Path of the Starstrider
A long, long time ago, there existed a dream that craved knowledge. It discovered all manner of secrets and hidden things, and used those to discover bridges to other realms and expand its network of influence. It gained a face and a voice, and eventually, it became more than a dream.
It was alive.
A little bit of the old dream has survived into the modern day, however. Those who knew Gemini in life know of the peculiar artifact he often kept in his care - the Nexus. The properties of the crystal were a closely guarded secret by the sprite, but he made no effort to hide the incredible magic concentrated within it and channeled through his very own palms. And now, just as pockets into Gemini’s old demiplanes have begun to reappear at the behest of the Nexus, revealing bits and pieces of the beloved wanderer’s past, those who still pray for guidance from the stranger have found little bits of the beyond answering their call.
Those who follow the path of the Starstrider are recognized as wanderers who want answers, and are willing to go to any lengths to find them. The Nexus is both of this world and not of it at all … even those who wield it aren’t fully aware of the knowledge it has amassed, but maybe, just maybe, someone will unlock the secret.
The Nexus is a living crystal that brings to mind a psicrystal, but rather than being amethystine in color as the crystals commonly are, the Nexus is deep and ruddy red akin to garnet. The crystal seems to at least partially have a will of its own, and so it chooses its partner with jealous fervor - you must attune to the Nexus in order to use its powers, and once attuned to it, the Nexus bonds with you permanently. This bond may be either physical or purely mental at your discretion - for some, the jewel embeds itself somewhere in your body or equipment. For others, like Gemini, the jewel drifts nearby as a satellite. In either case, the crystal cannot be removed from your person. Attempting to do so results in the jewel taking the most direct path possible to reach you and reconnect with you, and if it cannot reach you, it will simply teleport to you. If you traverse to another plane, it follows you whether you’re holding it or not. The Nexus has the following Stored Echo properties:
Echo - Nexus
Wondrous item, legendary (requires attunement by a spellcaster)The Nexus is a living crystal that brings to mind a psicrystal, but rather than being amethystine in color as the crystals commonly are, the Nexus is deep and ruddy red akin to garnet. The crystal seems to at least partially have a will of its own, and so it chooses its partner with jealous fervor - you must attune to the Nexus in order to use its powers, and once attuned to it, the Nexus bonds with you permanently. This bond may be either physical or purely mental at your discretion - for some, the jewel embeds itself somewhere in your body or equipment. For others, like Gemini, the jewel drifts nearby as a satellite. In either case, the crystal cannot be removed from your person. Attempting to do so results in the jewel taking the most direct path possible to reach you and reconnect with you, and if it cannot reach you, it will simply teleport to you. If you traverse to another plane, it follows you whether you’re holding it or not. The Nexus has the following Stored Echo properties:
- Creator (Aberration). Whatever created the Nexus and why is still not fully understood, but the fact of the matter is that the Nexus exists and that’s that.
- History (Arcane). Whatever the Nexus’s origins are, they were clearly arcane. Close study of the crystal reveals seemingly infinite fractals of arcane inscriptions just beneath the jewels surface. The inscriptions shift and move at times, giving the crystal a somewhat living quality.
- Minor Property (Key, Unbreakable). The Nexus seems to share a sentiment that it is meant to help unlock something. But what? Nobody knows.
- Quirk (Covetous). The Nexus causes its bearer to become obsessed with knowledge, as if trying to find the answers to some terrible future … though whether it’s to prevent or assist that future coming to pass, we can’t really know.
- Core Augment (Spell). The Echo grants a +4 bonus to spell attack rolls.
- Psi Crystal. The Nexus grants its wielder the benefits of a psi crystal.
- Archivist. The Nexus has a peculiar connection to both time and space, granting it the benefits of a mirror of the past.
- Sentient. The Nexus is a sentient magic item with the following properties:
- Scores. The Nexus has an Intelligence and Wisdom of 18, and a Charisma of 14.
- Communication. The Nexus communicates by transmitting emotion to its wielder. Only the wielder can interpret these impressions.
- Senses. The Nexus has hearing and darkvision out to 120 feet.
- Alignment. The Nexus’s alignment is unknown, but it is safe to say it is most likely Neutral.
- Purpose (Lore Seeker). The Nexus craves knowledge. On the discovery of a mystery, a secret, or a cryptic prophecy, it will urge its wielder to uncover everything they can at any cost.
- Proficiency. The Nexus is proficient in Arcana and Medicine checks, with a proficiency bonus equal to your own.
- Spellcaster. The Nexus has the Spellcaster trait. After a long rest, you may choose spells from any list whose combined levels equal no more than your proficiency bonus. Nexus casts these spells on your behalf without any spell components, using its own spellcasting modifier (Intelligence). It uses your proficiency bonus when relevant. Once Nexus casts a spell this way, it cannot cast the same spell again until you have completed a long rest.
- Starstride. You may cast dream of the blue veil as a ritual, and may use it both to travel to other worlds and other planes of existence. Curiously, the Nexus satisfies the condition for magic items originating from the world you intend to visit, whether the world has magic or not. The spell can only be cast once this way before you require a long rest.