Machine of Lum the Mad

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Greyhawk magic item
Machine of Lum the Mad
Type Artifact
Price
Body slot n/a
Caster level
Weight
First appearance Eldritch Wizardry

The Machine of Lum the Mad is an ancient artifact once owned by Baron Lum the Mad and currently housed in the fortress Rifter.

Description

The Machine appears as a siege tower of unnotable size, but within is a massive horseshoe-shaped contraption of levers, dials, and switches of various sizes, most of them obviously broken. At the center is a crystalline box-shaped enclosure large enough for four human-sized creatures to stand in comfortably. The device has over 60 levers, 40 dials, and 20 switches, but only about half still function. Parts are made from worked oerthblood.

Powers

The Machine of Lum the Mad has an extraordinary range of magical powers, including chain lightning, fire storm, meteor swarm, transmute rock to mud, and more. It only can be operated by a powerful mage with a genius intellect.

Curse

Just using the device is hazardous, with many of the powers dangerous and a real chance of catastrophic failure with each attempt.

History

Perhaps the Machine was built by long-forgotten gods and somehow survived the eons since their passing. The most knowledgeable suggest it was created by the same otherworldly artificer who created the Mighty Servant of Leuk-O. Baron Lum used it to create an empire before he vanished in his final battle with Leuk-O. The last magus to know the full range of commands for the device was Xaene. An expert diviner called Anaranth was currently (as of 585 CY) researching the artifact. The Machine may have been responsible for the cataclysm that overtook Rauxes.

Publishing history

In Vortex of Madness (2000) the Machine of Lum the Mad is said to be self-aware and seeking to discover its own origins. In that book it currently exists on the plane of Limbo, which would seem to contradict Ivid the Undying's placement of it in Rifter unless it either moved into another plane after the destruction of Rauxes or if it can somehow exist in more than one plane simultaneously.

Bibliography

  • Cook, David. Book of Artifacts. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1993.
  • Gygax, Gary. Dungeon Master's Guide. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1979.
  • Henson, Dale, and Doug Stewart, eds. Encyclopedia Magica Vol 2. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1995.
  • Pramas, Chris. The Vortex of Madness. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2000.