Originally posted on the Realms of Evil forums (General Discussion), September 7, 2001. The full name is "Styx Fury (The Ebon Armor of the Storm Lord)"; the author gave it in 2e format. Changes the author made later in the thread are applied and listed at the end. Shown as written, with light spelling and formatting fixes only.

Styx Fury (The Ebon Armor of the Storm Lord)

The primary components of this armor are leather pants and a leather jacket. The leather is a smooth ebon gacholoth hide that has been splashed with the essence of nightmares from the scales of the Elder Evil Dendar the Night Serpent as it fought, and was defeated but not destroyed by, the paladin Gwydion the Quick, wielding Titan Slayer, the legendary blade of Alban Onire. This particular gacholoth bore witness to the battle from hiding and, near the end of the conflict, was instantly slain by the Elder Evil's nightmare scales, thus making this leather unique to the multiverse; a multiverse where nothing is truly unique. The effect is ebon black meets midnight black. The midnight black is actually on the surface of the leather and slowly undulates, occasionally forming subtly nightmarish images. The nightmare essence is sparse at the bottom of the pants and, as one's vision plays up the armor, becomes denser. On the jacket, the nightmare images are more realistic, sometimes adding a third dimension to their horror.

The pants are styled like Spanish vaquero pants, tight through the hips and thighs and flaring out at the calf. This flaring of the calf is accomplished by a slit in the leather from just below the knee to the bottom of the pant on each leg. Filling the gaps is platinum silk spun from the platinum clockwork horror, a unique monster from the prime. The slits in the leather can be held shut by six styrieum buttons, three per leg, each bearing a symbol of one of the lower planes from Baator to Pandemonium, making the pants tight from hip to ankle. A styrieum hilted dagger is set into a concealed sheath just below the knee of each leg. When the wearer's leg is bent, the hilt of each dagger sticks out past the knee. A tarnished platinum codpiece completes the pants. It is stamped, off center, with the symbol of Lynkab. Her symbol is a beautiful elven female's head with cascading curly hair that covers where her breasts would be by forming the shape of two human skulls. This symbol is off center and only recognizable upon close inspection.

The jacket is a wraparound style that belts on the right side of the wearer's abdomen. The tongue of the belt is obviously a poorly cured noble effreet's tongue, and the belt's three buckles are balaena ivory in the shape of a harp. The jacket's collar is stiff and high with two styrieum rank tabs that are the symbol of Lynkab superimposed onto the symbol of the Stormlord Deyjhad. The jacket also has a cloak clasp on each shoulder. Bending backwards over the left shoulder is a very comely and detailed 2-½ inch female drow figure in blacclium with platinum hair and wearing platinum lingerie. Bending forwards over the right shoulder is a very comely and detailed 2-½ inch human female figure in platinum with blacclium hair and a blacclium, low on the hips, bikini. Both figures are amazingly lifelike and their poses are that of inviting supplication. When a cloak is clasped to these temptresses, they both appear nude. Just below the elbow on each sleeve is what appears to be a large blacclium button that is intricately carved into the face of a beautiful (21 cms.) woman. The faces on the buttons are very similar and could easily be mistaken for the faces of twins. From the mid forearm to the wrist of each sleeve are six buttons, three per side, identical to those on the legs, if on a smaller scale. The buttons are placed so that each side of the body has the symbols of all the lower planes. Integral to the jacket is a leather hood and half mask that blends seamlessly and effortlessly into the collar of the jacket when not in use.

In addition to the two aforementioned pieces, this armor also has a shirt, gauntlets, helm, backpack, and plates that strap on over the leather. The shirt is made from a very high quality Elysium star silk that was drug near the bottom of the Styx so that the muck and filth of the riverbed collected on the material. This dark discoloration is heaviest near the top of the shirt and fades to nothing at the abdomen. Styrieum also collected on the shirt. It is concentrated in the naturally occurring angular creases of this transparent silk and appears to flow down the shirt in rivulets. The shirt is styled in traditional swashbuckler fashion. It is long sleeved with lace ruffles at the v-neck and wrists. The shirt covers 80% of the symbol on the Stormlord Deyjhad's chest; about half of the tattoo on his back, and does not cover the tattoo on his right forearm at all.

The gauntlets are also made of the same gacholoth leather as the pants and jacket. These shape-shifting gloves can appear to be anything from heavy fighting gauntlets to sleek racing gloves. The only constants are the material and that the back of the hand is covered in a random pattern of blacclium and styrieum-impregnated star silk. The star silk seems to drain down the fingers.

The helm is the actual skull of the gacholoth whose hide was sacrificed for the armor. This skull was dipped in molten blacclium, causing it to be partially coated and streaked with the metal. The facial bones are horridly twisted to give an air of malevolence and unnamed terror. On the rest of the skull, carved in bas-relief, are many nude and partially clothed women intertwining in erotic expectation. On the interior of the helm is a matrix of blacclium webbing that allows the helm to be fully collapsible.

The backpack is, once again, made from the same gacholoth. It is small for a backpack, only measuring 14" by 12". There is a central container that contains the helm, plates and pistol box. On either side of the backpack are two cylindrical tubes 15" long with a 4" diameter. The shoulder straps are very thin and the clasps are wisps of Styx essence. The backpack is virtually undetectable when worn with the armor.

