The Master's Leech
The terrible Revelations of Gla'aki, reference an artifact of immense power bestowed upon the servants of Gla'aki as a way to transport their master to different locations around the earth. The artifact in question is known as The Master's Leech and is said to be a piece of the horrible god himself. The 7th volume of the Revelations of Gla'aki references this artifact saying that the servants can use it to call Gla'aki to any location that contains a body of water large enough to hold him. The need for fresh blood to activate the device requires a live human to perform the ritual, and once doing so, becomes another of the servants of Gla'aki.
The artifact stands approximately nine inches tall with a circumference of four to five inches at the base. The octagonal base slightly tapers as it extends upward, ending in a spherical nodule at the top. The spherical nodule has several thin needles, as protrusions dispersed evenly around it. There are symbols carved in each of the eight faces of the base, which have no known human origin. Chronicled history volumes in the Vatican archives with woodcarvings depicting the artifact are said to exist but are under guard in the underground vaults. The Revelations of Gla'aki also have a rendering of the object as well as descriptions of its use. Mentions of the artifact appear in other terrible tomes such as De Vermis Mysteriis and the Unausssprechliche Kulte by Freidrich von Junzt. Other less potent works of the occult have also referenced the artifact but in less reliable detail.
The artifact, rumored to have appeared in the Severn Valley near Brichester England sometime in the 12th century, was discovered by a man named Acton Cuthbert while fishing in a lake located in the area and brought it back with him to his home. Court records in Birchester tell of the trial of Acton Cuthbert, who was said to have lured some thirteen men and women to his isolated home where he murdered them. Local Constables were alerted by farmers in the area that the smell of death was significant near the Cuthbert residence, and they preceded to the home to speak with Mr. Cuthbert. They found the bodies of the thirteen recently missing individuals quite dead but positioned around the house as they would be in daily life. Police confiscated the artifact after the arrest of Mr. Cuthbert. It later went missing from the museum at Birchester, which it resided.
Books dealing with the study and application of magic have referenced the artifact after this time. References in the book True Magik, tell of the ability to call on "The Dweller In The Lake" to seek counsel and power. Other references state that the artifact can lend power to rituals performed in its presence. The most relevant mention occurs within The Revelations of Gla'aki. The seventh volumne mentions the ability to transport an entity of immense power to the location of the artifact upon the completion of a blood sacrifice.
The artifact resurfaced in Newport, Massachusetts, in 1743. Reportedly people from the town began to move out of their homes to a location outside of town. The friends and families of these people were concerned that something was a miss as their loved ones stopped visiting them once they moved out. Eventually, local constables were notified, and the resulting investigation of the settlement ended in violence. Three constables and twelve residents of the new settlement lost their lives. The others fled into the forest and disappeared. The head constable, Mr. Reginald Pinner confiscated the strange artifact from what he described as, "Some ritual chamber or temple." The artifact was given to the local church for safekeeping but was misplaced several years later.
It is now unknown where the artifact could be, but researchers believe it to have been transported to France sometime in 1883 and made a return trip on a ship bound for San Francisco sometime in 1924. Unfortunately, on the return trip, the ship said to carry the artifact sunk off the coast of Oregon at Yaquina Head, the artifact is said to have gone down with the ship. No reports of the artifact have surfaced since that time.
The Masters Leech: This powerful artifact allows the caster +20% to cast contact Gla'aki or call/dismiss Servants of Gla'aki.
Spell: Leeching of Gla'aki A living human must perform this spell but can gain additional magic points from Servants of Gla'aki. The spell is mentioned only in the 7th volume in the Revelations of Gla'aki and has not been referenced in any other known tome. The caster must give blood equal to 1d6 hip points. By holding the top of the artifact and allowing the small needle-like spines to puncture the palms of both hands. As the blood drains down onto the artifact, the caster and collected participants must imbue the artifact with 1d100+10 magic points. Once done, the caster must continue to hold the artifact and walk into a body of water large enough to hold Gla'aki, the keeper determines this, but it should be roughly the size of a small to medium-sized lake. A ritual chant begins once the caster is in the water, and an additional sacrifice of 10 POW is required. Gla'aki should appear in the water within 1d10 hours of chanting. Gla'aki will either consume the caster or make them a servant at that time. So long as The Masters Leech is keep doused in fresh blood, Gla'aki can remain at this new location and has all ordinary powers. If The Masters Leech is deprived of blood, Gla'aki will return to the lake in the Severn Valley. That will also occur if the artifact is destroyed, the artifact is indestructible by conventional means, and there has been no reference found in any Mythos tome, which describes how this could be accomplished.
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