Magic of Miles, Vol. IV

It seems as though this series shall never end! Here's some more of the Milean magical items that you know you want! Don't worry, there's only one more to this series (at the moment).

Index Stone
xp value: 500
gp value: 1,500

These small stones, related to Ioun stones, are rounded and come in a variety of colors depending on their strength. They were originally created by the god Quilian Knowais and were given to his most favored gnomish servants. Many of these stones found their way beyond the borders of the empire and are now in the hands of Quilian monks, scholars, and priests of all kinds.

Index stones are the size of a skipping-stone and hover around their users head much like Ioun stones. They gather and collate data from the region around them and transfer the knowledge directly into the mind of their user. This informs the user exactly where (in each book, on each scroll, wherever) the exact piece of information they are looking for is located.

Note that the index stone cannot decode magical writing; however, it will inform the user where information is located even if they cannot themselves read it. It will not translate this information for the user. In addition, it is easily fooled by magical writing-traps and has a tendency to direct a seeker towards pages with those traps on them when they attempt to find information contained nearby.

Red Stone:  30 yards
Blue Stone: 60 yards
Yellow Stone: 100 yards
Orange Stone: 160 yards
Green Stone: 200 yards

Ring of the Scholars
xp value: 800
gp value: 5,000

These ancient rings were created by the imperial schola by their high magisters. The rings are made of jet and chased with gold and many of them contain a stone of some value. Like all magic rings, they change their size to fit any finger.

Each ring of the scholars contains a storehouse of knowledge equivalent to one obscure knowledge proficiency. Many of these are varying types of sage knowledge or ancient history though languages are common as well. As the ring is slipped onto the finger, this knowledge instantly becomes available to the character wearing it... however, once the ring is removed, the knowledge fades from the wearer's mind and the physical form of the wearer is wracked with weakness; they lose 1d4+1 strength and 1d4+1 constitution (but never fall under less than 1). These points return at the rate of 1 per hour.

Additionally, removing the ring immediately wipes the character's mind of all wizardly spells that have been stored in memory.

Semul-shield (Shield of the Charge)

xp value: 1,550
gp value: 10,000

These shields were first made in the dark ages after the fall of the Second Empire. They sprang up in the valley-kingdoms that succeeded the Second Empire during a time when local nobles were badly pressed by the violent circumstances of the imperial collapse. This was also the time that scholars posit the first semul statues were carved for noble houses and the art of heraldry came across the sea from Llyris.

Semul-shields can bear a plethora of heraldic devices upon their faces. Most have been repainted and repurposed since their original creation during the bloody dark ages, but those that are truly from that period can be identified by the strong aura of magic that surrounds them.

These shields blunt all attacks coming at their wielder from the direction in which the shield is borne (for example, from the front if the wielder holds it strapped to one arm, from the rear if strapped to the back, etc); all weapon damage from this direction is reduced by 1 point per die. Additionally, they provide a -2 bonus to AC and grant their wielders a passive 10% magic resistance.

Staff of Brass

xp value: 1,700
gp value: 13,000

Staves of Brass are very rare in this later age of the world though not as rare as their more powerful counterparts, the Staves of Iron. They were originally made by the dwarves and brought to Miles as gifts for the emperor and his court. They were replicated by dwarven smiths who stayed on in the city and a number of them were eventually made for Milean nobility and high officials.

The staves of brass are legendarily heavy, requiring a Strength 15 to wield properly. Everyone else attempting to use it suffers a -4 penalty to-hit. They act on speed 6 (as opposed to speed 4) and have no magical to-hit bonus; however, they deal double their dice in damage when they do land a hit. They are also filled with magical charges that can be expended to accomplish the following effects:

1 charge -- shatter (40' radius)
2 charges -- passwall (self only)
4 charges -- dig (once per day only)

Staff of Iron

xp value: 3,000
gp value: 30,000

Created by Hierian priests with dwarvish aid during the heyday of the empire, these relics are also known as the staves of law. They were modeled on the earlier staves of brass but vary from those dwarvish relics in many important respects. Firstly, they are constructed of a core of iron and wrapped with bands of gold which is itself inscribed with passages from the Scrolls of Law in ruby ink.

Secondly, these staves are magically light and can be wielded by just about anyone. However, if a chaotic character grabs one of these staves it deals 2d6 points of damage to them until they let it go. Many of the functions of the staff of iron can only be used by lawful priests, though lawful characters of other classes may still utilize some of their powers.

Staves of Iron deal 2d6 damage when they strike their opponents and count as magical weapons of the +2 variety. They have a +2 bonus to-hit and damage when wielded against chaotic enemies. Lawful priests receive the benefit of 20% magic resistance when wielding a staff of iron and may attempt to dispel hostile magic once per day -- in this case, the staff itself casts dispel magic at their command.