Stories tell of a remote keep that has recently built a new tower, one that bears a beacon that burns with balefire. This beacon sweeps around slowly, visible for several dozen miles, and burns images into the brains of those who see it, causing them to falter, act unpredictably, and become mad, falling on each other with violence. Those who have survived its terrible glare call this the Demon Beacon.
A nearby lady is concerned about the effects of this tower on her territory nearby, and is willing to offer a purse to those brave souls who would dare investigate. Effects of the Demon Beacon: The demon beacon's great green light washes over the area surrounding the keep, illuminating a cone 35 miles long and hundreds of feet wide at its furthest distance. It makes a full revolution once per hour (moving about 4 miles per hour at its furthest extension, and considerably faster the closer you get to it). Those who do not find cover or avert their gaze, becoming blinded while the beacon's light is upon them, must make a Charisma saving throw (DC 11) or gain a short-term madness (DMg, page 259) for 1 minute or until the beacon's light has moved off them. For each time that a creature fails this saving throw, the save DC of the demon beacon permanently increases by 1, manifesting as an obsessive desire to see into the heart of the light. Those who choose to stare full into the beacon must make a Charisma saving throw (DC 15) or gain a long-term madness for 1d10 hours, and during this time, their alignment shifts one 'step' towards evil. What has caused the Demon Beacon? - The beacon might be the result of a reclusive band of cultists, trying to bring their patron into the Material realm by causing corruption and madness on an immense scale. If so, the cultists, and the machinery responsible for this terrible beacon, must be destroyed. - The beacon might be only the side effect of a wizard's study into the Far Realm. Perhaps they are attempting to rescue a companion lost in that terrible place of madness, and shunting its energies outwards is the only thing keeping them sane enough to keep on trying. - The tale of Kroft, the Industrious Rogue, includes an awful aside that tells of the fear and madness that some extraplanar beings can produce when tormented. Perhaps a band of zealous templars have invented new and terrible ways of torturing some kind of demon, in the hopes that they can learn its secrets, convert it, or produce some other effect from it. Whatever their reasons, the effects on the countryside around cannot be accepted, and the Lady of the region is happy to sign a warrant for their arrest or executions. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 4 December 2021. Comments are closed.
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AuthorI'm Luke. He/him pronouns. Archives
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