Nine Steel Horns of Valhalla

Author’s Note: I cannot remember what I intended to do with this. It may be that this was simply my first stab at creating artifacts and that having completed my fit of creativity, I shelved it. I’m guessing this was my first stab at creating an artifact, as the bane for using one of a differing alignment is over the top.

I recall fleshing out the Neutral horn, but lost the description.

The real value of this one to me, at the current time, is the history of the horns as those NPCs were important figures in their times.

In the distant past, long before the Sack of the Northern Kingdoms, nine horns were fashioned of the finest steel by the greatest of the Dwarven smiths, Gallahend. The human Archmage Tuamin enchanted each of these horns into the most powerful of all the Horns of Valhalla. Nine warriors of Neutral alignment were each given a horn to better balance the effects of Law and Chaos, and of Evil and Good.

For centuries this quest carried on, each Horn passing from father to son as each warrior was slain or grew too old to continue. Sadly, with the passage of time the descendants of the original nine lost the zeal that their forefathers possessed. They drifted apart and the belief of Neutrality became muddled.

Eventually the Horns shifted and each became aligned to one of the nine ethos. During the Sack of the Northern Kingdoms they passed out of knowledge and were lost. From time to time one turns up, and it is believed that eight of the Horns bear heavy banes, although the single horn still aligned with Neutrality is said to be a greatly desired item.

Each Horn can only be possessed by a warrior of the same ethos as that of the Horn. Any creatures of any other alignment attempting to use a Horn will suffer 10d10 points of damage, will be Feebleminded, and must save vs. Magic or lose 1d8 levels.

Each Horn is capable of summoning, once per month, a berserk Lord of 13th level, having 102 hit points, 18/00 strength, 18 in all other statistics. Each wears Plate Mail +3, carries a Shield +3, and wields a Broadsword of Defending +5. Once summoned a berserker remains for 13 rounds or until slain. When the berserker’s duration ends through time or death, he fades away along with all items he arrived with.

The Neutral Horn has the following powers/effects:

• 3x I
• 1x III
• 1x V
• 1x VI

The other eight Horns have the following powers/effects:

• 3x I
• 2x III
• 1x IV
• 1x V
• 1x VI