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Vestiges by Level Vestige Vestige Binding Special Level DC Requirement 4th Arete 21 Yes 6th The Triad 26 Yes

8th Abysm 34 No

Arete, the First Elan


Arete, a powerful psion who sought immortality, created a new race but doomed himself to never-ending rebirths. His granted abilities provide binders with access to several qualities that toughen the body and mind. Legend: After a memorable battle with a powerful lich, Arete, a powerful psion, took the time to explore the path of lichdom. He pondered that if immortality can be achieved through "undeath," could it not also be achieved through "unlife" too? After decades of research, he had his answer, but unknown to him, he had made a small oversight. Life begins with birth and unlife would require rebirth. He awoke from his ritual immortal and rejuvenated, but soon discovered he had lost a lifetime of knowledge and power. His own journals told him what he had once possessed and it became his obsession to regain that power. Unfortunately, every time he did the ritual again to get back what he had lost, he was reborn anew. No one knows how many times he was reborn, but somewhere along the way, he became a vestige and some believe that every time his vestige is summoned, he is reborn yet again. Special Requirement: Arete does not like to be reminded that the elan are considered abominations by some, and he does not answer your summons if you are already bound to Chupoclops or Eurynome. Manifestation: A mirror rises from his seal, reflecting the binder who makes the summons. The summoner's reflection fades to be replaced by that of a young, male Elan with hair too red, eyes too blue, and skin too bronze. While he speaks, his physical moves mirror the summoner's every action. Sign: Your body's colors alter to become slightly off. Blonde hair becomes too golden, green eyes become too emerald green, and your skin becomes faultless and has no pores. Influence: You do not get hungry or tired while bound to Arete, but you do suffer negative effects if you do not eat or sleep for the duration that the vestige is bound. If faced with a need to do research, Arete insists that you seek out lore regarding him and his research into immortality as well, which can often double or even triple the time you spend seeking information (DM's discretion; finding out where the local rowdies ran off to after a tavern fight might not give Arete grounds to require research into his own past, for example). Granted Abilities: While bound to Arete, you gain powers that Arete had at some point in his search for immortality. Psionic Boon: You gain 13 power points when you bind to Arete. These are added to your pool of power if you already possess psionic power, or they create a pool and you become a psionic creature for the duration of this binding. Resistance: Your gain a +4 resistance bonus on a saving throw of your choice. You may change this to another saving throw as a move action. Damage Reduction: Your body becomes unnaturally tough as you gain damage reduction 5/--.

Repletion: You gain access to the psionic powers body adjustment , body purification, and sustenance for the duration of the binding. You may manifest each power as a psion would and as if it is a power known by you. You may augment each power as a psion normally could, substituting your effective binder level in place of manifester level.

The Triad
The Triad is a gestalt of three forgotten gods of a lost civilization of mystics. They give binders access to both martial abilities and lore-seeking traits. Inspired by "Beyond the Glittering Veil" by Steven Kurtzin Dungeon #31. Legend: Once long ago, a civilization of psionic mystics may have been the genesis of much of the known psionic knowledge. Their legacy spanned multiple worlds and planes due to their "glittering portals" that allowed instantaneous travel from city to city and plane to plane. Unfortunately, the very gates that allowed them to rise to greatness also doomed them to darkness. The gates functioned by passing through the Plane of Shadow and, over time, the shadows leaked into the gate and then into the travelers. Eventually, darkness consumed the mystics' cities one by one, and many of the mystics themselves became shades. Even the gods of the mystics started to be consumed by shadow. Gorn, the god of knowledge; Rujsha, the goddess of justice; and Mintar, the god of battle, were the last three gods of the mystics, and they found themselves losing all their worshipers to shadows. When the shadows started pulling at them, they decided they had only one way to save themselves. They combined their essence into one being, and while it saved them from the shadows, it condemned them to existence as a vestige. Special Requirement: The Triad will not bind with someone with any connection to the Plane of Shadow, whether that's by feat, class abilities, or any other association.

Granted Abilities and Psionics As with those granted abilities listed for each vestige in Tome of Magic, the granted abilities listed below are all supernatural abilities. While you may wish to refresh your memory about all of the rules regarding the granted abilities on page 19 of Tome of Magic, we thought it might be helpful to point out a few things here. All powers granted by vestiges are supernatural in origin, even if they replicate spells or abilities that are not normally considered magical. This includes psionic powers. Supernatural abilities are magical and thus are suppressed in an antimagic field. Supernatural abilities are not subject to spell resistance (or psionic resistance). If a supernatural ability granted by a vestige mimics the effect of a spell or shadow magic mystery (or psionic power), the caster level of that ability is always equal to a binder's effective binder level. A binder shows no outward sign when using a granted ability, unless the ability description specifies that he must concentrate, or the use of the ability would be obvious based on its description (such as a ray projecting from the binder's eyes). Effects created by the binder's supernatural abilities end when the vestige leaves the binder, or if the binder dies while bound. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a vestige-granted power is 10 + 1/2 effective binder level + binder's Cha modifier. They continue each other's sentences, but the style of their speech does change with who is speaking (see Influence). Sign: Your facial features alter slightly each hour you are bound to the Triad; they shift from a young man's inquisitive face to a woman's concerned features to a bearded masculine face and back again. Influence: Your mental aspect shifts to match the face that is currently your sign. As Gorn, you are inquisitive and use many words -- some would say too many. As Rujsha, you are caring and motherly, speaking to others as if they were children. As Mintar, you are honor-bound and slightly combative in manner. When your path crosses that of one influenced by shadow, the gestalt insists that you either face that being first when in combat or avoid that being (and any effects or assistance the being may wish to provide) outside of combat. Granted Abilities: While bound to the Triad, you gain a range of abilities that represents the essence of their former separate beings.

Manifestation: A glowing purple jade statue rises from the seal. As it rotates, it changes form from a young man with spectacles reading a book (Gorn), to a motherly woman with her eyes covered by bandages (Rujsha), to a man in armor holding his sword in a salute (Mintar).

Psionic Boon: You gain 15 power points when you bind to the Triad. These are added to your pool of power if you already possess psionic power, or they create a pool and you become a psionic creature for the duration of this binding. Gorn's Knowledge Call to Mind: You gain access to the psionic power call to mind for the duration of the binding. You may manifest the power as a psion would and as if it is a power known by you. You may augment it as a psion normally could, substituting your effective binder level in place of manifester level. Psicraft Bonus: You gain a +5 bonus on Psicraft checks, and you can make Psicraft checks as if you were trained, even if you have no ranks in that skill. Bardic Knowledge: You can use bardic knowledge as if you were a bard, but to determine your bonus, use your effective binder level instead of your bard level. Any level-based bonuses for bardic knowleged that are gained from other sources stack with the bonus gained from effective binder level. Rujsha's Justice Empathy: You gain access to the psionic power empathy for the duration of the binding. You may manifest the power as a psion would and as if it is a power known by you. You may augment it as a psion normally could, substituting your effective binder level in place of manifester level. Diplomacy Bonus: You gain a +5 bonus on Diplomacy checks. Smite Evil: Three times per day, you can attempt to smite an evil creature with a single melee attack. You add your Charisma bonus (if any) to the attack roll and deal 1 extra point of damage per effective binder level. If you accidentally smite a creature that is not evil, the attempt has no effect. Once you have used this ability, you cannot do so again for 5 rounds. Mintar's Honor Detect Hostile Intent: You gain access to the psionic power detect hostile intent for the duration of the binding. You may manifest the power as a psion would and as if it is a power known by you. You may augment it as a psion normally could, substituting your effective binder level in place of manifester level. Sense Motive Bonus: You gain a +5 bonus on Sense Motive checks. Weapon Proficiency: You gain proficiency in all simple, martial, and exotic weapons.

