secreted them away in Windsong Tower, in the city of Myth Drannor.

The elves learned that the scrolls had to be read in order, and also that every race that read them learned different information. For example, one of the main thieves of the scrolls was Rilmohx Sha’Quessir, a gnome elf-friend who learned a vast knowledge of illusion magic by glancing only briefly through the scrolls. The elves also learned that altering the scroll’s form into something different allowed for hidden meanings to be revealed.

A High Mage named Tyvollus Aluviirsan therefore transformed the metal scrolls into a thin golden beech tree, with golden metal leaves, and with its trunk in the face of a treant. In the tree’s foliage are a small silver bird and a snake with golden, silver, and electrum scales. The bird and snake are said to represent Corellon and Mystra, both deities of magic.

The Nether Scrolls, in this form, allows for six different ways of learning its secrets:

By analyzing the shape and structure of the roots, which spells out words in the ancient elven language, one learns of the basics of magical knowledge. This is the first set, the Arcaenus Fundare. By reading the patterns and shapes of the leaves which form letters and words, one learns how to create magical items of all types. This is the second set, the Magicus Creare. By listening to the animals in the tree, one learns of living self-sustaining magical fields, as well as of wild magic and dead magic. This is the third set, the Major Creare. By listening to the rustling of the leaves, one learns of the multitude of planes, their interactions with each other, and how magic functions on each plane. This is the fourth set, the Planus Mechanicus. The fifth set, the Ars Factum, was revealed only when the entire grove contorted its bark and branches into symbols along with the melodies of the leaves and animals singing in concert. This explained the creation and understanding of artifacts and the creation of new magical life-forms. Finally, a sixth source of magical knowledge can be gleamed only once you consider all 50 scrolls as a whole. It taught the elves the upper levels of Weave spellcasting (10th and 11th level spells) as well as Elven High Magic rituals. This can only be learned by the snake and bird merging together into the form of a small golden dragon. Tyvollus Aluviirsan remained with the Quess’Ar’Teranthvar, needing to use all of his concentration to force the tree to retain its shape (if he were separated from it the tree would have collapsed into molten metal. After 20 years or less, the metal would have once again reformed itself into the metal scrolls that the Netherese were familiar with).

In 1375 DR, agents of Hadrhune ripped the Quess’Ar’Teranthvar out of Windsong Tower, unbeknownst to the warriors of the Cormanthor War, and spirited it away to the Anauroch desert. Darcassan the Farseer managed to get word of the theft to the Liberators of Shadowdale but couldn’t help them find its location other than to suggest that they seach for the Crypt of Augathra the Mad. They found it and the Lost Sage, who granted them a vision of a way to destroy the tree before the Shadovar could use it for their own ends. The adventurers managed to succeed in their task, dissolving the Quess’Ar’Teranthvar and scattering the component Nether Scrolls to the winds.

Akh’Faer

The Akh’Faer (elven for Army of the Art) was the arcane branch of the Akh’Velahr military in the elven empire of Cormanthyr that existed up until the fall of Myth Drannor at the close of the Weeping War. Headquartered in the Art Tower of Castle Cormanthor, they numbered over four hundred akf’faern (members) during the empire’s peak (circa 650 DR).

The Akh’Faer was mixed between the gold elves and the moon elves. They were comprised of roughly three hundred primary troops (4th- 8th level wizards), one hundred junior officers (9th to 12th level wizards) and fifty senior officers (13th level or higher wizards) below the leadership. The leader of the Akh’Faer is called the Spell-Major, and is chosen by ritual of blade-rite, having been able to successfully draw the Artblade. A Spell-Major also names his four second in command, the Spell-Captains.

The Akh’Faer, like the Akh’Velahr, use tattoos to signify rank. All of the akh’faern wear black lightning sigils on the backs of their hands. As they become officers, they gain a large tattoo made up of azure lines and as they progress, up to four interlocking circles are added. Once a senior officer, yellow is added to the azure to make it green, and further up they gain concentric lozenges in black, intersecting with the circles. Finally, a Spell-Major has all of his designs turned silver on green using the power of the Artblade or the painstaking skill of a tattoo artist.

