The Returning BeastParagon Tier

Such a wellspring of life as the Beast of Talgora cannot be quelled forever. The beast possesses such a burning will to live that, despite its having been ”slain,” its spirit yet claws ceaselessly behind death's door. It persists within the collection of magic items known as the Returning Beast.
    Each item is composed of a portion of the beast's body. To make good on its return, it must find and reunite those hidden pieces of its carcass. As its strength grows, it will feed its hunger for vengeance against the Black Call by tracking its members down one by one and destroying them without mercy.
    The item set is a collection of six paragon tier magic items: bands of equilibrium, eye of prophecy, razortail, ring of the deep wood, blade of the stalking predator, and totem of the dancing leaf. These items house the remaining essence of the Beast of Talgora. As pieces are brought together, a primal intelligence becomes apparent to the items' wielders. If all of the items are reunited, the Beast of Talgora's spirit will try to force its way back into the world with the help of whoever possesses the items, whether or not those possessors are willing agents.
    The Beast of Talgora's spirit cannot control the items that house it or those that wield them, but its powerful presence is always felt. It doesn't speak, but its intense emotions and broken, violent thoughts bubble constantly through the minds of its wielders. It subtly urges its wielders to push forward, to seek out its remains, and to hunt members of the Black Call. It craves conf lict of every kind and urges characters toward any that comes within reach. It favors brashness and confidence.

Goals of the Returning Beast
✦ Return to life.
✦ Exact revenge on the Black Call.
✦ Destroy anyone and anything in its way.

The Returning Beast Items

The Returning Beast Benefits

RazortailLevel 12+ Rare

This whip is made from vertebrae and razor-sharp spines taken from the legendary Beast of Talgora's tail.

Weapon: Whip

Enhancement Bonus: attack rolls and damage rolls

Critical: +1d8 damage per plus

Properties

• Characters who have a primal class are automatically proficient with this whip.
  
• You gain a +2 item bonus to the attack rolls of opportunity attacks made with the whip.
  

Power ✦ Encounter (Free Action)

Trigger: You hit a target with a weapon attack using the whip.

Effect: You grab the target until the end of your next turn. Until the grab ends, you can't make attacks with the whip, and the target takes ongoing 10 damage.

Sustain Minor: The grab persists until the end of your next turn.

Level 22 or 27: 15 damage.

Blade of the Stalking PredatorLevel 14+ Rare

This sickle is made from one of the talons of the legendary Beast of Talgora.

Weapon: Sickle

Enhancement Bonus: attack rolls and damage rolls

Critical: +1d8 damage per plus (+1d10 per plus against a bloodied enemy), and the target's speed is reduced by 1 (save ends).

Property

You gain darkvision while holding the weapon.

Power ✦ Encounter (Minor Action)

Attack: Ranged 5 (one creature); the weapons level + 3 vs. Reflex.

Hit: Until the end of your next turn, the target grants combat advantage and gains no benefit from any concealment or invisibility.

Eye of ProphecyLevel 15 Uncommon

This large crystal is actually a mineralized eye from the legendary Beast of Talgora.

Wondrous Item        25,000 gp

Property

You can perform the Commune with Nature and Speak with Nature rituals. The rituals' component costs are halved, and it takes half the normal time to complete the rituals. You also gain a +4 item bonus to any Nature checks involved in the rituals.

Power ✦ Daily (Minor Action)

You have blindsight 5 until the end of the encounter.

Totem of the Dancing LeafLevel 15+ Rare

This rod is made from one of the legendary Beast of Talgora's dorsal spines. Three leaves of the extinct gossamer tree drift around you whenever this totem is held in your hand.

Implement: Totem

Critical: +1d8 damage per plus

Power ✦ Daily (Immediate Interrupt)

Trigger: You or an adjacent ally is hit by a melee or a ranged attack Effect: The triggering character gains resist 10 to all damage dealt by the attack during this turn.

Level 25: Resist 15 to all damage .

Level 30: Resist 15 to all damage .

Bands of EquilibriumLevel 18 Uncommon

These bracers are made from bands of the ivory tusks and layers of the snakelike hide taken from the legendary Beast of Talgora.

Arms Slot        85,000 gp

Property

When you score a critical hit, the target is also dazed until the end of its next turn. Natural creatures are immune to this effect.

Power ✦ Daily (Minor Action)

Choose a melee weapon you are holding. Until the end of the encounter, that weapon gains the brutal 1 property, but only when you attack with it.

Ring of the Deep WoodLevel 18 Uncommon

This ring is made of intricately braided hair from the legendary Beast of Talgora's mane. The ring's magic strikes fear into your foes and calls insects of ancient forests to your aid.

Ring Slot        85,000 gp

Property

When you push a creature, you can increase the distance of the push by 1 square.

Power (Zone) ✦ Encounter (Minor Action)

Effect: You create a zone in a close burst 1. The zone lasts until the end of your next turn. Any enemy that enters the zone or starts its turn there is slowed and takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls until the end of its next turn.

Milestone: If you've reached at least one milestone today, you can sustain the zone until the end of your next turn as a minor action. You can sustain the zone only once per encounter.

Published in Dragon Magazine 396.