Abysm, the Schismed


Abysm, the Schismed, is a living vestige of a psionic mythal. As a vestige, Abysm gives its host access to several psionic effects. Legend: Little is known about the origin of the vestige that is Abysm, but some have learned that a strange group of psionic users once visited the great city of Myth Drannor on Faern. These visitors wished to learn more about mythals and spent much time in research while in the great elven city. Scholars theorize that they then created a psionic mythal around a secret city of psychics and called it Abysm. Imagine a city of psions, all interconnected by their psicrystals and a great mythal of psionic energy. Now imagine all of them dying overnight. No one knows what disaster visited the city, but it killed every living thing. Some believe that due to the inhabitants' direct connection to the mythal by way of their psicrystals,

their souls did not depart as they should have. Instead they got caught in the weave of psionic energies, and the resulting combination of energies was simply too much for the crystals to hold -- all psicrystals shattered at once and gave birth to the vestige that is Abysm. Some researchers and lore-seekers say that Abysm has only recently became sane enough to maintain a safe binding for more than a few seconds. Many old tales relate how binders found themselves being nearly driven insane just by contacting it, but now it does respond and answer the call of those who seek it. Manifestation: Crystals grow from the seal into a prismatic tree that suddenly cracks and shatters into dust. The dust swirls into a shimmering, rainbow-laden cyclone that forms an indistinct face. A discordant voice speaks to the binder, saying, "We, Abysm." Sign: Your fingernails and toenails become crystal, and you "sweat" gem dust like a maenad does. Influence: Your speech pattern becomes disconnected, as if many voices are trying to speak through you. Your mannerisms also change from moment to moment: masculine to feminine, regal to shy, and confident to passive. Abysm requires that the binder not use a psicrystal for the duration of the binding. Granted Abilities: While bound to Abysm, you gain powers that various city inhabitants had at some point in their lifetimes. Psionic Boon: You gain 21 power points when you bind to Abysm. These are added to your pool of power if you already possess psionic power, or they create a pool and you become a psionic creature for the duration of this binding. Overpower: You gain access to the psionic powers read thoughts , animal affinity , energy missile, psionic levitate, clairvoyant sense, and astral construct for the duration of the binding. You may manifest each power as a psion would and as if it is a power known by you. You may augment each as a psion normally could, substituting your effective binder level in place of manifester level.

Vanus, The Reviled One Vestige Level: 6th. Binding DC: 29. Special Requirement: Yes.

Vanus
Hated out of proportion for his sins, the smiling Vanus remains an enigma to binders. Vanus provides binders with the ability to frighten and punish weaker foes, hear evil afoot with uncanny perception, and free allies from constraints.

Special Requirement: Vanus will not appear before a binder if his seal is drawn within sight of a doorway or window of any kind. If such apertures can be hidden from view, Vanus submits to being summoned, but the moment Vanus sees a door or window, he shrieks and vanishes in a gout of blue flame. Should the binding attempt be aborted in this manner, Vanus will not appear before the binder for three days. Legend: Legend remembers Vanus by many epithets: the Betrayer, the Craven One, the Foul Prince, the Maggot, the Fearmonger, and even the Hellbringer. Binders simply call him the Reviled One. The hatred traditionally heaped upon Vanus seems out of proportion to his faults, a mystery that binders have yet to unravel. The story of Vanus begins in a grand kingdom, a peaceful empire that existed long before the current age. Human legend ascribes the kingdom to dwarves, while the dwarven story of Vanus claims elves to be that realms rulers. Elven mythology lays no claim to Vanus, relating instead that the kingdom belonged to a still more ancient race now largely gone from the world, similar to titans. Despite this difference and other variations, the basics of the tale remain the same. The ancient kingdom prospered in peace for years because of the evil it kept trapped at it heart. Before the kingdom existed, the founders of that great nation fought a terrible battle against a powerful fiend (such as a balor or pit fiend). Although they could not kill their enemy, they did manage to trap it beneath the earth. To be certain they could keep their foe in check, they built a castle upon that unholy ground. That castle became the capitol of their kingdom. While goodness flowed from that fortress, evil lingered there, ever watchful, always waiting. The leaders of the country posted a continual guard on the dungeon the fiend remained trapped within, wary of any attempt to escape. For centuries it remained thus, until the fateful night Vanus took over as guardian. Vanus was a vain prince of the realm, selfish and obsessed with frivolity. To punish the prince for an embarrassment his petulance caused, the king commanded Vanus to serve with the guards of the dungeon during the party to celebrate the monarchs birthday. Deep in the dark and clammy halls, Vanus determined to ignore the chatter of the guards and strained to hear the noise of the celebration above. He could hear little, just the distant tones of music punctuated by laughter. As he listened, the sound of one voice became clearer. A deep and commanding speaker was saying something Vanus could not quite discern. As Vanus neared the door to the fiends prison, the voice became even clearer, and Vanus thus moved past the guards and closed the distance to the ancient portal. When Vanus put his ear to the door, he heard a voice unlike any other, and what it told him terrified him. Vanus ran from the dungeon screaming that the fiend was escaping. The guards, knowing they were not like the heroes of old, and seeing the prince of the realm in panic, also fled. The prince ran through the party, ranting about their coming doom, and soon the whole castle was being evacuated. Panic spread across the countryside, and the people fought with one another in their haste to escape. Battles erupted between families and towns, and the citizen of that ancient kingdom left their lands a war-torn ruin. In the conflicts that followed, the people forgot their original cause for leaving and focused on their new enmity. The kingdom dissolved, the castle fell into ruin, and the fiend laughed in its prison. Some legends say that the fiend then freed itself, and the gods cursed Vanus for his gullibility and cowardice. Others say that Vanus returned and freed the fiend, and the gods cursed him for this evil. Still other legends claim that Vanus became the fomenter of wars and breeder of terror, assuming the fiends place in the cosmos, becoming imprisoned by his fears even as the fiends evil spread beyond the walls of the dungeon. Manifestation: Vanus appears in his seal as though stepping down from a carriage not visible to the binder. He always takes the form of a handsome male member of the binders race, dressed in fine clothing as a person of wealth and privilege. Vanus smiles and bows low to his summoner, but when he rises, his visage will have changed. Vanus then appears demonic, with six black horns growing from his face, and his skin covered in dark boils that swim with maggots. Blood wells up in his eyes like tears and pours down his

smiling face to where he licks his lips. In this form, Vanus again bows. When he rises once more, he retains his demonic body and awaits his summoners pleasure. Sign: When a binder makes a pact with the Reviled One, a boil appears on his body. Within the ruddy fluid in this boil swims a maggot. Should the boil be broken, the maggot slides swiftly across the binders body, eluding any attempt to catch it, and digs again beneath the skin. Before the original boil can scab over, another grows and the maggot appears within. Only by ending the pact with Vanus can the binder be rid of the foul insect and the disgusting homes it makes for itself. Influence: Under the influence of Vanus, you take every opportunity to revel. Even small victories seem like cause for grand celebrations, and if youre happy, you want everyone around to share your joy. If you see others in the act of celebration, you must join in. If you achieve victory in combat, you must immediately spend a full-round action crowing about your triumph. Granted Abilities: Vanus grants you tremendous hearing, the ability to foment fear by your presence alone, skill at fighting foes weaker than yourself, and the power to free allies from imprisonment. Fear Aura: Enemies that you are aware of who come within 10 feet must succeed at a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 effective binder level + Cha modifier). Those who fail are either shaken or frightened; you decide which for each. Foes remain shaken or frightened for a number of rounds equal to half your binder level. Creatures that fail the save must roll again if they again come within 10 feet after the duration expires, but not before. A creature that makes its save against this ability need not make another save for 24 hours. This is a mindaffecting fear effect. Free Ally: You may designate any ally within 5 feet per binder level to gain the benefits of the freedom of movement spell or the gaseous form spell. The ally may also take an immediate move action that it can only use to move (and not to draw a weapon, etc.). The benefits the ally gains apply only during your turn. Thus, at the end of your turn, the ally reverts to its natural form. You can instead use this ability to free a creature from an imprisonment spell or Halphaxs imprison ability if you witnessed its imprisonment. You cannot use this ability on yourself. Once you have used this ability you cannot do so again for 5 rounds. Noble Disdain: When attacking a foe of fewer Hit Dice than yourself with a ranged or melee weapon, you deal +1d6 points of damage. Vanuss Ears: Being bound to Vanus grants you a +5 bonus on Listen checks. This bonus increases to +10 if the creature making the noise is evil.