Ary’Faern’Kerym

The Artblade (also known as the Noble Sorcerer’s Sword, or Ary’Faern’Kerym in Elven), is one of three Elfblades created in ancient Cormanthyr to help the elves establish a ruling family. This particular blade is used to name the Spell-Major, the Defender by Art, as he is called. The wielder of the Artblade is responsible for the upkeep of magical defenses of the realm, and command of the Akh’Faer, the arcane arm of the military.

The Artblade was created by Elven High Magic alongside its mates, the Warblade and the Rulers’ Blade in -4000 DR, at the behest of the ill Coronal of Jhyrennstar, Oacenth, who desired the magical swords to determine the rulers of the united tribes and new nation of Cormanthyr.

For over four millennia, the sword served the elves well. However, in 450 DR, the Spell-Major Zaos Durothil lost the blade while battling the Red dragon Edallisufanxar. For a time, the sword was replaced by Faervian, a Baneblade, created by the human wizard Demron.

In 500 DR, the elven noble and bladesinger Josidiah Starym embarked on a famous quest to retrieve the Warblade from the Twisted Tower with a band of his adventuring friends but when he returned in 674 DR he had found the Artblade instead. Josidiah bore the Artblade until his demise in 714 DR during the Weeping War and the fall of Myth Drannor, when the blade was consumed in a great magical attack by the Starym noble.

The blade appears as if made of darkness, and its shape is a tangible black void, outlined in a crimson streak which is the source of the blade’s light. It crackles like lightning when drawn, and creates a sharp buzzing sound when swung, like that of an angry bee. Oddly, when the blade strikes a foe, there is no sound from the hit, despite the strength behind it. An elven rune near the pommel signifies a thing of magic.

The Artblade like all of the elfblades has a bladerite, a test of character given by the blade itself. Passing the bladerite established a magical bond with the sword where the sword recognizes it’s prospect as it’s rightful wielder. Failing the Artblade would sever the prospect’s connection to the Weave leaving them barren of magic for up to two decades. The blade favored arcane casters that had a selfless love for the Art and the people of Cormanthyr.

The bearer could sense magic and negate other’s. In battle the blade could be used as a weapon while still allowing the wielder to cast. The blade channeled the bearer’s magic acting as their material focus and used the wielder’s swing and its own buzzing to complete the casting.

Through the bond with the blade the wielder could call the blade to themselves from any location. This made the blade nearly impossible to be lost or stolen. This bond was only broken upon the death of the wielder.

Tel’Kiira and Selu’Kiira

Strictly translated, the kiira (formally the tel’kiira) are lore gems. Wearable only by elves, kiira are semi sentient depositories of knowledge; whatever is known to a wearer of a kiira is record­ed into the gem and can become known by future gem-bearers accessing those memories. The mag­ic of a gem attaches it physically to the forehead of a new wearer and psychically to the wearer’s mind. Ostensibly, these gems are created for a no­ble House lord to pass on his knowledge, clan his­tory, and power.
Worn almost exclusively by elven nobility, the kiira are irrefutable symbols of a House’s pow­er, judged by the colour and clarity of a lore-gem. Crafted from many types of gems, a tel’kiira is never larger than the nail of one’s smallest finger, and most are polished smooth and slightly mound­ed, without facets. The natural colour of a gem is accented and deepened with each successive mind-meld of a new bearer, and a number of elder Houses have kiira nearly jet-black in hue to show their accumulated knowledge.
Two prerequisites exist in order for a kiira to be worn: The wearer must be an elf and must pos­sess an Intelligence score of 15 or greater. All oth­ers are assaulted with a feeblemind attack (save at +4 penalty or suffer effects permanently) each turn a gem is worn.
Even those who meet the requirements and wear the kiira of their own clan find the gem hard to control, given the great knowledge within them: The new bearer must succeed a number of Intel­ligence checks equal to one-third his Intelligence score (rounded up); elves of higher Intelligence make more checks, as the gem tests their ability to wield greater and greater knowledge. For each failed check, the elf suffers a 1-point reduction in Intelligence and (if the score drops too low) pos­sible permanent feeblemind effects from the kiira. After all the checks are made (at the rate of one per hour), the wearer is either a gibbering fool or a proud kiira - bearer.
Rarely does a kiira - wearer learn all the lore of a gem instantly upon accepting one; only through age and acquired Intelligence can one continue to learn more and unearth the full potentials of a tel’kiira.
Once acclimated to the kiira, a wearer can access memories of many things elven, including ances­tral spells, battle tactics, folklore, lost knowledge, and so on. The kiira teaches the elf through mem­ory flashes about many things, including mag­ic; add 1d6 spells to the character’s spellbook per year, beginning immediately after acclimation and on each anniversary thereafter, to a maximum of 4d10 spells from one kiira in a lifetime. The bear­er also gains a sense of unity with his family and clan, since his ancestors’ spirits are all part of the gem and the bearer receives the benefit of their wisdom, knowledge, and experience.
The powers of a kiira are explained simply. It stores in the gem all unguarded knowledge con­tained within the mind of a person who wears the kiira. It then provides a shorter learning time for information and spells within its memory by chan­nelling the normal learning experience through the kiira (half the normal study time for spells, transla­tions, lore-searches). Further, the kiira can be ren­dered invisible at the will of the wearer (for it is pretentious to wear it openly at all times); and it provides a constant mind blank spell effect with­in the mind of the bearer against all mental intru­sions, save those of the kiira’s clan (i.e., the Alas­trarra kiira is proof against all non-Alastrarran elves’ and N’Tel’Quess’ mental invasions).
While all the noble families of Cormanthor once had an active family kiira, the only clans at pre­sent that acknowledge the existence of a family kiira are these: the Alastrarra, Aunglor, Durothil, Haevault, Iliathor, Neirdre, Nimesin, Orbryn, Rae­drimn, Starym, and Ulondarr.

