Torq of Zu

A heavy torc fashioned from white gold with aquamarines inset at the bottom, it was fashioned over 800 years ago by a high level Elder priest, a Telosian named Amon Zin. Both of high status in the shrines as well as a capable adventurer, this item was to be both an homage to his high god as well as a tool to help overthrow the warlords in his land. The actual construction took place in the middle world, but Amon took the finished piece to the shores of the Jaresal Lake, in the realms of elemental water and had it blessed by avatars of Zu in a month-long ritual. It is a powerful item aligned with the elder forces of water and resistant to use by other faiths.

When worn by an unaligned being or one who is elder aligned, they have the following two powers:

• The wearer is able to breath under both fresh and salt water as if it were air. He is not immune to water pressure, only the need to breathe.
• The wearer may walk on water, as for the spell. He does not need to keep moving in order to stay on top (in fact, he could curl up and take a nap on it if he wished), but he has no ability for inclusions. If the wearer wishes to enter the water he need only desire to step into it as if walking down stairs (the same applies to getting out).

Wearers who are aligned to non-elder forces may use the above powers if they make a will roll. This roll must be made whenever the power is required. Failure prevents the use of the power for the rest of the day.

If the wearer is a magic user (not Kotothi) they may freely cast the following spells at EL8 (MEL equal to their actual MEL) as if they were innate. Law, Chaos and Balance pay DOUBLE cost, while Sidh and Elder pay normal cost. The spell cost may be drawn from either Energy Level or Casting Ability.

• Sweeten Water - As described for the spell, but works on any type of fluid (not just sea water or brackish water). In addition, this power will reduce the effectiveness of any poison in that fluid by BL4
• Flood - As described for the spell. He is obviously not subject to drowning if he happens to be in the bed of the flood.
• Friendly Currents - As described for the spell, works for fresh or sea water.
• Knowledge - As described for the spell except that standing in any decent amount of water (i.e. even a puddle) is considered to be "purified ground" for the purposes of the spell.

If a kotothi being, or any person who has violated the tenets of Zu in any significant way, dares to wear this item he is struck with a MEL 15/EL8 attack of "Enmersion". This attack will strike once per turn, though a target knocked out before he can remove the item is surely doomed.

As a side effect of the ties to Zu, the wearer of this item suffers DOUBLE the damage from any Fire-based magics.

Burton Choinski

Enmersion - Elder

This spell draws water from the surroundings of the target and forces it into his body, causing pain and a literal drowning from within. The actual damage is subdual, but enough damage to kill means the target has water practically gushing out of every orifice. Even if not fatal, the target will be in minor pain (EL0) for at least the next few hours (subdual damage goes away after EL+1 hours) and suffers the effects of a Pain spell at EL/2 (round up) when the damage is inflicted.

Burton Choinski