Yorrish
Yorrish, the Tragic grants those who bind to him martial ability and some abilities that reflect his connection to entropy. Level: 4th Binding DC: 25 Special Requirement: No

Legend: Long ago a brave, but proud paladin journeyed to a land of great darkness. While there, he helped the residents of a village by stalking a hag who was terrorizing them. The hag cursed him as he slew her in combat. As a result of that curse when he returned home, he was responsible for a tragic event. The nature of the event is unclear, but in one version he is responsible for the destruction of an entire town, through his arrogance. Whatever the cause, he sought out an obscure holy man who claimed he could lift the curse and provide a series of quests that would allow the paladin to atone for his sins. Each quest had unintended, but disastrous results. Finally defeated in body and spirit Yorrish returned to the holy man that gave him the quests only to have the holy man reveal that he was in fact a deity devoted to destruction and evil. The deity revealed that Yorrish had traveled the path to become a deity of entropy and he was now immortal. Yorrish now a deity was horrified and did what he could to stamp out his own religion leaving him in the nebulous existence as a vestige. Manifestation: A flock of ravens springs up out of the seal, and as they disappear, a paladin in a corroded full suit of armor fixes his gaze on you. He leans upon a scythe that is dripping with viscous liquid. As the visor is lifted, you see a rotting skeletal visage, that greets you warmly. Sign: A small patch of necrotic flesh appears on your arm. If you try to heal it, another appears in a different spot. Influence: While under the influence of Yorrish, you constantly fear doing the wrong thing and are constantly trying to make amends for your mistakes, or the mistakes of others. Granted Abilities: Yorrish grants those who bind with him the ability to weaken their foes, the ability to bestow curses, and to give selflessly, so that others my live. Weakening smite: You gain a melee smite attack usable 3 times per day + 1 per point of Charisma bonus that can be used against any living creature. You must declare that you are using the smite before you strike and a missed attack still uses up a smite attack. If your attack hits it does 1d4 +1 per 3 levels points of strength damage. Bestow Curse: As the spell, save DC is Charisma based. Once you have used this ability you cannot use it again for 5 rounds. Shield other: As the cleric spell, cast at your binder level. Weapon Proficiency: You gain proficiency with the scythe and the benefits of weapon focus with the scythe.

Zceryll, "The Star Spawn" Zceryll was a mortal sorceress who communed with alien Table 1-2 Addendum: Vestiges by Level powers from the far realm. She became obsessed with immortality, seeking out the alien beings in the hopes of Vestige Binding Special learning their eternal secrets. When she died, she became a Level Vestige DC Requirement hideously twisted vestige, forever seeking to re-enter the 6th Zceryll 25 No Realms via numerous artifacts she dispersed across the world. Zceryll grants you the ability to transform your body and mind into an alien form, granting you telepathy, resistance to effects related to insanity, the ability to summon pseudonatural creatures, and the power to unleash bolts of pure madness. Legend: Thousands of years ago, an alienist sorceress known as Zceryll learned bizarre powers in a fight to defend herself against oppression. She was promised untold power by strange, alien beings known as starspawn from beyond the world. All she had to do was to create portals to summon them. Zceryll created the portals and summoned the star spawn to her aid. She fought back against her oppressors, finding a newfound purpose in her life. She traveled the world, creating many portals for her masters and items of her own devising. Zceryll was unaware of the slow corruptive effect the star spawn had on her. By the time she realized something was wrong, it was too late to change. Eventually, her body became so suffused with alien power that she became one of them. When her life came to an end, she was a twisted and bitter old hag. She felt she had accomplished nothing and became obsessed with youth. When her time was up, her soul vanished into the far realms, and she became a vestige. As a vestige, Zceryll, now a phantom twisted alien entity, seeks to exert as much influence over the Realms as possible. She has whispered clues to those who bind her in an effort to guide them to the location of artifacts and items she created, such as the bone scepter of Zceryll (in the Well of Dragons), the star-spawn scepter, the aberrant spheres, the black blood kaleidoscope, and the rod of Taupanga. Manifestation: The area in and around the seal fills with thousands of tiny circular mirrors. A beautiful human woman is reflected in all of the mirrors, yet something is off about her features. After a few seconds, a scream is carried on the air and the image of the woman changes into a hideous mass of writhing tentacles. The mirrors then shatter, covering the floor with beautiful but alien patterns of glass that hurt the mind and cause the nose, mouth, eyes, and orifices to bleed black blood. Sign: Your eyes appear as circular mirrors. In your peripheral vision, all other living creatures appear twisted, covered in tentacles, extra eyes, and vestigial organs. Influence: Never admit that you need help or that you are weaker than anyone else. Treat those that are weaker than you with scorn and contempt, especially young women and spontaneous spellcasters. Granted Abilities: While bound to Zceryll, your body and mind become alien, allowing you to channel the power of the star spawn in a variety of ways. Alien form: While bound to Zceryll, you gain the pseudonatural template (page 161 of Complete Arcane).

Alien Mind: Your mind is alien and does not work like that of a normal mortal. You are immune to confusion, insanity, and weird spells. In addition, you receive a +1 bonus per four binder levels on saving throws against mind-affecting effects. Bolts of Madness: You can fire a ray that dazes an opponent for 1d3 rounds. You must succeed on a ranged touch attack with a range of 100 ft. + 10 ft./binder level. A successful Will save negates the effect. Once you have used this ability, you cannot do so again for 5 rounds. Summon Alien: You can summon any creature from the summon monster list that a sorcerer of your level could summon. Any creature you summon with this ability gains the pseudonatural template. Thus, at 10th level you could summon any creature from the summon monster I-V list. When you reach 14th level, you can summon any creature from the summon monster I-VII list. You can only summon creatures that can be affected by the pseudonatural template. Once you have used this ability, you cannot do so again for 5 rounds. Telepathy: You gain the telepathy ability with a range of 100 feet (as described on page 316 of the Monster Manual) and the Mindsight feat (as described on page 126 of Lords of Madness).

Jadis, the White Witch Level: 6 Binding DC: 26 Special Requirement: No Legend: Jadis was a sorceress who ruled a land of eternal winter. It is said that she was half giant and half jinn. She is also said to have destroyed an entire world due to her pride and her spiteful nature. Jaids was killed by a magical lion in a battle for control of her world. However, legends claim that a being such as the White Witch cannot truly be killed. Manifestation: Jadis appears as a woman with snow-white skin who stands seven feet tall. Her throat is torn open and blood covers her rich clothes. She carries a bloody sword in each of her hands. The air becomes very cold around her manifestation.

Sign: The binder's skin becomes as white as snow and is cold to the touch. Influence: Jadis is haughty and proud. Binders who are bound to her become overconfident in their abilities. Jadis requires binders to wear expensive jewlery, especially a crown. Granted Abilities: Jadis was a sorceress and a woman of great physical strength. The powers she grants reflect this. Giant's Blood: The binder receives a +2 enhancement bonus to strength. This increases to +3 at 15th level and +4 at 18th level. Ice Maiden: The binder gains cold resistance 15. Ice Queen: The binder can cast Control Weather once per day as a druid of the same level as his effective binder level. This can only be used to make the weather colder. Queen of Swords: Jadis grants binders proficiency with all swords as well as Improved Two Weapon Fighting with swords. The binder does not need to meet the prerequisites for this feat. Set in Stone: The binder can cast Flesh to Stone once for every five effective binder levels. The binder must wait five rounds to use this power after each use.

