Shield of the Hidden Lord
The Shield of the Hidden Lord was a powerful artifact and the prison of the archdevil Gargauth before he was freed by the Lost Star Detectives in 1497 CR.
Mechanics & Inner Workings
As an artifact that contained the soul of an archdevil, the Shield of the Hidden Lord was extremely powerful. However, to make use of its full suite of powers, one had to attune to it. While attunement can expose the attuners to great risk, the nature of Gargauth's pact and curse prevented attunement from significantly benefiting him in any way.
Anyone wielding the shield was able to make use of its size and lightweight material to block incoming attacks more effectively than normal.
Upon attunement, the wielder of the shield gained the ability to use the shield as a spellcasting focus to cast Fireball and Wall of Fire, with charges that recovered at dawn. The weilder also became resistant to all forms of fire damage and could use the shiled to radiate an aura of dread, frightening those around them. Finally, while attuned and wielding the shiled, an individual became immune to all forms of magical detection.
Gargauth could make use of none of these abilities on his own, save for the innate ability to hide from magical detection. However, he did have the ability to mentally communicate with and sense any creature within 120 feet of himself. Thus he had to rely on his own ability to persuade and decieve to acheive his goals.
Manufacturing process
The Shield of the Hidden Lord was designed in Bel's Forge, an ancient and magically powerful location. As such, the lava of the forge was one of the few known ways to undo teh shield's creation and thereby release the archdevil inside.
History
In the middle to late 10th century CR, the archdevil Gargauth, who was once the treasurer of the Nine Hells and the archduke of Avernus, failed in an attempted invasion of Hell with a group of dark gods from Toril, including Bane, Myrkul, Bhaal, Talona, and others.
As punishment, Asmodeus captured Gargauth and gave the archdevil a choice: total destruction or a pact. Gargauth chose the latter and was bound by Asmodeus into the Shield of the Hidden Lord with the condition of being freed if he could, without being able to freely move or control those bearing the shield, bring 13 cities from the Material Plane into Hell. The shield was then given to Bel, Gargauth's usurper as archduke, who sent the shield into the Material Plane to fulfill the terms of the pact.
For the next few centuries, Gargauth began his work. It is unknown how many cities Gargauth brought into Avernus, but it is known that he never collected all 13. The history of the shield is also difficult to ascertain, as it bobs in and out of history. Perhaps there was only one shield or perhaps there were multiple, scattered to numerous crystal spheres with Gargauth's consciousness divided between each.
What is known is that on Faerun, the Shield of the Hidden Lord was desired by cultists of the deceased demon lord Astaroth, whom Gargauth had killed and taken the identity of during his exile from Hell. These cultists believed that the shield allowed them to talk with their lord, unaware of his actual fate. The shield was also valued by cultists of the Dead Three, who recognized Gargauth for his alilance with their dark gods.
According to legend, the Shield of the Hidden Lord was wielded by Astarathian cultists in an attack on the Harpers in the 12th century. Stories conflict on whether or not Gargauth, who was believed to be Astaroth, was temporarily freed from the shield or if merely an aspect of him was, but the attack failed and the shield again was lost to history.
In the early 14th century, Gargauth infiltrated the Knights of the Shield, a reclusive order that dedicated themselves towards the protection and guardianship of the Shield of Silvam, an ancient Imaskarian artifact. Gargauth convinced the knights that he was the true Shield of Silvam. The dedication of this order gave Gargauth far more mobility and influence to ennact his whims.
In the 15th century CR, Zariel became the archduke of Avernus, and Gargauth at some point met with her to go over the terms of his deal with her predecessor Bel. Zariel agreed to continue the terms of the deal, and Gargauth again set out to bring cities into the Material Plane. To this end, Gargauth was given to the cult of Zariel in Elturel. Under Gargauth's guidance, the cult was able to manipulate the events of the 1447 Reign of Vampires in their favor, trading the salvation of the city in exchange for Elturel's damnation in 50 years time.
Gargauth remained with the Elturian cult, or the Order of the Companion as they came to be known, until 1447 when the shield was smuggled out of Elturel by High Observer Thavius Kreeg to Baldur's Gate on the eve of its damnation. The shield was then turned over to Duke Thalamara Vanthampur, head of the Baldurian cult of Zariel, who inteded to use it in a similar fashion as Elturel. However, before Vanthampur could get far, she and Kreeg were killed by the Lost Star Detectives, adventurers that had learned about the Zarielite cults doing and were attempting to save Elturel.
Gargauth at first convinced the adventurers that he was the Shield of Silvam, but after a failed attempt by the cult of Zariel to steal him back, his true nature as an artifact connected to Gargauth was revealed by Sylvira Savikas, an infernal scholar. The Detectives then refused to part with the shield in Candlekeep, deciding that it was dangerous and could likely be destroyed while in Avernus, where they were headed.
During their travels, Gargauth attempted to form a connection with the various Detectives, portraying himself as a weapon made by Gargauth, but one with its own sentience and desires. Attempts by infernal bounty hunters to steal back the shield were foiled by the Detectives, with one particular moment almost resulting in Arcus Miursa, the bearer of the shield, threatening to jump into the River Styx rather than turn it over to a devil.
As the Detectives explored Avernus proper, Gargauth instead played a new hand, telling them that tossing the shield into the Styx would destroy his memories, personality, and sense of self. Alternatively, being turned over to Zariel would be to once again have his autonomy taken away. When faced with those choices, Gargauth asked the Detectives to throw him into the lava of Bel's Forge, and area the Detectives already needed to travel to, which he said was the only way to destroy him. Though a few of the Detectives disagreed or were wary, they ultimately decided to listen to Gargauth's advice, though he neglected to tell them that throwing him into the lava of the forge of the shield's creation was the only way to release him from his prison.
Upon arrival at the base of the forge, the Detectives went through with their plan to toss the shield into the lava, which freed Gargauth and destroyed the shield entirely.
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