Mad Hand of the Vicar

The severed hand of one who bore witness to a horrible taboo. Such was its magnitude that traces of its demented understanding linger on the hand, and are reflected in its outgrown, bloodshot eye.

### **History**

At the apex of their dominion over the mundane world, the dragons began to lose humble reverence toward the gods, toward love and life, and looked to themselves and their works as target's of worship. The first symptoms of their decadence emerged from their scholars. New intellectual and philosophical movements took the Empire by storm, coalescing in what became known as the Gibilzalzu, a series of concepts that dominated all conversation, all thoughts. The castes were driven into frenzy, their longstanding unity replaced with animosity and distrust; the ancient Orders grew apart, plunging into dissent and, ultimately, fracture, sounding the first toll of the Empire's decline. But the energy, the innovation brought by the movement only emboldened its greatest proponents. At the heights of the fervor, the dragons found a new point of unity, a single focus, for which they sank all of their empire's resources, emptying even its foundations - the Stairway to Heaven. The dragon's had peered into the secrets of the divine before, and learned the costs of its lessons. They had experimented with the mortal races, siring a species of hybrids that served as intermediaries, a middle-class between the Dragons and their subject races, which proved to be perfect for the task.

One of their high-priests, Hernovha, was elevated to command their divination units, coordinating their efforts and grooming replacements for the many that died in the procedures. Sometimes, he too would have to take part in the divination, or on the interpretation, and so too succumbed to the corruption of the cosmos. Unlike the rest of his peers, however, he was favored by the dragons, who rescued him from the corruption. An entire personality had to be separated from him, resulting in the loss of most of his body, which it inhabited. Neither the personality nor the parts that housed it could be easily destroyed, so they were separated and questioned. This actually came as a blessing to the project, as the dragons now had direct contact with cosmic knowledge. The personality became known as the Vicar of the Stars, and its originator was awarded the tile of Venerable Star Preacher for his effort, as well as his increased relevance to the project. The Vicar was scattered throughout the Empire, sealed to be studied and questioned, and eventually spawned its own academic field. With the fall of the Dragon Empire, the Coalition would discover remnants of the Vicar, which they would try to destroy, and then seal, with limited success. Even an era later, remnants of the Vicar would appear in the hands of mages and adventurers world over, purportedly being found in dragon ruins or, strangely, simply having found its way into their hands, with them having no memory of the events surrounding its acquisition.

## **Personality**

Each of the Vicar's remains is inhabited by a parcel of its intellect. Despite having no soul, each of its intellects retain some basic instincts. They are callous and disinterested, and will entreat with anyone who comes into contact with them. The only goal of the Vicar's remains is to find and join with other fragments of its original body and become whole, either by themselves or in the body of a host. Should this happen, the Vicar will be resurrected into his own individual, as an Arch-Angel of Star and Knowledge, after 10 minutes, and spell doom for all peoples.

## **Legendary Artifact**

The remains of the Vicar cannot be destroyed by any means other than a special ritual, or with the power of a God, or higher entity, that comes in direct contact with it. To destroy the remains, one must reunite them in the body of Hernovha, and aid him in conquering the personality of the Vicar, or by reuniting all the remains of the Vicar, killing either the Vicar or his host during the process of transformation, and burying the remains in holy ground. At least 81 clergymen must pray from 8 different sites distributed as an heptagon for one entire year to completely destroy the remains.

## **Abilities**

### **Dark Wisdom**

While you have this item in your possession, you gain advantage in Wisdom checks and saving throws, but become Vulnerable to psyche damage. Additionally, you may entreat the remains of the Vicar, receiving knowledge on one or more questions you ask of it. The remains of the Vicar may answer with a simple yes or no, a short phrase, an image, a cryptic rhyme, or an omen, but regardless, the knowledge will be correct and true at the time the question was asked. The remains of the Vicar may answer maliciously, and according to its own interest. For each answer you receive from the remains of the Vicar, you receive 1d10 Stress, and there is a cumulative 25 percent chance to incur 1d12 psyche damage for each question you've asked the remains since the last time you've taken a long rest.

### **Reveal Dark Truths**

You raise the hand of the starry Vicar, spreading his forbidden knowledge to all who lay their eyes upon it. Unless a creature who can see the Hand succeeds on a 18DC Agility saving throw, or was warned beforehand, to use an action to avert their gaze, they will take 1d6 psyche damage for every point of their Intelligence's modifier bonus. Creatures can avoid this damage by being warned of its use but only before it is used. Angels or creatures that posses a *Dark Wisdom* trait are immune to this effect.

### **The Stars Hunger**

You may attempt to attach the remains of the Vicar into your own body, replacing an appropriate bodypart with the artifact. The remains completely replace the body part they are substituting, and if lopped off or removed, will result in the loss of that bodypart.

While attached, you gain a non-consumable pool of 50 Numen, which can be used to cast one, and only one, specific effect from one of the Schools of Magic, which you select when you attach remains into your own body, alongside the artifact's regular abilities, Having multiple remains attached to your body only increases the total number, and not the size, of the Numen pools. Additionally, at the end of every long rest, you must succeed on a 12DC Willpower save, or take 1d8 Stress for each fragment of the Vicar you have attached. Should you suffer a Mindbreak while having one or more remains within your body, you will be subsumed by the VIcar instead, dying, and surrendering control of your body to him.