| Other Names | None |
| Category | Jewelry |
| Magical Strength | Average |
This amulet appears as a broad armband with two sets of hinges and clasp. It fits upon the forearm like a bracer. The band is fashioned from a white substance which could be ivory or some kind of bone. The surface is smooth to the touch, but is carved with intricate pictures depicting scenes of battle. Embedded in the band are five small faceted topaz gemstones. The gemstones are a fiery orange in color (or a dull lifeless grey, see below).
There are various stories that claim to explain the origin of this strange device and most of these conflict. The most well known account is a treatise composed by the wizard and historian Abishar, the Chronicler of Morcrest and Keeper of the Records.
According to Abishar, the armband was created some six centuries ago by a sorceress named Vystria. She secretly loved a knight of the duchy, Sir Dekker of Uthria. The duke of Uthria, who had been humiliated by being bested by Sir Dekker in a joust, demanded the knight ride forth and do battle with a giant who was threatening the duchy. Fearing for Sir Dekker's life, Vystria asked the duke time to fashion an enchantmented item that would protect him from death. She asked the duke to delay Dekken's departure for three weeks. The duke agreed and Vystria retreated to her tower to begin her work. While she was working, the duke betrayed his word and ordered Sir Dekker to sent forth immediately. Sir Dekker, unable to refuse a direct order from his duke, rode forth and engaged the giant. He never stood a chance. The giant killed him. When Vystria learned of Dekken's fate, she paused her work and confronted the Duke. Her fury was met with indifference. The duke then demanded she complete the work on the protective device for him. She refused and he had her arrested. For three days, she was kept in a dark dungeon cell with no food or water. She finally relented and agreed to complete the work. An armed escort took her back to her tower and kept here there under armed guard while she finished. When she was done, the Duke took the device from her and without a word, slit her throat.
The Duke, wearing the new armband, rode forth with his men-at-arms and knights to negotiate with the giant and force it to leave the duchy. The giant, enraged beyond words, attacked the duke and his knights. In a fierce battle, the giant managed to slaughter most of them before it was finally brought down. At the end, out of 24 men, only a single knight, a squire and one man-at-arms survived the battle to carry the story back to the town. The bodies of the slain were retrieved. The armband was given to his young son. That son, years later, met a violent death... torn apart by a pack of wolves. The armband was lost.
The armband has resurfaced several times over the centuries. Always on the arm of a warrior who meets a grisly and violent death.
When the person wearing this armband is killed, the armband will immediately unleash a burst of healing energy into the wearer, bringing them back to life and granting them some small amount of healing (enough to get them back on their feet and in the fight, but not much else). Furthmore, the wearer is immuned to the weapon that killed them. For instance, if stabbed by a particular sword, the wearer is immuned to the effects of THAT specific sword. It cannot pierce their skin or injure them in any way. If their death was from a fall, they become invulnerable to further falling damage. If their death was caused by burning to death, they would become immuned to fire and so forth. When this function of the armband is invoked, one of the topaz gemstones will turn grey and dull. Each time the armband saves the wearer, one topaz turned grey and lifeless and the wearer becomes invulnerable to that specific weapon or method of death. The armband will save the wearer only four times and make them invulnerable to four different methods of death.
However, on the fifth mortal blow, the amulet will do nothing despite the fifth gemstone being "active" and implying the device has one final charge. Furthermore, this amulet brings constant conflict. The mere presence of this armband will aggravate wild animals or monsters, driving them to furious attack. Wild animals and monsters will be driven beyond madness and will attack without fear. They will ignore their usual instincts and focus their attacks on the wearer of this band.
Inevitably, the wearer dies with the amulet on. After the wearer is killed, the amulet will "reset" and all five gemstones will turn orange and glow brightly.
This armband is unaffected by the stellar phases.
Abishar has speculated that Vystria's bitterness and anger worked its way into the magic and corrupted the enchantment. Others have argued that she cursed her own creation as revenge against the Duke.
This website was last updated March 31, 2026. Copyright 1990-2026 David M. Roomes.