Of Magic Items and Plot Devices

Hello All

During the last story arc I passed out a few magical items and during the last few sessions I have expounded on them. I believe there maybe a lack of clarity on my part. So I will now explain them in a more permanent fashion:

Deck of Cards alias The Deck of Gates, Heroes Trumps, The Dragon's Gift: Artifact level item, appears to be a traditional set of 77 ivory Tarot Cards of particularly fine workmanship - Detect Magic reveals nothing unusual about this item. Detect Evil, Good, Law etc. reveals nothing about this object (except when the Deck is in contact with another plane)
This simple seeming deck of cards will open a small gate, a cicular opening aproximately one decimeter in diameter, to an unspecified number of alternate universes and planes of existence. Apparently, the gates always open on a point of the other plane/dimension near an object that can be brought through the portal.

Activating this item can be accomplished in a number of different ways
- a mage might notice that the ornate borders of the cards can be matched together to form arcane symbols which allow the creation of a gate Spell Craft 20+
- a rogue/tinker might notice the edges of the cards are slightly uneven and that the uneven edges can be placed together allowing the creation of various card structures that form interdimensional gates Craft:Tinker 20+ Craft:Puzzle 18+ Disable Device 22+
- a cleric might perceive that the symbols upon the cards are highly evocative of several theist concepts and that arranging these symbolic images might allow the creation of portals to other aspects of the spirit world Knowledge Religion 16+
- an artist/bard might be drawn to the beautiful scroll work and esquisite designs that make up the images on the cards, combining one card with another could create story paterns from these images Craft:Artistic Impression 22+ Bardic Knowledge 25+ or Perform: Storytelling 19+

Once a dimension has been reached a successful Knowledge:Planes 15+ will reveal the probable name/nature of the portal (Artist/Bards & Clerics who make their initial rolls by ten more than needed or more will also have this information).

Not to put to fine a point on it but this is CENTRAL TO MY PLOT. In other words unloading it will require me to futz around a fair bit in order to continue my story. However, if you are really into cashing in;
Artistic master work playing cards 650gp or, if the true nature of the item is know, aproximately 175000gp

Pitons of Binding Powerful Wonderous Magic Item - Two heavy black true iron spikes sharpened on one end and with a closed ring on the other. The pitons are 37 centimeters in length, 13 milimeters in diameter and aproximately 1.2 kg in weight. When these pitons are attached to an object and then driven into another object they create an unbreakable bond so strong that not even a teleport or dimension door will release the bound item. If the items are used as weapons they are effectively +1 Exotic Weapons.

The Singing Ax +2 Animal Bane Battle Ax The Ax seems to be made entirely out of light ash wood. It has a nearly invisible edge. If set on end, in the presence of timber live or worked, it can be set on end at which point it will begin to spin. The spinning creates a musical sound. This song acts as a dominate animals Bardic Song performed by a tenth level bard. If this weapon is attuned to the user *the wielder must take a level of Bard or Virtuoso following the acceptance of the weapon* the song can be activated while the weapon is weilded in combat.

Hrethcarach +2 Undead Bane Frostbrand long sword This is a famous weapon of the Khazad. It was famously wielded by Bhairn, called the Outcast, son of Dain VI Khazadbhorith in his wars against the Wraithking. This weapon can be bonded with the wielder. Either through conversion to the faith of Morgun or by accepting levels in Dwarven Defender.
- First level post bonding weapon adds +1,+1 vs undead & allows detect undead at will
- Second level post bonding weapon confers Ghost Touch and proof against undead level drain while wielded
- Third level post bonding weapon will act as weilder's host if slain while weilding
- Fourth level post bonding weapon confers True Sight vs. undead & a confirmed critical will slays the unliving.

Bob The Spear Bob is a long spear of ash and mithril. He was in life a Knight Banneret to Donald King of the Moor some 150 years ago. He was set to guard the king's son Jacobin as the king and his host road to war against the armies of Thorrin the Cruel. Jacobin was a lad of eight years and precocius whilst Thorrin was a treacherous ruler who prefered assasins to outright war. As Donald road off to war several hours before dawn Thorrin's assasins snuck into the palace to find Jacobin's lone guardian asleap with a wench. The assasins skulked pass Bob and stabbed at the huddled lump of Jacobin's sleeping body in his bed again and again. However, Jacobin was not in the bed. He had snuck out to view his father ride to war. When the assasins discovered there mistake they voiced a curse that cut through Bob's slumber. Seeing the assasins surrounding the bed of his lord, and beleiving him dead, Bob grabbed up a spear and naked took on six trained killers. He slew them all but not before their poisoned weapons had cut him many times. Falling to the cold floor he saw the the young Jacobin slip back into his gore drenched bedchamber. He died then but his soul lingers in the spear. It was an heirloom of the house of Donald until the line ended some thirty years ago.