The Dark Eye

The Dark Eye does not seem so frightening from its appearance. It a long carved wooden staff with a smokey quartz sphere on the top. The carvings are obviously magikal in the dark grained wood. The one handspan quartz sphere is held by a stylized demon's claw. In fact, it looks like any ol' mystical staff, not the dreaded Dark Eye.

Long ago, it was locked away in the deepest darkest part the dungeon of a great kingdom. So long ago, that only scholars really remember the kingdom's existance. In its heyday, the dungeon held dangerous items as well as prisoners. Times change, countries fall, dungeons become lost, new monsters move in, but The Staff stays the same. For centuries it has been in its stand, in the dungeon room... thinking and watching the world outside, forgotten.

The Staff has many powers (magik shield, spell absorbtion, spell knowledge, and augmenting the power of the wizard using it), but the most frightening is its ability to read and influence/ manipulate the minds of those around it. Those whos minds it probes see "A Dark Eye", A black goats eye, with flame in the double pupil, watching them in their own mind. Not only does it grant those abilities to any wielder, the staff itself is intelligent and wields all its own abilities. You see, the staff is intelligent, immortal, and is thinking about seizing power in the world around it.

Using its magik abilities to create supplies and its ability to manipulate the minds of the monsters around it, Dark Eye has created a horde of loyal monsters. Only a small fraction of the monsters are "charmed" or manipulated by the Staff. The monsters have taken over the wild lands about the dungeon and some of the frontiers of the bordering civilized lands. The Staff uses its scrying ability to watch the world around it and find useful things. In its exploration, the Staff came into contact with The Dark God. In exchange for concessions, the Dark Eye will aid the Dark God in its plans. So recently, some of the monsters have been leaving the dungeon area and traveling around the country. Some are recruiting new monsters, others formenting evil, some are sent to support those who worship the Dark God, others appear to be looking for something. The Monsters will speak of "The Dark Eye" in hushed wispers among themselves, but none know its true nature.

Long ago, Corvus created a vast number of magikal crystal orbs of various sizes, most of which were incorporated into other items. These orbs housed magikally created intelligences with the following powers:
1) The ability to influence and manipulate the minds of those around it to some degree.
2) The ability to communicate with any other Orb at any range, if it desires.
3) The ability to block or diffuse the power of another orb, 100% magik resistance against orb magik. It can sometimes grant that ability to others or use the power at range.
4) The ability to be nearly unbreakable (they are crystal after all)
5) 1-5 Magikal abilities to fufill its original purpose as a tool for Corvus. They were originally made as assistants and aides for Corvus. Since they have outlasted him and anyone who knew much about them, they are now free to follow their own agendas. The Dark Eye can: generate a magik shield, absorb most spells thrown against it (charging its manna supply (giving it an extra spell slot), spell knowledge (as an archwizard of great skill), and augmenting the power of the wizard using it (granting two or three levels of force beyond its ranking).

The items are immortal. Mortals are their playthings, their chess pieces, their hands.

The Staff was deemed too "off" by even Corvus's odd standards. It was too dangerous to be left behind and yet dangerous if destroyed for some reason, so he had it locked away. It has become bitter and evil over the centuries... on its way to becoming Evil.

You can break the Staff, but unless you break the crystal orb, the Dark Eye will rise again. There must be some dire consequence to just destroying the Orb, otherwise Corvus would of done so. However, no one knows what that result will be.

The Staff is currently (unknowlingly to the Dark Eye) opposed by the The Orb of Corvin. It is occassionally opposed by The Crystal Sphere of the Throne as the Dungeon is not far from it.

Magical Properties:

See Description.