The Veloghon of Vigilance

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This tome takes the form of a large, battered war-shield of no special appearance or markings. It bears a low-level protective enchantment against rust and acidic corrosion that converts any spell—cast at it or encom¬passing it in an area of effect—into a bolt of lightning that lashes back unerr¬ingly at the source of the magic, dealing 1d6 points of damage per level of the intruding spell. On the inside surface of the shield are the expected arm-strap and handle, but between them is a circular steel disc engraved with the upraised gauntlet of Torm, and behind it a stack of 18 thin, fan-shaped metal sheets, plates that stretch up to the top of the shield from a common pivot point (the disc). The plates are pages, and each of them bears a single spell, its symbols and writings stamped into the metal sheets. The first mention of the Veloghon of Vigilance is in the writings of Thontoros the Learned, Sage of the Just Gods (who studied the clergy and deeds of other followers of Helm, Ilmater, Torm, and Tyr). Writing of the defense of the vanished citadel of Lothtia on the Shining Plains by the Paladins of the Hand (the Twelve Champions of Torm) in 1158 DR, Thontoros tells us that the paladin Harondath bore the shield, and “bathed it in the blood of the orcs of Thoktor Ironfangs.” Various holy writings down through the years tell us that the shield vanished with Harondath (whose fate and grave are unknown), but reappeared from time to time in the Sword Coast and Moonsea lands, usually in the hands of the adventurer-priests of the Loyal Fury. It has remained so down the years despite attempts by the Templemasters (high priests) of Torm to gain possession of it. In fact, until the Holy Visions of Bargaeroth informed the faithful that it was Torm’s desire that the Veloghon remain in the service of wandering adventurers working to further his aims in the world, gaining the shield for this or that temple was a favorite mission assigned to ambitious, fast-rising priests of Torm by their Templemasters. (The term “veloghon” simply means “holy shield,” and is taken from the name of the ancient high priest of Torm, Veloghon of Carathta, who has no connec¬tion with this holy book.) Among the most famous bearers of the Veloghon was the adventurer Galthont “the Inspirer.” Beginning in about 1212 DR as a young but capable swordsman, he began to tour the Moonsea North, working as a caravan guard and personal bodyguard. Wherever he went, Galthont kept an eye out for warriors (or young warriors-in-training) who exhibited noble loyalty and diligent obedience. He told such promising folk of the glory of Torm and of the splendid orders of paladins who serve mankind in the god’s name. Many worldly paladins (those who turned to their calling after living lives that were not particularly devout) credit the Inspirer with first awakening the desire in them to become holy warriors. Galthont is known to have gained the Veloghon by defeating The Lashing Tail, an army of brigands under the leadership of the half-orc Oegont and the evil human mage Mastertas of Melvaunt, in 1216 DR. The Inspirer fought off a Tail attack on a caravan he was guarding near Glister, and then singlehandedly tracked the brigands and challenged them to combat, one by one or handful by handful, until he had slain over half of the Tail’s 80-odd members. The enraged leaders of the Tail rallied their survivors and set about hunting the man who had slain their fellows. However, Galthont slipped through their ranks and pillaged a fort they had taken over, laying many deadfall traps by carrying boulders from a crumbling wall. When he revealed himself, the warriors of the Tail charged in to get at him, and died by the dozens. The last trap involved barrels of lamp oil rolled down stairs at the men of the Tail. Three of them dropped torches in their falls, and the fort caught fire. Amid the smoke and confusion, Galthont battled Mastertas, his apprentices, and Oegont. He snatched the Veloghon and a bag of coins from a chest when the smoke grew too thick for his foes to see him, and escaped out a window before the fort burned to the ground. (The fate of the Tail leaders, and the rest of the treasure kept in that chamber, is unknown.) The last known whereabouts of the Veloghon of Vigilance was in the hands of the priest Amaratas Dunthaun, who bore it while leading a band of adventurers called the Company of the Crow to a series of successes exploring the ruins of Turmish. The Company of the Crow was destroyed by baatezu summoned by a sorcerous foe in 1344 DR, but the fates of that mage and of the company’s leader, Alvast Undren of Amaratas (a half-elf warrior of note) and the shield remain unknown. In descending order from the pivot plate inward, the contents of the shield’s plates are as follows: Alert vigil (a spell detailed below), command, detect evil, light, remove fear, flame blade, hold person, know alignment, produce flame, wyvern watch, dispel magic, locate object, water walk, fortify (a spell detailed in the Tome of Magic sourcebook), hand of Torm (a spell detailed in Faiths & Avatars sourcebook), leadership (Tome of Magic), swordward (Faiths & Avatars), and wrath of Torm (detailed below).