A major version of these gems are the Selu’Kiira, the High Lore Gems. Made exclusively from rain­bow tourmalines, these long, faceted, sparkling crystals are larger and more ornate than standard tel’kiira. These gems also tell tales of their pow­er and knowledge by their colour shifts; with each bearer, the gems absorb the long centuries of disci­pline of each, and the cumulative years of experi­ence darken the gems. The selu’kiira begin life in hues of blue, then age to green and later to black, then brown, and orange. After a selu’kiira con­tains more than 3,000 years of stored knowledge, it brightens to a blistering red, its final and most powerful state.
These gems hold not only many centuries of knowledge about magic, but they hold the secrets of High Magic. Anyone donning a selu’kiira en­dures the acclimation process as described above, though in order to access knowledge of High Mag­ic, the wearer must also meet the minimums of a High Mage student. The unknowing or unready wearing of a selu’kiira is far more dangerous than meddling with a standard kiira. If the person at­tempting to wear the High Lore Gem is unwor­thy, one of two effects occur: Non-elf users are blasted to ashes, their heads exploding from too much knowledge that must remain hidden from N’Tel’Quess; and unworthy elven and half-el­ven bearers become possessed by the presences of the gem in a powerful magic jar effect (regard­less of the character’s Intelligence, saving throw vs. this effect suffers a +5 penalty), and their bod­ies are used by the gem’s presences to cast spells and transport themselves to their former homes or to other High Mage strongholds. After that, their minds are wiped of all memory of contact with the selu’kiira and the individuals are transported back to their last location of memory by a trusted mage or High Mage who claims the High Lore gem; the claimant of the gem may not wear it but serves as its caretaker until a High Mage chooses to accept the responsibilities of wearing one.

Ar’N’Ehalaer

The most powerful arcane artifact among the many in House Irithyl’s (and thus, the Coronal’s) possession is the Arcstaff of Khavoerm. This wizard’s staff has never been used by the Coronal due to his path as a warrior, even though his position as the Coronal (and the drawing of the Ar’Cor’Kerym elfblade) grants him knowledge of High Magic. Still, he and the Srinshee both know the command word that summons the Arcstaff immediately to hand from the Irithyl vaults. Its powers in combat are legendary.
Arcstaff is its simplest title in Common, though its elven title is Ar’N’Ehalaer “The Great Staff that is Not.” When viewed outside the hold of a mage, it seems to be merely a twisted length of lumpy, tarnished metal about four feet in length. When held by a wizard or High Mage, the Arcstaff comes to magical life and its full glory: The metal brightens to a reflective silvery sheen and contorts to become an undulating wingless and legless dragon that constantly coils and twists about an invisible staff. The wizard’s hand alternately appears to grasp this magical metal dragon or nothing at all, though his grip remains true. Around and within spaces in the dragon’s coils, sparks and crackles of energy abound which flash brighter and change color when they contact other magic. So, this great staff appears to be a constantly moving, small silver dragon wrapped around a field of magic with no solidity at all.