The attachable plates are truly a sight to behold. They are formed from an unnatural joining of the elemental plane of Water and the River Styx. Their substance is a darkly translucent crystalline material that flows with the Waterlord's movements like the North Atlantic being invaded by and alien and unwholesome force. The plate's visual impression is that of a towering ocean. When the Waterlord is agitated, the towering ocean becomes an ocean that is screaming forth a primal call of rage, power, and passion. The actual pieces are lower and upper arm and leg guards, as well as a front and back breastplate. These plates are attuned to the Waterlord and only he can manipulate them. They can be easily taken off, rolled up, and stored in the central chamber of the backpack. They simply turn to water for anyone else, reforming a day later in the backpack.

In addition to all of this are a baldric and weapons belt. The baldric is made from woven blacclium and is wide at the shoulder and narrow at the hip. Near the top of the shoulder, front and back, is the symbol of the Stormlord Deyjhad in platinum. On top of the shoulder is the symbol of the Ynamilik Deyjhad, also in platinum. Two integral dagger sheaths, one hilt up and the other hilt down, are positioned on the chest. The scabbard that hangs from this baldric is of solid styrieum banded and tipped with solid Styx ivory. The weapons belt is poorly flayed efreet hide, it is roughly done and not aesthetically pleasing. Hanging from this belt is a small pouch of the same substance as the plates.

Powers

Armor

• Gives AC7. For armor saves it is +3 (2 for crafting, 1 magical)
• The wearer gains +10 hp per day when worn
• The styrieum buttons can be used as currency, 20,000gp for each button on the pants and 10,000gp for each on the jacket. Alternately, each can be expended to summon the Charon
• If teleporting to any lower plane, the worst chance of failure is "studied carefully"
• The wearer gains +1 to saves vs. fire, cold, and poison
• -1 saves vs. cold; this cannot be modified or offset by any other bonuses.
• The armor is trans-dimensional.

Pants

• Two styrieum throwing daggers. The blade of one has two undulating snakes carved into it, one on either side. The blade of the other has the image of a soul being sucked etched on either side of the blade.
  • +1 to hit when thrown
  • Tied to the armor, returning the round after thrown
  • Each hilt can hold a small poison cartridge (1 app., -60% to detect)
• Inside the codpiece are adamantite ribs that act as thieves tools.

Jacket

• On the left forearm is a hidden blacclium tube that holds up to 50 soul crystals (500gp/ea.), each akin to a magic missile at 12th level. Up to five can be shot per round. A small blacclium tube that can hold five additional soul crystals is stored in the belt pouch.
• On the right forearm is a hidden blacclium scroll tube that holds one scroll that must be on a 6"X4" specially prepared flayed human-skin parchment and using special inks. Any spell 7th level or lower can be put into this tube. The spell can be expended at anytime with a +3 modifier to initiative.
• When a cloak or cape is attached to the figurines, it makes that garment transdimensional and further adds +1 protection.
• On the jackets back, near the waist, are two small extra-dimensional spaces (1 pound ea.) that act as pistol holsters.
• The leather hood and half mask make the wearer immune to the effects of the Gray Waste if worn for at least eight hours per day.

Gauntlets

• Hands act as +1 weapons and all weapons wielded by the wearer gain +1 to THACO.
• +1 to disarm rolls
• +5% to pick pockets rolls (situational)
• Any openhanded strike by the wearer causes unease in the victim (or save vs. fear +2, role played)
• The gauntlets each have a small compartment near the wrist 1/4"X 1/16"X1" (- 30% to detect) that holds a small blacclium poison cartridge that is good for two attacks per hand.
• Small claws that extend, by mental command, from the fingertips, deliver the poison. The claws are made of styrieum and add D3 damage to punching attacks, but halve the KO chance. There are two extra cartridges that are stored near the neck of the jacket (-40% to detect). The poison in the cartridges is magically undetectable due to the blacclium cartridges.

Helm

• -1 AC to the wearers head and act as a full helm for armor saves (+3 for craftsmanship and magic)
• The wearer can speak Yugoloth as a gacholoth.
• The wearer has true sight to 30' on the lower planes

Backpack

Both tubes are divided into upper and lower quadrants.

• The top of the left tube contains special rations that allow the imbiber to survive for one week (14 total, 2 per day). The bottom of the tube contains water that can, if used sparingly, allow the imbiber to survive for a week.
• The top of the right tube acts as a small bag of holding (30 cu. ft., 250#). Only items that can fit into the tubes opening (3 ¾" dia.) can be placed in the tube. Just thinking of an item in the tube places it on top for easy retrieval. The bottom of the tube holds a rolled up sheet of blacclium (i.e. tinfoil) that can hold up to 24 lightweight and flexible items (scrolls, outfits, rope, etc.). These items are itemed when touched to the blacclium sheet. If the backpack itself is placed on the sheet, it (including the blacclium sheet) becomes a miniature version of itself, regaining its size as per the item spell.
• The bottom of the central compartment contains a small grapple gun and 500' of thin braided blacclium rope. The grapple head will bite into anything and has a 500' foot range. The rope can hold up to one ton and can be locked onto the gauntlets, allowing the Stormlord to fight from the rope with no penalties.
• A box fits into the top of the central compartment. It is made from ebony covered in black leather from the intelligent squirrel-creatures that guide travelers on the Ysgardril. It holds the Twin Tentacles of the Deep as well as 30 rounds.
• Trans-dimensional
• The backpack is watertight and will float on any liquid surface.

Armor plates

• Brings the AC to 4. This applies for crit protection as well.

Author's Notes and Corrections

• Reply #12 (September 8, 2001): the author clarified that "10 hp/D" means "+10 hp per day"; the Armor list uses that wording.