I am Xeliodor! Archon of Contract Law! What would you ask of me?
<<linkappend "\"W-where am I?\"" t8n>>
You are in the psionic subspace that exists between all sentient beings!
<<linkappend "\"I- What?\"" t8n>>
It's quite convenient! Time won't pass here so your limited material form won't deteriorate!
<<linkappend "\"Uhh...\"" t8n>>
Let's cut to the chase. We've made a contract! You've set me into the Amulet you carry, and in return I will grant you access to my power! Surely you want to know more of my power?
"Yes, of course. [[What are you capable of?|What Xeliodor Is Capable Of]]"
<</linkappend>>
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<<silently>>
<<set $firstTime = true>>
<<set $inventory to ["Amulet of Contract Law"]>>
<</silently>>
You appear to be floating in the midst of some sort of inky black sea.
It seems that you are breathing fine, it seems that you can swim easily from place to place, but slowly it dawns on you that it only //seems// that way.
You can see nothing but the blackness. Just as your fear is about to overcome your awe a voice begins speaking to you from your pocket.
[[I am Xeliodor!]] Now I could provide you with the full terms and conditions of the contract but here's a list of services I am happy to provide, along with their costs. I'll start with the one's I'll provide for free!
* Thaumaturgy
* Dancing Lights
* Guidance and Resistance
* Heat Metal (1/day)
Alright so those are all for free, like I said, if you'd like to use any more of my IMMENSE power, you or someone else will need to make a deal with me! So! Let's get into the powers I can use to enforce contracts, and reward those who complete them!
* [[Geas]]
* [[Bestow Curse]]
* Bane and Bless
* Remove Curse
So I'll use any of those to enforce contracts, generally by setting a Geas on the second party to ensure the terms are followed appropriately. If the Geas is violated, I will consider the terms of the contract null and void, unless appropriate restitution is made.
As to rewards, I can perform the following boons in my current form, of course I could do [[More]] if I had access to my full power.
* Identify
* Any Cleric Spell up to the 3rd Level
* And of course, I'm happy to use any of my natural abilities to aid you in any way! (Darkvision, Truesight, Telepathy)
* And I want to note I am happy to perform [[Ceremonies|Ceremony]]! It's one of my favorite things, after contracts!!Geas
5th-level enchantment
Range: 60 feet
Components: V
Duration: 30 days
You place a magical command on a creature that you can see within range, forcing it to carry out some service or refrain from some action or course of activity as you decide. If the creature can understand you, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become charmed by you for the duration. While the creature is charmed by you, it takes 5d10 psychic damage or is affected by the associated curse, see below, each time it acts in a manner directly counter to your instructions, but no more than once each day. A creature that can't understand you is unaffected by the spell.
You can issue any command you choose, short of an activity that would result in certain death. Should you issue a suicidal command, the spell ends.
You can end the spell early by using an action to dismiss it. A remove curse, greater restoration, or wish spell also ends it.
!!!!At Higher Levels.
When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 7th or 8th level, the duration is 1 year. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 9th level, the spell lasts until it is ended by one of the spells mentioned above.
!!!Notes
Xeliodor often uses a special version of Geas which allows the damage dealt to be replaced by some form of curse. He will use one of the options available from the [[Bestow Curse]] spell as the consequence for breaking the contract.
"Right! I can only fit so much of my true power into this tiny little amulet! If you want access to my greater powers I suppose we'll need to visit my [[office|Office]] in [[Daanvi]]."
<<linkappend "\"Alright, so what kind of power are we talking about?\"" t8n>>
Well I suppose I would be capable of doing just about anything! I have hundreds of thousands of contracts with all kinds of beings across the planes!
<<linkappend "\"Wow. That sounds like a lot.\"" t8n>>
Yup! But, well, I'm not sure what sorts of issues we'd face trying to get there...
<<linkappend "\"Issues?\"" t8n>>
Right, I am a *fallen* angel after all, nobody in [[Daanvi]] is going to be particularly happy to see me, or you! After they find out you freed me from captivity!
<<linkappend "\"Oh boy.\"" t8n>>
Don't worry about it! They all think I'm safely chained up in Ol' Melfy Boy's basement! As long as nobody from the Courts finds out that I've broken out we should be fine!
<<linkappend "\"And there's no possible way they already know?\"" t8n>>
Certainly not! I would have sensed if Melf had alerted anybody!
<<linkappend "\"...Ok.\"" t8n>>
Relax! There's not going to be any problems! And I'm sure if we work together we should be able to find some way to get into my [[office|Office]] safely!
<</linkappend>>
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!Bestow Curse
3rd-level necromancy
Components: V
Duration: as associated [[Geas]]
As part of a creature's contract with Xeliodor they may be affected by a curse when breaching the terms of the contract. That creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become cursed for the duration of the contract. When Xeliodor seals the contract, he chooses the nature of the curse from the following options:
* Choose one ability score. While cursed, the target has disadvantage on ability checks and saving throws made with that ability score.
* While cursed, the target has disadvantage on attack rolls against the primary amulet holder, and their allies.
* While cursed, the target must make a Wisdom saving throw at the start of each of its turns. If it fails, it wastes its action that turn doing nothing.
* While the target is cursed, the current amulet holder's attacks and spells deal an extra 1d8 necrotic damage to the target.
