Vorzunn, the Shadow-Bones Emperor

A vain soul who now exists only in darkness, Vorzunn grants the powers of the dark to those who serve their own ends above all else.

How to read this stat block

Summoning Rules^[T]

The following describes the requirements and rituals for binding Vorzunn.

Spirit Level: 7th
Constellation: Skull
Alignment: Chaotic Evil (CE)
Binding DC: 27
Totems: You gain a totem bonus on the spirit’s binding check if you meet some or all of these conditions. (+2 insight bonus for at least one, +4 for all)

• You draw Vorzunn’s seal in an area of darkness.
• You make a shadowy atmosphere for Vorzunn, which requires 14 ranks in Knowledge (planes).
• Vorzunn's seal is drawn with black chalk.

Ceremony: You offer a small serving of the blood of a young animal or humanoid in a bone-wrought cup while praising Vorzunn.

Manifestation: A skeleton appears before you, cloaked in black. It wraps its mantle around you, engulfing your vision while whispering for the negotiations to begin.

Granted Abilities

Vorzunn grants the following abilities.

Major Granted Abilities

Beating the DC by 10 or more grants access to the Capstone Empowerment

Shadow Storm: As a standard action, you buffet all creatures in a 20 foot cylinder within 100 feet of you with shadows, dealing 7d4 points of negative energy damage to those creatures. At 15th level and every 2 binder levels thereafter, this damage increases by 1d4. A successful save reduces this damage by half. After using this ability, it is expended for 5 rounds.

Capstone Empowerment: Your shadow storm lingers on after you use it, causing the affected area to become shadowy and dark as if deeper darkness were cast, using your binder level as its caster level. The shadows persist for 4 rounds before fading, regardless of your level.

Minor Granted Abilities

Aging Touch: As a standard action you make a touch attack against a living humanoid. If you hit, the creature’s age increases to the next category’s minimum age, causing it to gain that category’s aging penalties (but not the bonuses). In addition, you become younger such that your age is reduced to the minimum age for your current age category and you heal 3d6 points of damage or 1d4 points of ability damage. If you are already the minimum age for your current age category, your age becomes the maximum age for the previous category, causing your aging penalties to lessen to that of your new age category. If you are at the minimum age for the Adult category when you use this ability, you gain the young creature simple template and cannot become any younger. This effect is permanent unless undone by limited wish, and a separate use must be applied to each of your victims. A creature that succeeds on its saving throw becomes immune to this ability for 24 hours.

Shadow Conjuration: This ability functions as the spell of the same name. You can only have one shadow conjuration active at a time. Creating a new conjuration causes any existing ones to break apart back into shadows.

Shadow Walk: This ability functions as the shadow walk spell except as follows. You can only transport one creature per use of this ability, though you can expend multiple uses at once in order to allow multiple creatures to travel with you, to a maximum number of creatures equal to ½ your binder level. You can use this granted ability a number of times per day equal to your binder level + your Charisma modifier.

Umbral Sight: You can see through all types of darkness up to 120 feet, including magical darkness.

Signs and Influence

The spirit affects you in the following ways:

Physical Sign: You appear ashen in color. Whenever you activate one of Vorzunn’s granted abilities, your shadow begins to make different gestures than you.

Personality: You respond to everything with jealousy and spite, causing you to act bitter and resentful towards others.

Favored Ally: Any (creatures from the shadow plane)

Favored Enemy: Any creatures that naturally age

Vestigial Bond (Companion)

You gain the ability to summon a shadow as a shadowdancer would. Use your binder level as your shadow dancer level.

This ability replaces shadow conjuration.

Legend

Verzunn ruled his own little "empire" in a time long before The Ordering. As is the way of mortal emperors, he sought immortality as his life approached an end. Verzonn poured all of his empire's wealth into this goal, and unfortunately for his subjects found one.

The cost of cheating old age came through draining the youth from others, and eventually gave Verzunn the name "Shadow-Bones Emperor" for the remains said to have been left behind when a victim was drained.

It is told that with each life taken, Verzunn's appatite grew, and a darkness grew within.

What became of Verzunn is not mentioned, but no modern history tell of his fate, nor that he existed at all, only legends.