Vistain, The Great Obelisk
On a desolate, wasteland of an island stands a tall obelisk, made of stone and carved with arcane runes. On the top there are four great eyes, one on each side, never moving but always watching. This is Vistain, his soul bound into the obelisk by his own will and by his own power, forever plotting and calculating, acting through his mortal slaves.
Vistain was a great wizard many centuries ago, revered for his ambition and meticulous calculations. At a young age he was recognized for his talent, and was recruited as an apprentice for an elderly sage. The sage taught Vistain everything he knew, and when he died the youth gained all of his master’s arcane materials.
Vistain was able to quickly secure a job as a defensive mage for a nearby city. He lived in luxury and leisure, his occupation proved challenging, yet left him with enough time to devote to his own experiments. Eventually Vistain married, and it seemed like he was well on his way to becoming one of the greatest mages in history.
Unfortunately, things did not wrap up quite so smoothly. Vistain was overcome by one of his rivals, a sorcerer who cast spells for a tribe of barbarians. The sorcerer, whose name was Jaragox, led the army into the humble city that Vistain protected. The two casters fought with rigor, but eventually Vistain was defeated. He barely managed to escape with his wife, who lost her right arm to Jaragox. While fleeing, Vistain vowed revenge.
Vistain cared for his crippled wife for five decades, his idealism shattered. Once the wizard had longed for arcane knowledge to protect his city and to leave his mark in history. Since his battle with Jaragox, Vistain cared only about finding a way to overcome the sorcerer. He robbed tombs for ancient texts, stole from esteemed mages and did many other terrible things. All that kept him sane was the thirst for revenge and caring for his dear wife.
Fifty years after his defeat at the hands of Jaragox, Vistain’s years of research and intense calculations paid off. He learned of an astrological event which he named “Vistain’s Alignment,” a positioning of planets, moons and stars, all at significant magical angles, during which arcane energy filled the air. This rare event would come in just three weeks after Vistain discovered it, leaving him very little time to develop a method with which to take advantage of the situation.
On the night of “Vistain’s Alignment” the mage stood in his chamber. It had been a long few weeks, but he had managed to put together almost all the pieces that he needed. All that remained was a human sacrifice, which he hired a gang of local bandits to deliver to him. However, they never returned to him, they were decapitated by a paladin who had wandered into the area and saved the drunk Vistain intended to kill. The wizard was ready to give up and begin studying again, when his wife plunged a knife into her own chest. He ran to her, but it was too late. Her last words were a request, to kill the man that burned her arm off. In dread and despair, Vistain completed the ritual. The arcane energy filling the air was pulled into his very soul, and he gained arcane power far beyond what he had possessed before.
However, there was a side effect. The energy from “Vistain’s Alignment” was too much for a human body to handle. It began to burn away his flesh like acid, and no spell he devised seemed to help. It seemed that there was only one thing to do. While his body died in front of him, Vistain built himself a new vessel for his soul, one designed specifically to withstand the energies from the alignment. On the night that the acidic damage would reach his heart and kill him, Vistain spoke the words to transfer his soul into the obelisk that he had built. His body died, but his soul lived on, in an obelisk made from stone.
Vistain is still in his obelisk, on some island deep in the sea. He stays there by choice, not because he is trapped. Only the unique arcane properties of that island can maintain the obelisk, and only that obelisk can keep his soul in this world.
Vistain has several goals, mainly world domination and revenge. Vistain is convinced that one empire controlling the world would mean no more war, which would mean no one else would be injured like his wife was. He also wishes to hunt down and kill Jaragox, who somehow found a way to prolong his life throughout the centuries. The two have met several times, and each time Jaragox has been run off from Vistain’s island by the wizard’s improved powers. Still, Vistain would like nothing more than to kill his archenemy and seal his soul away, cut off from any rest or peace. On a side note, Vistain wishes to rid the world of all sorcerers, believing them to be inferior spellcasters. Vistain currently is waiting for the alignment to come again, to pull even more energy from the universe. He plans to focus this energy into several smaller obelisks around the island, which he hopes will lift it from the ocean and make the island fly, allowing him to take more direct action in his plans.
Large Construct
Hit Dice: 35d10+30 (223)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 0 ft
Armor Class: 35 (-1 size, +26 natural)
Base Attack/Grapple: +9/+0
Attack: None
Space/Reach: 10ft/10ft
Special Attacks: Spells, Enslave, Psychic Blast, Impairment Beam, Telepathic Screech
Special Qualities: Construct Traits, Damage Reduction 20/-, Spell Resistance 25, Spell Transfer, Spell Absorb, Telepathy
Saves: Fort +6, Ref -, Will +14
Abilities: Str -, Dex 16, Con -, Int 26, Wis 17, Cha 18
Skills: Spellcraft +29, Knowledge (Arcane) +29, Concentration +21, Decipher Script +29, Knowledge Mathematics +29, Knowledge (History) +29, Knowledge (Politics) +29, Knowledge (Geography) +29, Knowledge (Nobility) +29, Knowledge (The Planes) +29
Feats: Still Spell, Extend Spell, Maximize Spell, Quicken Spell, Silent Spell, Craft Wondrous Item, Craft Wand, Spell Focus (Evocation)
Environment: Vistain’s Island
Organization: Solitary or attended by two or more mortal slaves
Challenge Rating: 22
Treasure: Triple Standard
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Advancement: None
Level Adjustment: -
Spells: Vistain can cast spells as though he was an 18th level wizard. When he transferred his soul into the obelisk, Vistain also transferred his spellbook. Vistain has access to every spell in the Player’s Handbook, plus any other spells that you think he should have. Vistain never has to make a concentration check to cast his spells, nor can another creature take an attack of opportunity against him when he casts a spell. The wizard enjoys using his “Quicken Spell” feat, as it allows him to use his other abilities in the same round that he casts a spell.
Enslave: As a full round action, Vistain can enslave a creature. This ability is as the spell “Dominate Monster” except that it lasts for one week per a level instead of one day per a level. This effect dispels any non-epic mind control magic that the target may already be under.
Psychic Blast: As a full round action, Vistain can release a blast of psychic energy within sixty feet of himself. This blast has a five foot radius, and all creatures inside take 18d6 damage (will save DC 23 for half.) All creatures that have a will of their own and fail their save are shaken for two rounds .
Impairment Beam: Vistain can release a beam of red energy, which requires a ranged touch attack, as a full round action. The target must make saves against all of the following spells as though Vistain cast them: “Blindness,” “Deafness,” “Bestow Curse” and “Hold Monster.”
Telepathic Screech: As a full round action, Vistain can emit a telepathic screech throughout his entire island. All creatures, except for Vistain himself, that have a will of their own must make a will save (DC 20) or be stunned for a round. Vistain cannot cast spells while using this ability.
Spell Transfer: As a full round action, Vistain can transfer one of the spells that he has memorized to one of the creatures that he has successfully used his “Enslave” ability on. The creature may use this spell as though Vistain cast it himself. Until that spell is used or lost, Vistain cannot recover that spell slot. A creature that Vistain loses control over loses all the spells Vistain transferred into it.
Spell Absorb: If a spell fails to overcome Vistain’s spell resistance, Vistain may recover a spell of the same or lower level.
Telepathy: Vistain can communicate telepathically with every intelligent creature on his island. However, he is not instantly aware of the presence of a new creature, and must either see it himself or through one of his slaves first to communicate with the intruder.