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Runewell of Greed

Source Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition pg. 425
Aura strong necromancy CL 20th
Slot none; Price —; Weight 900 lbs.

Description

Currently hidden at the heart of the Eye of Avarice in a demiplane lodged between Leng and the Material Plane, Karzoug’s runewell of greed is the key to both his escape from the destruction of Thassilon and his eventual return to life. The runewell itself is a core part of the Rise of the Runelords Adventure Path, but by the time the PCs arrive at the Eye of Avarice, the circular well (which appears to be filled with molten gold) has already done its job absorbing fragments of greedy souls and is in the process of using that energy to finalize Karzoug’s escape.

Beyond this effect, though, Karzoug can utilize the runewell in other ways. It grants him the ability to use scrying at will, although the runewell’s range is limited to the Xin-Shalast region or to specific agents like Mokmurian, Xanesha, and Lucrecia. Creatures that wear magic items marked with the Sihedron take a –4 penalty on saves against this effect. The runewell allows Karzoug to see through the eyes and speak through the mouths of anyone who wears a Sihedron medallion (see page 426). He can also, given time, call up from the runewell a live adult blue dragon minion to serve him as an ally or mount. This essentially functions as a gate spell, save that the dragon is actually created by the runewell rather than called. Karzoug can only have one such dragon in existence at any one time, and must wait 8 hours after a previous dragon’s death before calling a new blue dragon to serve him.

The runewell itself is 10 feet in diameter and 10 feet deep. The liquid it contains functions in all ways as molten gold—dealing damage is if it were lava upon creatures splashed or immersed within it. Gold drawn from the runewell cools normally and is permanent—the runewell immediately replenishes gold taken from its supplies—yet this gold cannot exist more than 30 feet from the runewell’s rim. If brought beyond this range, it vanishes in an instant.

Runewells associated with other runelords and sins exist throughout the ruins of Thassilon; each of these artifacts is a unique item with its own powers.

Destruction

The runewell of greed is linked to Karzoug, and as long as he lives, the runewell cannot be destroyed. If Karzoug is slain, the molten gold within the runewell itself immediately hardens and turns to chalky, worthless stone, destroying the runewell in the process.