#### The Codex Umbra Wondrous item, artifact (requires attunement) --- Kālidāsa Dhar, writing in the codex umbra in the second century of Wonder, gives us our only glimpse into scholarly thought regarding the essence of shadow magic before the Ganarajyan Empire. It is surprisingly similar to our own modern notions. >>"Primitive cultures view shadow magic as an extension of literal shadow. The shade cast by a bright light. But I find no connection between the two phenomenon and offer an alternate explanation, supported by the success of the incantations found herein." >> Dhar hypothesized that the dark power we call shadow is the dead life essence of a previous world. What the nature of this world or the beings that may have inhabited it was, she offers no insight. Few modern sages take Dhar's theory seriously, but all note that no wizard since has penetrated the heart of shadow so successfully. Whoever holds the codex umbra and understands its secrets gains access to the following abilities. ***The Vile Form.*** Once per day as an action, you can assume the form of a dark shadow of yourself. While in this form, you gain resistance to acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage, including damage from magical weapons. To assume this form, you must sacrifice 1 Hit Die at the end of each round. You are always considered to be hiding, and you gain advantage on attacks in vile form. If you fall unconscious while in vile form, you revert to your normal form. If you die while in vile form, you become a shadow and the codex disappears, relocating itself to elsewhere in the Mundane World. ***No Man Can Escape His Shadow.*** Once per day as an action, you can summon 6 shadows, placing each anywhere within 60 feet of you, and each must be adjacent to a character. The shadows act on your turn, doing your bidding. They dissolve after 1 minute. ***Shadow Tower.*** Once per year as an action, you can summon a round spire made of solid darkness. The tower is 30 feet in diameter and 40 feet high with windows on all sides and a battlement on top. The interior is divided into three floors, with a spiral staircase on the inner wall connecting them. The stairs end at a trapdoor leading to the roof. When summoned, the tower side facing you has a door proportional to your size. The door will only open on your command, which you can speak as a bonus action. Magic of less than 7th level will not open the door. Each creature in the area where the tower appears must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 12d10 bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. All creatures in the area are pushed to an unoccupied space outside but next to the tower. Objects in the area are pushed automatically. The sky above the tower is always dark, and the tower itself is made of substantial shadow and melds with the ground, preventing it from being tipped over. The roof, door, and walls each have 90 hit points, immunity to damage from nonmagical weapons except siege weapons, and resistance to all other damage. It cannot be repaired, but can be dismissed as an action. The next time the tower is summoned, it is complete and free of damage. The tower is a 2nd-level tower stronghold and grants units defending it +1 Morale. ***Shadow Legion.*** Once per week as an action, the holder of the codex umbra can summon a Shadow Legion. The legion dissolves after 1 hour or two battles, whichever comes first. ***Black Star.*** Completing this 1-hour ritual replaces the sun with a negative counterpart. The sun winks out and darkness rules the land—a land dominated by a blazing black sun in a sky filled with red stars. This is a supernatural darkness, and all intelligent creatures who live on the surface of the Mundane World can sense it. All diurnal creatures with an Intelligence score greater than 5 gain darkness sensitivity, giving them disadvantage on attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight. As the owner of the codex umbra, you do not suffer this sensitivity. However, while the Black Star blazes, you must sacrifice 1 Hit Die at the end of each hour. --- #### The Codex Umbra Wondrous item, artifact (requires attunement) --- Kālidāsa Dhar, writing in the codex umbra in the second century of Wonder, gives us our only glimpse into scholarly thought regarding the essence of shadow magic before the Ganarajyan Empire. It is surprisingly similar to our own modern notions. >>"Primitive cultures view shadow magic as an extension of literal shadow. The shade cast by a bright light. But I find no connection between the two phenomenon and offer an alternate explanation, supported by the success of the incantations found herein." >> Dhar hypothesized that the dark power we call shadow is the dead life essence of a previous world. What the nature of this world or the beings that may have inhabited it was, she offers no insight. Few modern sages take Dhar's theory seriously, but all note that no wizard since has penetrated the heart of shadow so successfully. Whoever holds the codex umbra and understands its secrets gains access to the following abilities. ***The Vile Form.*** Once per day as an action, you can assume the form of a dark shadow of yourself. While in this form, you gain resistance to acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage, including damage from magical weapons. To assume this form, you must sacrifice 1 Hit Die at the end of each round. You are always considered to be hiding, and you gain advantage on attacks in vile form. If you fall unconscious while in vile form, you revert to your normal form. If you die while in vile form, you become a shadow and the codex disappears, relocating itself to elsewhere in the Mundane World. ***No Man Can Escape His Shadow.*** Once per day as an action, you can summon 6 shadows, placing each anywhere within 60 feet of you, and each must be adjacent to a character. The shadows act on your turn, doing your bidding. They dissolve after 1 minute. ***Shadow Tower.*** Once per year as an action, you can summon a round spire made of solid darkness. The tower is 30 feet in diameter and 40 feet high with windows on all sides and a battlement on top. The interior is divided into three floors, with a spiral staircase on the inner wall connecting them. The stairs end at a trapdoor leading to the roof. When summoned, the tower side facing you has a door proportional to your size. The door will only open on your command, which you can speak as a bonus action. Magic of less than 7th level will not open the door. Each creature in the area where the tower appears must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 12d10 bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. All creatures in the area are pushed to an unoccupied space outside but next to the tower. Objects in the area are pushed automatically. The sky above the tower is always dark, and the tower itself is made of substantial shadow and melds with the ground, preventing it from being tipped over. The roof, door, and walls each have 90 hit points, immunity to damage from nonmagical weapons except siege weapons, and resistance to all other damage. It cannot be repaired, but can be dismissed as an action. The next time the tower is summoned, it is complete and free of damage. The tower is a 2nd-level tower stronghold and grants units defending it +1 Morale. ***Shadow Legion.*** Once per week as an action, the holder of the codex umbra can summon a Shadow Legion. The legion dissolves after 1 hour or two battles, whichever comes first. ***Black Star.*** Completing this 1-hour ritual replaces the sun with a negative counterpart. The sun winks out and darkness rules the land—a land dominated by a blazing black sun in a sky filled with red stars. This is a supernatural darkness, and all intelligent creatures who live on the surface of the Mundane World can sense it. All diurnal creatures with an Intelligence score greater than 5 gain darkness sensitivity, giving them disadvantage on attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight. As the owner of the codex umbra, you do not suffer this sensitivity. However, while the Black Star blazes, you must sacrifice 1 Hit Die at the end of each hour. ---