Cthulhu, High Priest of the Old Ones Vestige Level: 5 Bind DC: 25 Legend: Cthulhu was/is the high priest of the Great Old Ones, beings of madness and evil outside of time and space. Cthulhu is a unique vestige in the fact that it isn't dead, mearly asleep in its underwater prison. A being of chaos and malice, when Cthulhu awakens, it will eat the entire world. Evil binders summon it to aid in its revelrie, while good binders call Cthulhu as hoping its sleep will be lengthened through binding. Special Requirement: The binder must be able to speak a dead language known as Ebonian. To learn this language requires acess to a large library and a DC 25 Knowledge (Arcana) check for each week of work. Once the binder has succeeded on three checks (they don't have to be sequential), he has learned Ebonian. Manifestation: When summoned, Cthulhu appears as a green mind flayer with leathery bat-like wings. Its tentacles writhe menacingly and its pitch black eyes stare into your soul.

Sign: Your irises turn green, and your skin becomes constantly damp and you sprout tiny, non-functional bat-like wings that don't interfere with clothing or armor. Influence: You can never aid clerics except for worshippers of the Old Ones (which are fairly few and far between). Also you can only speak in Common and Ebonian, and in times of surprise or duress you can only speak in Ebonian. Granted Abilities: Cthulhu grants you occult knowledge of the Old Ones and expanded mental capacities. Mind Blast: This works exactly like the mind flayer ability of the same name, except you may only use it every five rounds. The save DC is 10+(1/2 binder level)+cha modifier. Knowledge of the Old Ones: You gain a +5 competence bonus on Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (Religion), Knowledge (Psionics), Knowledge (The Planes), Spellcraft, and Psicraft checks. Terror of the Deep: You can use Evard's Black Tentacles once per round. For every round someone remains grappled, he/she/it takes five points of cold damage and there is a 50% chance the creature will take one point of wisdom damage. Psychic Resonation: You have a constant Detect Psionics effect active and can use Ego Whip and Id Insinuation as a psi-like ability every five rounds a number of times while this vestige is with you equal to your Int modifier (min 1). The DC is 13+Int modifier.

Astaroth, Unjustly Fallen A fallen angel who would never accept responsibility for his own transgressions, Astaroth grants his summoners influence over the behavior of others, knowledge of hidden things, and the ability to sicken enemies. Astaroth Vestige Level: 4th Binding DC: 22 Special Requirement: No Legend: Scholars know little of Astaroth before his fall, save that he favored constant interference and assistance when it came to mortals, rather than leaving them to develop on their own. Some tales claim that he was responsible for teaching humanoids such techniques as metalworking and even alchemy. According to ancient writings, Astaroth himself maintains that this was why he fell, cast from Heaven for the "crime" of aiding the mortal races in their development of civilization. Most theologians, however, remain convinced that the angel was exiled for greater crimes. Legends range from an attempt to usurp the position of some heavenly god, to an effort to raise an entire mortal race to celestial status, to an attempt to turn all mortals away from worship of the gods so that he might be free to influence them as he saw fit. Astaroth admitted to no such defiance, however, and swore to the day of his disappearance that his fall was unjust. For centuries Astaroth roamed many worlds, mortal and spiritual alike. To the celestials, he was an outcast -- another prideful fallen angel who could not even admit to his errors, let alone atone for them. Yet because

he refused to embrace damnation, he found no allies among the fiends either. Eventually he settled among mortals. He watched over them as a guardian and mentor to start, but slowly his obsession with "protecting" the mortals grew uncontrollable. Astaroth became a dictator, restricting even the day-to-day behavior of his subjects to keep them "safe." The fallen angel was finally slain by an uprising within the populace, but none of the Outer Planes would grant his soul any respite. Eventually, with no afterlife to call his own, stripped even of his physical existence, Astaroth simply went -- elsewhere. Manifestation: Accompanied by the sound of flapping wings and cawing crows, Astaroth manifests as a hideously ugly angel. His limp wings are filthy gray, his features drawn and gaunt, and his eyes yellowed. He carries a viper in his right hand and wears a tarnished crown upon his brow. A horrific stench accompanies him, almost but not quite enough to sicken everyone nearby. Sign: Your skin yellows, and you emit a foul, unwashed odor. While this odor is not strong enough to impede or distract an opponent, it does attract attention. Influence: Astaroth's influence renders you incapable of taking responsibility for your own actions. You cannot admit any fault, acknowledge any mistake, or make reparations or apologies for any wrong, no matter the consequences or the evidence against you. Granted Abilities: Astaroth guided mortals, and he still grants abilities based in knowledge and education. As a fallen angel, and then a vestige, his magics have grown ever grimmer and more distasteful; he also grants powers based on directly controlling and offending others. Angelic Lore: Astaroth constantly whispers the secrets of reality in the back of your mind, allowing you to draw on his own nigh-infinite knowledge. This functions as the bardic knowledge ability (PH 28), based on your effective binder level. Astaroth's Breath: Once every 5 rounds, you can exhale a 60-foot cone of foul-smelling gas. Creatures within the cone must make a Fortitude save or be nauseated for 1 round and sickened for an additional 1d4 rounds. Those who make the save are merely sickened for 1 round. Creatures immune to poison or disease are immune to this effect. Honeyed Tongue: You gain a +4 competence bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate checks. Master Craftsman: While bound to Astaroth, you gain a +4 competence bonus on all Craft checks. In addition, each time you bind with Astaroth, you may select one item creation feat as a temporary bonus feat. So long as you continue to bind with Astaroth, you may use that feat as though you possessed it normally; you must still spend all standard gold and XP for any item you create, and you must still provide all necessary spells for a given item. If your effective binder level is not at least as high as the necessary caster level to take a specific item creation feat, you cannot choose that feat. For instance, a 4th-level binder could not choose any item creation feat with a prerequisite of caster level 5th or higher. Word of Astaroth: You may make a suggestion, as the spell, with a caster level equal to your effective binder level. You must wait 5 rounds before attempting another suggestion, and at any given time, you may only have a total number of people under the effects of this ability equal to your Charisma bonus. Desharis, the Sprawling Soul The first of the "city-born fey," represented today by such creatures as the zeitgeist (Cityscape 138) and the gray jester (Heroes of Horror 151), Desharis is a boon to those who work to spread civilization, and anathema to most fey and worshipers of the wild. He grants binders shelter against the dangers of the wild, and he provides powers to carve out their own niche against nature.

Desharis Vestige Level: 6th Binding DC: 27 Special Requirement: Yes Legend: According to ancient myths, the earliest true community was a human village called Desh, or "shelter" in the old tongue. Here the people dwelt together for protection against predators, and they first constructed structures rather than use existing shelters for protection against the elements. (For more on the legend of Desh, see Races of Destiny.) This legend itself is neither uncommon nor unknown today. What few realize, however, is how swiftly the natural and magical worlds adapt to changes within. Desh was not merely the first community, but it also birthed the first urban fey, a distant ancestor of what would become the mighty zeitgeist. Desharis knew nothing of his own origins. He knew only that of his two conflicting urges -- one to protect the sanctity of the natural world, the other to defend Desh and the people therein -- the latter was by far the stronger. Invisibly, he worked to stave off attacks from predators; to keep the village free of plague; and to aid its inhabitants when other humanoids attempted to raid Desh for its supplies. While the people of Desh thanked the gods and spirits for their fortune, however, they never knew of Desharis himself. The other fey of the world, horrified at the notion of a spreading society that might supplant the natural order, counted Desharis a traitor. They worked to thwart his efforts and even destroy him. Though he was, in effect, the very embodiment of community, Desharis was ever alone. Desharis grew bitter at the disdain of the other fey, and some suggest that he inspired the spread of civilization as vengeance against them. Whatever the case, Desharis spread as the notion of community did, growing ever more diffuse, ever larger. Though he gained in size and influence, he gained nothing in the way of power; smaller villages added nothing to his abilities, and larger communities frequently birthed their own urban fey. Eventually, the spirit of community was too diffuse and spread out to exist as a being at all -and yet, as the embodiment of civilization, now a permanent part of the world, he could not entirely fade away. Special Requirement: If you have gone more than a day without binding Desharis, you may only draw his seal in a village or larger city. Attempts to do so elsewhere fail outright. You can, however, "carry" Desharis into the wild; this is why you may continue to summon him, even outside the urban environment, if you have not allowed more than a day to lapse since you last did so. Manifestation: Desharis appears with the sound of a hundred distant voices talking and shouting, though specific words remain completely unintelligible. A veritable mob of individuals appears as from a great distance, as though the air above his seal had become a window to some other place. As the mob approaches, these bare silhouettes meld together even as they take on greater details, eventually combining to form a single humanoid shape standing 10 feet in height. Though the silhouettes look human, Desharis himself appears made of equal amounts of stone, wood, metal, and glass. Sign: While hosting Desharis, your eyes turn to glass. Anyone meeting your gaze sees the movement of multiple silhouettes behind them, as though looking through a window at a busy street. Influence: Under Desharis's influence, you cannot stand to be alone, and the more people you have around you, the better. You never voluntarily accept any task that requires you to be alone, and you argue vigorously against options that would split the party. If you have the opportunity to socialize with large groups of people (such as entering a boisterous tavern), you must take it unless doing so is overtly harmful, or you have reason to suspect the individuals are hostile to you. Granted Abilities: Desharis grants abilities that reflect his desire to protect the civilized peoples of the world, plus provides a few that show his anger at the fey and other creatures of nature. City-Dweller: While hosting Desharis, you move at your normal rate when moving through a crowd, rather than requiring two squares of movement for every square as is normal. In addition, you gain a +6

