Connects to: 17.05.01.
In the southern reaches of the Kingswood there is a small pool fed by an unseen spring. Its location cannot be pinpointed exactly as no being has ever managed to find it twice and maps that lead to it never seem to be quite accurate. Despite this, the forest around it is quite distinctive. No matter what season, the plants around it are always in full summer foliage, all the birds seem to sing the same note, there is no underbrush, insects, rot and deadfall to be seen and, except for the birdsong, all is eerily still.
At the forest pool itself, a thin and severe elf maiden waits clad in shimmering white. If attacked she attempts to dive into the pool and will disappear into its waters. If dragged away from the pool or killed, she will dissolve into water. She will serve any who approach the pool, with water from a crystal pitcher but will not speak. If a character demands a second drink of water, she will appear reluctant but will finally accede.
A single drink of water will have the following positive effects (more than one affect can happen to one character if more than one is applicable).
- Heal any non-magic disease over the course of an hour.
- Grant a character a second saving throw against any magical disease, if the saving throw is passed it will fade away over the course of one hour.
- Heal 1d20 hit points.
- Heal one permanent injury or affliction over the course of one hour. If more than one is present, a random one is chosen.
- If the character is older than 25 (or the non-human equivalent), their age will be reduced by 1d20 years, although they will not become younger than 25 (or the non-human equivalent). If a natural 20 is rolled, they will become immune to all aging effects including the passage of time.
For the negative effects of the water, roll a d20 and consult the following table (multiple drinks require more than one roll). If the DM is merciful a saving throw is allowed, these negative effects can be removed via an appropriate ritual, but doing so will not be easy:
- 1-9: No negative effect.
- 10: The character must now make a saving throw against any magical healing.
- 11: The character becomes completely immune to magical healing, diseases, magical diseases and physical inflictions (such as level drain). They do not become immune to being hacked to pieces by swords.
- 12: The character becomes unable to taste or smell food.
- 13: The character develops an aversion to anything that would change their appearance such as changing their clothes, changing the style of their hair or putting on a disguise. Any effect that causes any such change (even including becoming dirty) causes extreme distress.
- 14: The character develops an aversion of dead bodies of any kind and cannot stand to be in their presence.
- 15: The character cannot develop new memories or gain new XP points (short term memories form, but are lost at the start of each new day).
- 16: If the character has become younger as a result of the water, they lose all of their memories (and XP points!) accumulated over those years.
- 17: The character becomes immune to natural diseases but also does not gain the benefit of natural healing.
- 18: The character is unable to dream and loses any beneficial effects of prophetic dreams etc. They are also immune to nightmares.
- 19: The character is unable to sleep but does not suffer any ill-effects from sleep deprivation. However, they are unable to memorize spells as they are unable to gain true rest.
- 20: The character is unable to sleep and grows increasingly weary, eventually dying from sleep deprivation.
If the water is bottled and drunk elsewhere it will have no effect, negative or positive.
Connection:
- Ceralin the Healer is a devoted disciple of Telenar (17.05.01).
Hooks:
- Who is Telandar the White? A demigoddess? A faerie? An enchantress?
- Who has drank from the water of the pool? Do they regret it?
