Scepter of Dying Leaves

Scepter of Dying Leaves – One Handed Magic Scepter

Ego- 8

Stats- 1d4+2 Bludgeoning Damage

Created and wrapped in an elvish glamour, this magical item represents the dying of Autumn, the end of things, but also the unchanging laws of the wild and the magic within. To claim the scepter is no easy feat, as scant few Elf-Lords have managed to create one themselves. The scepter is somehow a legendary item that “dies” eventually, so creating a new one is either the creation of a legendary item or the revival of another one, it blurs the line between the two.

While holding the scepter, the person with it in their power is lord of the forest. As the Scepter can only be made and used in Autumn, this limits your time as lord of the forest to that season in fall. The “Lord of the Forest” is King and Commander of all animals, spirits, fairies, elves (begrudgingly), and Old Trolls (treacherously) within the forest it is made. They must obey your commands as Hirelings with 10 Loyalty, adding your normal Charisma modifier for any rolls to stretch their obedience. Those who are abused by the Lord or are broken in morale are immune to the Scepter for the rest of that Scepter's lifespan. There is no protection against these beings bending the rules, or leaving the forest to avoid the wrath or commands of an unworthy tyrant.

The Scepter has magic powers. Beyond the command over the Forest, the Forest can command the plants. Trees which are losing their leaves are affected by this power, but evergreens, fungi, and so forth are immune. Motioning with the scepter can command a tree or group of trees to get up and move, swing branches, shake to loose someone climbing in them, etc. There is no limit to how often this power can be used. You can also forces the trees to shake and give off their last mana- the leaves on the tree turn glowing orange and fall down as bright glowing energy which if scooped up and pressed or preserved can become a minor source of magical energy, flavored after nature magic and the coming of Winter. Additionally, anyone struck by the Scepter who is over 80 years old must make a saving throw vs death, or die. Those killed by the Scepter in this way have their bodies disappear when nobody is looking, reappearing only underneath the biggest suitable pile of leaves nearby. Whenever this Scepter is used during an Elf-War, hundreds of Elf corpses are found in silent, standing gravestones from this power; the Scepter is a formidable weapon against the immortal.

The Scepter has a very powerful Ego. As such, warriors or beings who attempt to even touch it who are UNDER 3^rd level must make a saving throw vs paralysis or be turned into a wooden statue of twigs and roots, their body destroyed despite the plants keeping their likeness. If you are EQUAL TO OR OVER 3^rd level but still lack the Ego to claim this weapon fully, then instead it causes accelerated aging of 1d6 years for the Season you claim it. Additionally, using the power of this scepter means the creatures and beings of the woods will only obey you once, and then they become immune to your commands or aura of authority until the Scepter is remade or claimed by a worthy person. Ego weapons require the character's level/HD to be equal to the Ego of the weapon or higher to be fully claimed- In this weapon's case, the Weapon has no class alliegence and only reacts to character level in total, with Elves getting a +2 bonus to their level for the purposes of this weapon's Ego.

Finally, the Scepter dies. At the first snowflake of winter, the first light of the first day of spring, or the first butterfly of summer; the wilting on the scepter accelerates to becoming nothing but black dust in 2d6 days. While Winter always follows Fall, magical shenanigans or traveling to strange lands with unusual seasons can attempt to preserve the scepter beyond its normal time. Some Elf Lands are still ruled by immortal Autumn-Lords the tyrants placing a magical spell over the land to keep it in that falling time of year forever, ruling with an eternal scepter.