competence bonus on Gather Information and Knowledge (local) checks (and may use the latter even if you have 0 ranks in it). Infinite Doors: Once per day, you can pass through an exterior doorway (one that leads from inside a building to outside), and appear through another exterior doorway within 3,000 yards. The two doors must both be set in buildings made of similar materials; for instance, you could pass from a wooden building to another wooden building, or a stone building to another stone building. You can either select a specific door with which you are familiar as the destination, or simply declare that you are appearing through the closest appropriate door to a given distance. (If no appropriate portal exists within range or in the direction you wish to travel, the effect does not function.) This is a teleportation effect. Language of the City: You can speak with any humanoid, as per the tongues spell. Smite Natural Soul: You may attempt to smite an animal, elemental, fey, or plant with a single melee attack. You add your Charisma bonus (if any) to the attack roll and deal 1 extra point of damage per effective binder level. If you accidentally smite a creature that is not one of the above types, the attempt has no effect. Once you have used this ability, you cannot do so again for 5 rounds. Spirits of the City: You can animate objects, as the spell, as a caster of your binder level. Once you have used this ability, you must wait 5 rounds after the effect has expired, or all the objects have been destroyed, before you may do so again.

Epic binders do something that most mortals would find insanity-inducing: bind powerful beings from beyond space and time. These binders travel the world and the planes searching for entities forgotten or banished from reality. The epic vestiges found below are even more powerful than their nonepic counterparts, since they represent the fractured remnant of a dead god that sacrificed itself for its people, the essence of a continent that an alien creature consumed, the collective souls of the slain firstborn of an empire, or the displaced soul of an alien harbinger of apocalypse. The nature of epic vestiges is similar to that of nonepic vestiges, but they are grander, more tragic, and more terrifying. Epic binders must take feats to gain access to epic vestiges. These feats represent significant personal exploration and research, and each feat is a special bond with a strange being or presence beyond space and time. Unlike nonepic vestiges, epic vestiges do not have effective levels. The power level of the feats is limited by their prerequisites. For instance, a vestige feat that requires Knowledge (the planes) 28 ranks and the ability to bind 8th-level vestiges can be taken only by a character of 25th level. The number of vestiges known by an epic binder is limited only by the number of epic vestige feats she takes and her caster level. Epic binders do not automatically gain the ability to bind multiple epic vestiges. For each additional vestige a binder wishes to bind at the same time, she must select the Bind Additional Epic Vestige feat. Thus, the feats of an epic binder are divided between gaining more vestiges, binding multiple vestiges simultaneously, and a variety of other epic feats based on the feats listed in the Tome of Magic.

Epic Binder
Epic binders make pacts with the residual presences of beings and cosmic energies so powerful that these energies would drive other beings mad. Hit Die: d8. Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Vestiges: Epic binders continue to gain the ability to bind additional nonepic vestiges simultaneously. At 25th level, an epic binder can bind five vestiges at the same time. She can bind an additional vestige simultaneously for every binder level beyond 25th (30th, 35th, 40th, and so on). In all other ways, this follows the rules for binding additional vestiges as described in Tome of Magic. Effective Binder Level: Levels taken in epic binder (and prestige classes that increase EBL) continue to improve binding checks, ability DCs, durations, and other abilities based on EBL as described in Tome of Magic. Epic vestige DCs are regulated by EBL in the same manner as nonepic vestiges. Pact Augmentation: At 24th level, an epic binder gains a sixth ability from the pact augmentation list. She gains additional abilities from the list every 4 additional levels (7 at 28th, 8 and 32nd, and so on). This functions in all other ways as the ability of the same name described in the Tome of Magic. Bonus Feats: An epic binder gains a bonus feat every three levels higher than 20th (23rd, 26th, 29th, and so on). These feats must be selected from the epic binder bonus feats list below. Epic Binder Bonus Feats: Additional Magic Item Space, Augmented Alchemy, Bind Additional Epic Vestige*, Bind Additional Vestige*, Bind Amun-her Khepeshef "Desecrated Scion"*, Bind Gaia "Soul of the Land"*, Bind Tkhaluuljin "the Cephalopocalypse"*, Bind Zuriel "the Bronze God"*, Damage Reduction, Dexterous Fortitude, Dexterous Will, Energy Resistance, Epic Expel Vestige*, Epic Favored Vestige*, Epic Favored Vestige Focus*, Epic Rapid Pact Making*, Epic Rapid Recovery*, Epic Skilled Pact Making*, Extended Lifespan, Fast Healing. *New feat described in this article.

Epic Vestige Feats


Each epic vestige feat requires an epic binder to have a certain number of ranks in a skill (always one from the binder class list). These feats often have other esoteric requirements based on the nature of the feat -the acquisition of a certain relic, visiting another plane, paying respects at the site where the vestige died, or other similar requirements. None of these esoteric requirements require additional feats -- maintaining the idea that binder magic is supposed to be "the easy way to power;" they might require special quests or adventures.

Designing Epic Vestiges


Creating epic vestiges is more an art than a science. The guidelines presented in Design & Development: Designing Your Own Vestige, Part 1, are still helpful, though epic levels are an entirely different playing field.

At will or constant abilities should be the equivalent of 7th-9th level spells, though some lower level spells are still appropriate. Abilities with a 5-round delay should be about as useful and powerful as a high-level spell cast by an epic wizard. This does not refer to epic spells. Rather, it compares to epic spell slots used to cast nonepic spells with metamagic effects (such as an empowered, maximized, quickened magic missile spell). This is just an approximation, but it is a good guideline for the power level of these abilities. Abilities that grant class features from another class (such a turning undead, sneak attacks, or rage) should be about four levels behind what a character from that class gains. At the end of the day, the design is more about how the whole package feels than a specific formula. If it seems much more powerful than what another epic-level character of the same level can do, it probably is (and should be adjusted accordingly).

