Cuirass of the Winds

Full Item Description

The Armour of the Winds is made of meteoric iron, with a thin layer of silver threads to make it look more impressive, and it is of the type that was worn in battle fifty years ago. This Cuirass has a deep blue enamel adorning its surface, with images of silver heraldic eagles in silver filligree rampant upon the breastplate.If touched, it feels cool to the touch even if in a boiling hot desert.

History
The Elemental Planes are, for the smaller elementals, a dangerous place to live, for the larger ones feast upon the small whenever they can catch them, and after the first few years of life, during witch their mother protects them, the small are on their own.

One such, a little Air Sylph, was being chased by a far greater one the size of a large hurricane, and he knew that he was seconds away from being shredded and swallowed. Then to his amazement a small portal appeared, like a star in the sky, and he dived inside, not caring where it led as long as he was able to stay alive. It was perfect for him, but far too small for the giant sylph above him that howled and roared in frustration.

He came out inside a small pentacle within the laboratory of the then young wizard Rufus Mellitus of Vallermoore. Over the next year, the wizard fed him, learned how to speak to him, and then learned a lot from him about the elemental planes that he had come from. 'Am I your prisoner?' he asked. 'No,' Rufus replied. 'I brought you here to learn more about you, not to harm or exploit you. If you want me to send you back to your home plane, I will.'

After thinking about it for a bit the sylph decided that he was safer where he was for now. For twelves months he stayed with the wizard and the two began to trust and like each other. The wizard allowed the sylph to roam free within his house and grounds, and fed it with earth, with minerals and with semi-precious jewels to keep it healthy and strengthen it.

Then war came to Vallermoore and the wizard asked his friend to help the war effort and agree voluntarily to be sealed inside a breastplate and used in battle, promising to set him free afterwards and pointing out that should the breastplate be destroyed in battle, he would be set free anyway. Although somewhat suspicious, the sylph wanted some excitement in its life and agreed as long as it was set free when the war was over.

It went into battle and did it's best, causing wind to blow from the breastplate. At first this was hardly noticeable, but when the owner killed somebody, the elemental was able to take a bite out of the departing soul. In doing so, it got slightly stronger. Many were killed by it's owner as he rose in rank and earned medals for bravery, and the sylph grew more powerful and could help it's owner more.

From hardly being able to do anything at all, it could send a powerful jet of wind from the breastplate to blow away arrows aimed at it and even sword thrusts. And it felt deeply satisfied, for even though it was able to only take a bite out of each soul, it could feel it's inner power grow.

No more would it have to fear becoming a tasty snack for one of the larger members of it's kind. When it was set free it would roam the Planes and would be able to command respect. After nearly seven years the war finally came to an end and the sylph was as ecstatic as the humans. Freedom was only a matter of weeks away.

Great was its anger when it found that its freedom was to be denied, and it was never to see it's human friend again. It's owner, by now a colonel in the Queen's Own Eyes, the royal bodyguards, was determined not to it go. So it decided upon revenge. Over several weeks it wormed its way into it's owner's mind, as it was placed beside his bed at night.

Taking the form of his mother, it whispered to him of the power that he could have if he tried to seize the throne. After a month of this he tried to stab the Queen from behind, but by using it's wind power to do the equivalent of tapping the Queen on the shoulder, she was able to dodge his blow and scream for help. The disgraced colonel was hanged the very next day, still wearing the enchanted armour, and the sylph devoured his entire soul.

As it ate it, power coursed through it, although not yet enough to break free of the enchanted armour. Its new owner considered the armour unlucky and sold it. Since then two more if it's owners have died violently, one when he was blown by what was thought to be a freak gust of wind into the path of a coach-and-four, the other when he apparently went mad and tried to kill his friends, and having grown ever more powerful, the sylph now needs just one more complete human soul or five *bites* to be powerful enough to shatter it's metal prison and escape back to the planes.

Magic/Cursed Properties

In combat a strong wind erupts from the armour. In the short term it can push attackers over, giving the wearer a chance to get a free attack in or escape. After that, whilst weaker, the wind will weaken the attacker's strike against the armour, enhancing its capabilities.

Also the wearer will not overheat-he or she may be harmed by hunger or thirst, but the part of the body covered by the armour will stay cool.

However, the sylph within wants the wearer to die so that it can eat the wearer's soul. It can do so in three ways. First, by pushing the wearer into something deadly, be it off a cliff, into the path of a coach, or into a giant spider's web.

Secondly, by appearing in dreams, as whoever is closest to the wearer-(over time, it can read the wearer's mind), and by urging the wearer to commit a capital offence of some kind, promising that the wearer will not get caught, when in fact the chances are high that he or she will in fact be caught, convicted and executed.

Thirdly, by getting the wearer, in the same way, to turn on his or her friends and try and murder them to steal their goods.

Should its wearer slay a certain number of people it will have enough strength to break free anyway.

If it does get free, the armour will burst outwards in dozens of sharp pieces, doing no harm to the wearer but injuring anyone standing within fifteen feet, and a huge and highly dangerous Air Elemental will appear in the form of a large spinning tornado, picking up the wearer and hurling him or her several feet.

Should the PC's fight the Elemental they will need either powerful magic or a magical weapon- non-magical weapons will do it no harm and will get trapped in it. At best it will be wrenched from the owner's hand, at worst, the owner will be pulled around and around and hurled with great force into the nearest solid object.

If they flee it will chase them for miles.

If they have a Mage PC who can speak to it, it will ask politely to be sent back to it's own plane, and if the PC's do what it wants it will reward them with a piece of knowledge and will give back any weapons it has taken. If they cannot send it back it will demand that they take it to someone who can. It's sole desire is to return to it's own dimension.

Plot Hooks

That's mine!

An old man so old as to be near death will recognise the armour-he is the one who enchanted it, and he wants to set free his friend. If the PC's turn him down they might get a nasty shock later, when a very angry Air Elemental bursts out and attempts to seriously kick their asses.