* Any other appropriately flavored curse-like affect, such as a wasting sickness, or a 'Scarlet Letter' on their person showing that the afflicted creature is not a creature of their word.
A remove curse spell ends this effect.
<<linkappend "\"Could you tell me a bit about Daanvi?\"" t8n>>
Certainly! Mortals know Daanvi as the Plane of Perfect Order, but to be honest I sometimes found it quite chaotic! I worked in the High Citadel to review every contract written by mortal and immortal. I had a handful of servitors, Modrons primarily, who did the jobs that required hands. It was dull work, if I'm honest, but my love of contract law kept me going!
It was rare that I had visitors, or free time, but when I did I liked to take them on a tour of the citadel, or show them the hives of the Formians that surrounded it. If we should ever end up there I would love to show you everything! Its truly a wonderful place!
<</linkappend>>
<<linkappend "\"So you've got an office?\"" t8n>>
That's right!
<<linkappend "\"Seems rather mundane.\"" t8n>>
Haha! Well most of the time my duties were rather mundane! Do you know how often I was called upon to adjudicate a contract? Once a century at most! Most contracts between mortals use mortal adjudicators of course, but the contracts of immortals generally use a [[Daanvian|Daanvi]]. And I, being an Archon of Contract Law, am the natural choice for any contract between entites who desire a fair and objective judge to settle their issues! But...
<<linkappend "\"But what?\"" t8n>>
Well, what kind of immortals make contracts? Demons and Devils, right? And do *they* want a fair and objective judge to adjudicate their contracts? **NO** They always include an adjudicator who will side with them, and against their second party! It's completely unreasonable! I've had eons of arguments with [[my associates|Associates]] to try and have them see reason, but I can't get anywhere!
<<linkappend "\"Well, what about angels?\"" t8n>>
What about them? They don't *make* contracts! They just do as they see fit based on their role in the divine plan! Infuriating! I often tried to get others to see the importance of forming contracts, but they simply saw no need!
[[Right, so what *did* you do?|What Xeliodor Did]]
<</linkappend>>
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<<linkappend "\"Associates?\"" t8n>>
Yes, I hesitate to call them friends, as that is a mortal concept.
I often discussed matters of law and order with them to pass the time.
There were a few devils I often consorted with, they loved arguing over the finer points of fine print. Of course they used it to steal mortal souls and other evil ends so I tried to temper their worse impulses.
There was also a zelekhut who I argued about the merit of contracts with. It seemed to believe that contracts got in the way of the "ultimate justice of all creation" or some such. I couldn't agree with that. If justice is not a contract how could it be enforced?!
Well anyway, it spoke up at my [[trial|What Xeliodor Did]] so if I have any friends I must count it among them!
<</linkappend>><<linkappend "\"So... Why did you fall? It sounds like you enjoyed your duties.\"" t8n>>
Well, it's a bit complicated... I'll try to give you a short version. During my arguments with my associates I became convinced that the devils, and even certain mortals, were abusing the nonspecificity of language to create contracts that, while enforceable, were, in my opinion, so loaded with secondary meaning that the original contract was obscured by the secondary intent. To try and combat this I... well I tried to create a meta-contract with all sentient entities in the planes that would ensure that language could only be used in a straightforward and non-ambiguous manner.
<<linkappend "\"This is the simplified version?\"" t8n>>
Ah! Yes, I suppose that's still somewhat opaque! Well I think the Empire of Dhakaan referred to it as "The Storyless Year" perhaps you could look at some of their records to see what I mean?
<<linkappend "\"The Empire of Dhakaan fell 10,000 years ago.\"" t8n>>
Hmmm... Perhaps there's some ruins you could explore?
<<linkappend "\"...\"" t8n>>
...
<<linkappend "\"I'm going to wake up now.\"" t8n>>
That's probably for the best.
[[End.]]
<</linkappend>>
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!Ceremony
1st-level abjuration (ritual)
Casting Time: 1 hour
Range: Touch
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
You perform a special religious ceremony that is infused with magic. When you cast the spell, choose one of the following rites, the target of which must be within 10 feet of you throughout the casting.
*Atonement<br>You touch one willing creature who has acted against the terms of a contract or had its alignment changed due to its actions, and you make a DC 20 Wisdom (Insight) check. On a successful check, you restore the target to good standing within the terms of the contract, or revert its alignment to it's previous alignment.
*Bless Water<br>You touch one vial of water and cause it to become holy water.
*Coming of Age<br>You touch one humanoid who is a young adult. For the next 24 hours, whenever the target makes an ability check, it can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the ability check. A creature can benefit from this rite only once.
*Dedication<br>You touch one humanoid who wishes to be dedicated to your god's service. For the next 24 hours, whenever the target makes a saving throw, it can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the save. A creature can benefit from this rite only once.
*Funeral Rite<br>You touch one corpse, and for the next 7 days, the target can't become undead by any means short of a wish spell.
*Wedding<br>You touch adult humanoids willing to be bonded together in marriage. For the next 7 days, each target gains a +2 bonus to AC while they are within 30 feet of each other. A creature can benefit from this rite again only if widowed. You awaken standing in the inn just as you were when you entered standby mode. You look down at the amulet containing Xeliodor with a newfound appreciation.
Ready to start the day you go to greet your companions...
END