Bind Additional Epic Vestige [Epic] You can bind an additional epic vestige. Prerequisites: Ability to bind two or more different epic vestiges; effective binder level 21st. Benefit: You can bind an additional epic vestige. Special: This feat can be taken multiple times. Each time you take it, you can simultaneously bind an additional epic vestige you know. For example, Peltaria, a 30th-level binder, has taken the Bind Gaia, Bind Amun-her Khepeshef, and Bind Zuriel epic feats. Without the Bind Additional Epic Vestige feat, she can bind only one of those vestiges at a given time. Peltaria has taken this feat twice, allowing her to bind all three of her epic vestiges simultaneously. Bind Additional Vestige [Epic] You can bind an additional nonepic vestige. Prerequisites: Ability to bind 8th-level vestiges; effective binder level 21st. Benefit: You can bind an additional vestige. Normal: The number of nonepic vestiges you can bind simultaneously is limited by your class level. Special: This feat can be taken multiple times. Each time you take the feat, you can add one to the maximum number of nonepic vestiges you can bind simultaneously. Bind Amun-her Khepeshef "Desecrated Scion" [Epic Vestige] Once the firstborn heir to his people's kingdom, Amun-her Khepeshef represents the souls of the firstborn sons of the empire, whose lives were tragically extinguished by the god of their slaves. The collective will of the spirits begged the death-god for oblivion, becoming the vestige known as Amun-her Khepeshef. Amunher Khepeshef grants the ability to continue to act while dead, protection from death effects and the attacks of undead, bonuses on strategic checks in battle, and the ability to release a powerful burst of positive energy. Prerequisites: Ability to bind 8th-level vestiges; Knowledge (history) or Knowledge (nobility and royalty) 29 ranks. Benefit: You can bind Amun-her Khepeshef "Desecrated Scion." Legend: Amun-her Khepeshef was the heir to the throne, son of the current king, and leader of the army. The empire kept thousands of slaves, who they used to build numerous pyramids, tombs, and palaces. When the slaves revolted, the empire imposed harsh strictures, limiting their religious freedoms. Eventually, the people rebelled, calling on their long suppressed god to smite their captors. Furious, the god struck the empire with numerous plagues -- fire, vermin, disease, drought, and worse. The final plague was the most terrible even in the empire's history -- the foreign god struck down the firstborn sons of each family in the empire, including Amun-her Khepeshef. The loss of the first-born sons was tragic, bringing an entire generation to its knees with depression and desperation. To make matters worse, grave robbers and rival invaders desecrated the numerous new tombs, destroying the sanctity of the afterlife of the dead sons. These spirits became furious: angry at the foreign god and his people, enraged at those who betrayed them in their complacency, livid at the tomb robbers who interrupted their after-life, the spirits appealed to the god of the dead, who agreed to banish them beyond space and time, so that they would suffer no longer. These spirits were removed from existence as a single bound entity known as Amun-her Khepeshef. Special Requirement: You cannot bind Amun-her Khepeshef if you are currently suffering from any level drain, negative levels, ability drain, or ability damage dealt by undead or by spells and spell-like abilities from the necromancy school. Only living creatures can bind Amun-her Khepeshef. Manifestation: When Amun-her Khepeshef manifests, a handsome tanned male warrior appears in a sarcophagus, his body resplendent in gold and gems and surrounded by ritual accoutrements. The lid of the stone sarcophagus lies broken on the floor several feet away. Suddenly, the warrior bolts upright in the sarcophagus. He wails a scream of pain that sounds like the collective voices of men and boys. His body explodes into overlapping images of thousands of men and male children of all different ages, their faces jaundiced, their cheeks sunken, and their skin reeking of rotting death. They wail in unison for but a moment, and then the forms merge back together into that of the warrior. The warrior lies back down into his sarcophagus, still and dead. Sign: You take on the look of the dead: jaundiced skin, sunken cheeks, bags under the eyes, and stiff movements. You exude a faint odor of decay and preservative chemicals.

Influence: You cannot abide the presence of undead, necromancers, and death spells and effects. You seek any opportunity to slay undead, and you refuse to work with anyone who you feel uses necromancy and death effects. You are easily provoked by such individuals, seeing reasons to fight them that many miss. Granted Abilities: While bound to Amun-her Khepeshef, you can release a powerful burst of positive energy that heals the living and harms the dead, can function even while dead or dying, are immune to numerous death effects and undead attacks and can grant this immunity to allies, and can generate an aura that enhances the battle tactics of you and your allies significantly. Burst of Life: As a standard action, you can release a 30-foot burst of positive energy centered on yourself. All allies in the area (including you) receive the effects of a heal (healing 250 points of damage as well as receiving the other benefits of the spell) and greater restoration spell (without an XP cost). Undead (and other creatures harmed by positive energy) take damage from the heal effect. Once you have used this ability, you cannot do so again for 5 rounds. Delay Death: For a total time per day of 1 round per effective binder level you possess, you do not die when you have taken enough damage to put you below -9 hit points, as if under the effects of a delay death(SpC) effect. This effect occurs automatically as soon as it applies, lasts until it runs out or is no longer needed, and can operate multiple times per day (up to the daily limit of rounds). In addition, while affected by this power, you can continue to act normally, without suffering any of the limitations normally faced by a character at -1 hit points or lower. If the duration of this power has elapsed and you are between -1 to -9 hit points, you stabilize at your current hit point total. If it has elapsed and you have less than -9 hp, you instantly die. Firstborn Guardian: You are immune to fatigue, exhaustion, ability damage and drain, energy drain, death spells, magical death effects, and negative energy effects (such as from inflict spells or chill touch). You are also immune to special attacks and abilities of undead that cause fear, disease, paralysis, or poison. All weapons you wield (as well as natural attacks) are considered to have the ghost touch weapon quality. You gain a +4 sacred bonus to AC against the attacks of undead. This is constant and does not require an action to activate. As a swift action, you can extend the same protections to one ally per 5 effective binder levels you possess. This protection lasts for 1 round/level. When it runs out, you must wait 5 rounds before activating it again. Scion of War: You project a 60-foot aura that enhances the battle prowess of your allies (including yourself). All allies within 60 feet receive double your Charisma modifier as a bonus on all bull rush, disarm, grapple, overrun, sunder, and trip checks. Bind Gaia, "Soul of the Land" [Epic Vestige] Once the soul of a continent, Gaia grants her summoners the ability to feel the pulse of the land, allowing them advantages against unnatural creatures, senses derived from the land, immunity to elemental forces, the ability to speak with and influence the attitudes of creatures, and the capacity to regenerate wounds. Prerequisites: Ability to bind 8th-level vestiges; Decipher Script, Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (nature), or Knowledge (the planes) 25 ranks; special. Special: To learn to bind Gaia, an epic binder must find and decipher the Tome of Continental Lore, an ancient gith text of geological science and history. Understanding the text requires at least 25 ranks in one of the skills listed above. Benefit: You can bind the epic vestige known as Gaia, "Soul of the Land." Legend: Gaia was both the nature goddess of a lost continent and the body of that land itself. She was the patron of all creatures and the defender of sacred life. When the land was injured, she too was hurt, her lifeessence pumping in time with the earth. When Tkhaluuljin, a mammoth alien squidlike entity, attacked the land, Gaia fought, hoping to sacrifice her essence to protect the lives of her beloved residents. Her attempts were a failure and Tkhaluuljin swallowed her along with all life that lived on her surface. Even in the gargantuan stomach of the alien squid, Gaia continued to fight for her people, raking Tkhaluuljin with sharp branches and rocks and inciting her surviving followers to use their magic against the entity. Gaia and those that lived upon her could not save themselves, but they did destroy their captor. After a long drawn-out fight, Tkhaluuljin was so injured that it could no longer control its flight. It plummeted into the ocean, killing itself, Gaia, and her charges in the process. Special Requirement: You must summon Gaia outdoors. She does not answer your call if you cannot see the sky.

Manifestation: When Gaia manifests, a large green sphere appears where the sun (or moon) should be. The surface of the planet slowly becomes more illuminated, its land masses and oceans more distinct. The light intensifies until it is as bright as the sun. The planet explodes in a ball of fire and plasma, sending flaming meteorites in all directions. In the afterimage of the explosion, the silhouette of a beautiful greenskinned woman appears briefly, and then winks out. Left in the image's place is the ethereal silhouette of a vaguely female figure. Sign: The hair on your face, head, and body takes on a greenish hue, as do the eyes and skin. Influence: Never allow cruelty toward living creatures to occur in your presence. Seek out every opportunity to destroy aberrations, constructs, oozes, and undead. Granted Abilities: While bound to Gaia, you can gain potent advantages against unnatural creatures, gain a connection to the land that enhances the senses, speak with and enchant living creatures, become immune to an element, and regenerate wounds. Earth's Fury: Your attacks and powers are more potent against aberrations, constructs, oozes, and undead. All spells, powers, and abilities you possess have a +4 bonus to their DCs when used against creatures of these types. You can freely use sneak attacks, critical hits, and precision damage against creatures of these types and automatically confirm critical threats against them. Finally, you receive a +4 bonus to your AC and saving throws against attacks made by creatures of these types. Earthsense: You gain potent senses derived from your connection to the land. You gain darkvision with an unlimited range, allowing you to see through both natural and magical darkness to the limit of your normal vision. You gain scent and can track opponents by scent as if you had the Track feat. You receive blindsight out to 120 feet and tremorsense out to 60 feet. Earth's Voice: You gain the Polyglot epic feat. You can also speak with plants (as speak with plants) and animals (as speak with animals). These abilities are constant and require no activation. Any living creature that can hear your voice must make a Will save or be considered to have an attitude of friendly toward you until you do something to change this. Elemental Fortitude: When you bind Gaia, choose one element from among the following: acid, cold, fire, or electricity. You are immune to that element for as long as you are bound to Gaia. Once every 5 rounds, you can spend a full round action to change your immunity to a different element. Planetary Healing: You gain regeneration equal to 1 per 4 caster levels you possess. Thus, a 28th-level binder has regeneration 7. You take normal damage from fire and acid. By touching an ally, you can grant her any or all of your regeneration as a standard action. You can split your regeneration up among multiple allies, though each additional ally requires an additional standard action. At any time, you can recall any or all points of regeneration you have granted to your allies as an immediate action. Granting and recalling your regeneration does not provoke attacks of opportunity. For example, Leila is a 28th-level binder who has bound Gaia. This grants her regeneration 7. As a standard action, she touches her companion Dinah, granting her regeneration 3. Three rounds later, she grants the remaining 4 points of regeneration to her ally Rainer, keeping none for herself. When a great wyrm blue dragon enters the fight, Leila decides that she needs all of the regeneration. She spends an immediate action, recalling all of the points of regeneration for her own protection. Bind Tkhaluuljin "the Cephalopocalypse" [Epic Vestige] A gargantuan alien squidlike entity, Tkhaluuljin traveled the planes, devouring whatever blocked its path. It was not malevolent; rather, it was the embodiment of pure hunger -- the insatiable need to consume all. When you bind Tkhaluuljin, you project an aura of madness, gain exceptional abilities of flight, can stun enemies, and can summon a sphere of annihilation. Prerequisites: Ability to bind 8th-level vestiges; Knowledge (history), Knowledge (nature), or Knowledge (the planes) 30 ranks. Benefit: You can bind Tkhaluuljin "the Cephalopocalypse." Legend: No one knows where Tkhaluuljin came from. In the language of the gith, its name roughly translates as "living armageddon." Scholars of planar lore believe that it may have emerged from some sort of rift or black hole and that it is a being of pure nihilism that serves no purpose beyond indiscriminate destruction.

When Tkhaluuljin attempted to devour the land known as Gaia, it had no expectation that this land would be any different than the others. It never really thought about what it was eating. Then, as it devoured that land, it could no longer control its flight, so it plummeted into the ocean where it was torn apart from within. When it finally exploded in a supernova, it destroyed everything within hundreds of miles. Manifestation: When Tkhaluuljin manifests, a black rift opens in the air, absorbing all light in the area. All the matter in the area -- trees, rocks, plants, animals, and even people -- appears to get sucked into the portal. A strange slurping sound begins, followed by a flash of dark magenta light. When the light dissipates, the tentacle-mawed head of an enormous squidlike creature emerges, followed by a bulbous translucent body. As the rear half of the creature emerges from the rift, dark magenta light flashes again. When the light dissipates, you see the rift hurtling toward you, imbuing you with the essence of destruction. Sign: Your veins appear spidery and more pronounced, emitting a pulsing magenta light. Influence: You can never pass up the opportunity to eat. This does not require you to eat food that you would normally consider inedible, but you must consume 5 times the amount of food you would normally eat when not bound to Tkhaluuljin. Granted Abilities: While bound to Tkhaluuljin, you can project an aura of madness, fly with incredible speed and accuracy, release a blast of stunning energy, and summon a dreaded sphere of annihilation. Aura of Madness: As a standard action, you can project a 10-foot aura that drives others mad. All living creatures who pass within the aura must make a Will save or become confused for 1 round per 5 caster levels you possess. A creature that makes its saving throw cannot be affected by this power for 24 hours (though that creature can still be affected by another binder's use of this power or by other forms of confusion). This is a mind-affecting effect. You can suppress this ability as a standard action. If you suppress this ability, you must wait 5 rounds before you reactivate it. Flight of the Alien: You can fly extremely fast and with perfect accuracy, gaining a fly speed of 150 feet with perfect maneuverability. You also gain the Flyby Attack, Hover, and Wingover bonus feats (MM 303-304). Your flight is graceful, but alien since it consists of a series of bizarre angles and undulating arcs. Mind Blast: You can release a 120-foot-cone mind blast effect. Anyone caught in the cone must succeed on a Will save or be stunned for 12 rounds. You must wait 5 rounds between uses of this ability. Sphere of Annihilation: You can summon a sphere of annihilation (DMG 279) as a fullround action. You can use it for a total number of rounds per day equal to your effective binder level, though these need not be consecutive. You can use your Charisma modifier on your control check in place of your Intelligence modifier if you wish. You can use a talisman of the sphere to augment your abilities as normal (and the sphere doubles your Charisma modifier instead of your Intelligence modifier should you choose to use Charisma for control checks). You must still make control checks to control the sphere as normal though you are immune to the effects of a sphere you summon. This does not protect you from spheres summoned by others. If you summon the sphere, you cannot summon it again for 5 rounds (regardless of the number of rounds you used it). Bind Zuriel "the Bronze God" [Epic Vestige] Zuriel was a just deity of war who sacrificed his life and divinity in vain when githyanki invaded his land. Zuriel grants you the ability to augment your fighting prowess, employ powerful force effects with the speed of thought, fortify your pacts, and absorb damage suffered by allies. Prerequisites: Ability to bind 8th-level vestiges; Knowledge (history) 27 ranks. Benefit: You can bind Zuriel "the Bronze God." Legend: Zuriel was the deity of just and reasoned war, a stalwart force that spoke for and defended the people of his land. When the githyanki invaded the land after reawakening long-dormant portals, Zuriel organized the defensive front. During the war, thousands of citizens and several gods perished under the assault of the elder evils, but it was not enough. Zuriel was the last defense between the innocent citizens and slavery to the Lich Queen. He sacrificed his divinity and his life to create a force field that would block the invaders, but during the ritual, he was overcome by the githyanki and the land was taken. It was too late to halt the ritual, and his life force dissipated into the ether.

Since his death and dissolution, he has been a frustrated and resentful vestige, but he still possesses a basic sense of decency and kindness. This paradox carries to any who bind him. Special Requirement: You cannot bind Zuriel if you are evil-aligned. Manifestation: When Zuriel manifests, a 10-foot-tall, bronze-skinned, male figure with a perfect, athletic body stands before you. He wears an expression of proud dignity, as if he is ready for some momentous occasion. Suddenly, he looks up, seeing images of githyanki riding yrthaks, and screams. The bronze covering his body shatters, revealing an athletic mortal, his heart pierced by a githyanki arrow. He leans forward and whispers in your ear, "Do not let the city fall," then topples over dead. Sign: Your skin takes on a bronze sheen, your muscles expand and tighten, you appear more athletic overall, and your posture changes as you hold your carriage proud and upright. Influence: You must always intercede on the behalf of innocents when their lives are threatened. You also must slay githyanki on sight and hunt them down whenever the opportunity presents itself. You never retreat from a fight if you feel that leaving it would endanger innocents. Granted Abilities: When you bind Zuriel, you can become a skilled warrior, employ powerful force effects, enhance your existing pacts, and absorb the wounds of your allies. Bronze Body: You can employ a Tenser's transformation effect for a number of rounds per day equal to your effective binder level. Activating this ability requires a swift action that can be spent only at the beginning of your turn before you do anything else. You can split the duration into multiple uses, however you desire. You can end the effect as a swift action that must be spent at the beginning of your turn before you do anything else. If you end this effect, you must wait 5 rounds before beginning it again. Forceful Speed of Thought: You can create several powerful force effects with the speed of thought. You can use a quickened empowered maximized magic missile, quickened wall of force, or quickened force cage as the spells of the same names. If you use this ability, you must wait 5 rounds before using it again. You can only have one of these effects in place at a time. For example, if you have employed a wall of force, you can't use the other two abilities until the spell's duration elapses or you have dismissed its effect. You cannot use this ability while under the effects of the bronze body ability. Pact Fortification: Zuriel intensifies the bonds you've forged when making pacts. All benefits you receive from pact augmentation abilities are doubled. Thus, if you have selected +5 hit points three times, you receive +30 extra hit points. If you have taken DR 5/-- (by selecting DR 1/-- five times), you receive DR 10/--. Ultimate Sacrifice: You can absorb the wounds suffered by an ally. As an immediate action, you can take all damage suffered by a single willing creature from one attack, spell, power, or ability. You suffer all the damage and your ally is unharmed. You must be able to see the ally, but gain no special information about the nature of the attack or how much damage it has caused. You can employ this power even if the attack would kill you. Epic Expel Vestige [Epic] You can expel vestiges whenever the need arises. Prerequisites: Effective binder level 21st, Expel Vestige. Benefits: You can expel vestiges as often as desired. This replaces the once per day limitation imposed by the Expel Vestige feat. In all other ways, it functions the same way as the Expel Vestige feat. Special: Binders with the Expel Vestige feat can expel a vestige only once per day. Epic Favored Vestige [Epic] You are extremely adept at using the abilities of a particular vestige. Prerequisites: Effective binder level 21st, Favored Vestige. Benefits: Your effective binder level increases by 3 when you use the abilities granted by your chosen vestige. This replaces the ability granted by the Favored Vestige feat. Special: You can take this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take this feat, it applies to a new vestige (for which you must have the Favored Vestige feat).

Epic Favored Vestige Focus [Epic] The abilities you manifest from a particular vestige are extremely potent against enemies. Prerequisites: Effective binder level 21st, Favored Vestige Focus. Benefits: The DC of each supernatural ability granted by your favored vestige increases by 1. This replaces the ability granted by the Favored Vestige Focus feat. Special: You can take this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take this feat, it applies to a new vestige (for which you must have the Favored Vestige Focus feat). Epic Rapid Pact Making [Epic] You can make pacts with powerful beings very quickly. Prerequisites: Effective binder level 21st, Rapid Pact Making. Benefits: You can bind vestiges as a full-round action. Special: Binding vestiges normally requires 1 minute. Epic Rapid Recovery [Epic] You can use the abilities of your favored vestige even more frequently than before. Prerequisites: Effective binder level 21st, Rapid Recovery. Benefits: You can activate abilities of your favored vestige once every 3 rounds rather than once every 4 rounds. You must be bound to the vestige to use its abilities with this feat. Special: You can take this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take this feat, it applies to a new vestige (for which you must have the Favored Vestige feat). Epic Skilled Pact Making [Epic] You are exceptionally skilled at making pacts with powerful entities. Prerequisites: Effective binder level 21st, Skilled Pact Making. Benefit: You gain a +10 bonus on binding checks. This replaces the bonus granted by the Skilled Pact Making feat.

Legend: Bandelaros was a criminal wanted the lands over for his life of stealing. As he grew in his prowess and reputation he began pilfering items of greater and greater value until one day he was rumored to have stolen the kings clothing from his body just as he was to make a popular address. As always Bandelaros left his signature, a single playing card bearing the image of the reaper. Furious the king issued a death warrant for the clever thief and commanded his royal guard to accompany the city guard in the search and capture of the cause of the kings embarrassment. After several months the regiment of guards had Bandelaros and brought him to the king for punishment. The king gripped his sword and slew the thief on the spot. They gave the body over to the proper coroners for burial in the private graveyard for enemies of the state. However there was a petition from a wealthy noble family claiming kinship to Bandelaros. They demanded that he get a proper burial. Not wanting to start a feud, the king consented, but watched the affair very closely in fact he even attended the funeral. However before the ceremony could begin the coroner came and whispered something distressing into the kings ear. With a look of horror and fury the king went with the coroner to the casket of Bandelaros. Standing open the only thing that lay in the wooden case was a single playing card bearing the image of the reaper. Manifestation: Slowly a playing card falls about 10ft in the air above the seal out of nowhere and begins to drift to the ground. As the card reaches eye level with the binder it transforms for an instant into the ghastly image of a dead human head. The image is haunting if only for its abruptness. Then just as suddenly as it came it reverts again to the card and continues to fall to the ground. Once the card hits the ground a man in dust

colored shawls and a bandanna addresses the speaker in a friendly and playful tone. Vestige Level 3 Binding DC: 21 Sign: You smell faintly of freshly tilled earth and always seem to be dirty no matter how often you clean yourself off. Influence: Bandelaros demands that any chance you have to take something that isnt yours without any perceived consequences that you take it. Special Requirement: Bandelaros will not appear for any lawful binder. Additionally as a part of the Binding contract the binder must formulate a plan to conduct some theft without getting caught although the binder is under no special compulsion to act out such a theft. Granted Abilities (Soul Binding): Bandelaros grants binders some of his calculating mind, his skill at eluding capture, and his ability to infiltrate structures without fear of traps. Trapfinding: You can search for traps with the search skill like a rogue. Evasion: Anytime a spell or effect would allow a reflex saving throw for half damage you may negate the damage entirely upon a successful save. Bandelaros Intellect: You gain a +4 enhancement bonus to your intelligence score. Bandelaros Skill: You gain a +6 insight bonus to all Open Lock and Sleight of Hand skill checks and you can use these skills untrained. Escape Bondage: You can wriggle free of movement impairing effects or mundane bonds as the Freedom of Movement spell. The effect lasts for 1 round after which you cannot use this ability again for 5 rounds. You cannot use this ability if you dont show Bandelaros sign. Infiltrate: You gain the ability to detect secret doors like an elf. Whenever you pass within 10 ft. of a secret door you automatically get an attempt to search for it as if you were actively looking for it and gain a +4 circumstance bonus on the check. Bind Atropus The World Born Dead [Epic Vestige] Atropus grants binders the ability to manipulate negative energy and steal power. Prerequisites: Knowledge Religion 30 ranks Benefits: You can bind Atropus Legend:Atropus was an Elder Evil dedicated to ending the existence of the deities by destroying their followers. His aspect was defeated and an artifact was used to open a permanent gate to the positive energy plane deep in the moonlet. This paradox lead to him being pushed out of space and time. Special Requirements: None

Manifestation: A starry night appears in the space above the seal. Suddenly a dark object comes into view. This moon has a tortured face on its surface that looks as though it is screaming. As it nears it begins to scream and an intense blinding light spills out of its mouth. When the light subsides the starry night is empty. Influence: You try to resist even beneficial spells cast by followers of a deity. Sign: Your features become gaunt and your skin pale. You smell like a graveyard, but your eyes shine with an inner light. Granted Abilities: Atropus allows the binder to raise an army of the dead, sever the connection between mortals and the divine, hear the voices of those long departed, and avoid detection. Voices of the past: The binder can reach into the void to hear the advise of those long departed. You gain a +20 on one knowledge check, of any kind, per binding. Divination evasion: Those who bind with Atropus cannot be detected by non-epic or divine means. Even such strong magic has a 60 % chance of failure outright, then allows a saving throw. Army of the dead: The binder can raise and control dead bodies within a 100ft. radius just as a cleric of his level using negative energy. This ability can be used once every 5 rounds. Disrupt connection: As a standard action the binder can attempt to sever the connection between a divine caster and their divine source. The binder and target make opposed caster level checks. If the binder succeeds the divine caster cannot cast spells or use divine abilities for 1d6 rounds.

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