Luxon beacon

Fan art of The Beacon, by BlackSalander.

The Luxon Beacons are sacred relics of the Kryn Dynasty, which compose the body of the "Lord of Light". These relics are critical to the Dynasty's practice of consecution. The Dynasty has discovered four of them, two of which were allegedly stolen by wizards from the Dwendalian Empire and kept in the care of the Soltryce Academy in Zadash.

Description

The cannonball-sized dodecahedron has golden handles on two sides, and emits a dull undulating grey glow.

When Caleb cast Identify on the object, he found the magic contained within was alien and of a level of understanding outside of what the spell could provide. As he focused deeper on it, his brain began to open up into another space of what seemed to be an expanse of an endless infinity of nothingness. When he delved further, he gained a "fragment of possibility" that functioned similar to a single luck point.

Abilities

Consecution

The Luxon Beacons are at the center of the Kryn Dynasty ritual known as "consecution". When a follower of The Luxon has proven their faith through word or deed, that person is claimed by one of the ruling Dens of the Xhorhas Empire. That individual is then "soul-bound" to the Luxon through consecution. When a consecuted's body dies within range of a Luxon Beacon, its soul does not pass on to the Outer Planes and whichever gods would vie for that soul's dominion.

“

Theron:  "The beacon is part of our culture. The beacon allows the rebirth."

Mollymauk Tealeaf:  "The rebirth of what?"

Theron:  "Of our people. As long as the Beacons remain, me and my people will live more. The souls continue. With each rebirth, the memories retain. We live. We worship. We learn. We die. We are reborn until we are perfect."

”

– 

Theron tries to convince the Mighty Nein to let him take the Beacon.

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The Beacon draws the soul back and into the body of a child that has been born within range of that same Beacon. When that child enters adolescence, they begin to recall memories of their past lives through visions or dreams, in a transitional stage of Kryn life known as "anamnesis". The Xhorhas Empire seeks out these children and returns them to their respective Dens, and unlock their past through guided meditation. Through each rebirth, the soul grows closer to becoming an "umavi": a perfect soul.

Dunamancy

Mages of the Kryn Dynasty have discovered a school of magic they call Dunamancy from studying the Luxon Beacons. Dunamancy focuses on manipulation of entropy, gravity, and time. Dunamancy spells are closely guarded secrets.

The Cerberus Assembly has been experimenting with Luxon Beacons to create "dunamis fields" that have far reaching effects of slowing and speeding up people and animals around the laboratory. Working for the Assembly, Yeza Brenatto distilled one of dunamis using a Beacon. The Assembly was working on a way to produce large amounts of the vials of dunamis to be used as weapons of war.

Fragment of Possibility

Focusing on a Luxon Beacon for one minute grants a Fragment of Possibility.

“

The dodecahedron of gray faintly glowing crystal is heavier than it appears. A set of handles are affixed to the sides and it undulates to the touch. If a hand is placed on the artifact and is concentrated on for one minute, the bearer is granted a Fragment of Possibility. A Fragment lasts for eight hours or until used. A Fragment cannot be granted again until the next dawn. After a creature with a Fragment of Possibility makes an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw they can expend their Fragment to roll an additional d20 and choose which of the rolls is used for the attack roll. You can also use this feature to affect another creature. So for instance if a creature attacks the bearer, the bearer can use the Fragment to reroll the attack roll of the creature.

”

– 

Liam reads the item card for the Beacon.

[edit]

History

"Lost & Found" (2x13)

Theron stole the Beacon from the Hall of Erudition in Zadash as part of a detailed plan from the Empress of Xhorhas, Leylas Kryn. It was taken from him when he was killed by the Crownsguard in the Sewers. While the Crownsguard were carrying it off towards the King's Hall, Caleb disguised as a crownsguard, lied and used the friends spell to carry the Beacon off on his own. Nott aided his efforts having created an illusory version of it further off, which she made look to disintegrate in midair. With their efforts combined they managed to steal the Beacon .

Fan art of Caleb's dream with the Beacon, by Megzilla87.

When Caleb slept in proximity of the Beacon he had a peaceful dream. In this dream a welcoming soft hum and grayish, familiar light pulled him forward through stars of a distant night sky. He saw beacons of light coast by, and a dark sphere before him. After a flash of light, he stood holding the Beacon in his hands. After looking into if for a moment, he then looked ahead, and saw himself, in endless rows. All slightly different to himself, they each began walking in different directions. Looking down again at the object and back up again they were all gone, Though he saw a distant flame flicker. Once more looking at Beacon again and the more he tried to understand its ancientness and scale, being both too large and too small, the more it felt himself walking different paths all at once. Both scary and comforting to him, he looked up at the stars; and saw that they had topped passing by. And in that place for the first time in a long time, he felt at peace, as the dream ended.

The Mighty Nein later bought a lead-lined box to hide the beacon within. They stashed it inside Jester's haversack.

10x04

With the supervision of Nott and Jester, Caleb spent time gazing into the depths of the Beacon he attempted to reveal the Beacon's true nature and if it had any potential uses to the party.

As he focused and concentrated on the strange artifact his vision was drawn towards it until, although he'd not physically have moved, he felt as though his body was leaning forward until suddenly he felt his consciousness within the dodecahedron.

Similarly to when he had previously entered the item's depths, he saw darkness... and then starlight around him. He watched amorphous, cloud-like shapes and forms of purples and blues, that drifted by on a scale that he he could not comprehend. He saw darkened spheres and objects passing him as he drifted into nothing, into a void with distant dots of light and sparkles. Reaching this void threshold, his heart racing, he choose to go further ahead in than where he had stopped at previously.

Continuing deeper the speed increased, the back of his neck grew warm, and his hair begin to stand up. While he could not see, he felt his own body's presence-- unmoving, though also moving quickly in a conflict of sensation that caused his heart to race and his breathing to increase. Seeing a faint gray glow approach and stop before him as his speed came to a slow crawl, he halted. There before him was a tiny, little mote of gray, pulsing light; a similar undulating hearbeat-like pulse as the dodecahedron itself but a foot before him. Calling out, without reply Caleb asked it "Do you know if it's achievable?" He Sensed nothing familiar to this alien object of... immediacy... of eternity; it was an ancient concept of possibility. As he asked these questions and began to contemplate, the loop of his thought process began to cycle on itself, and he had to shake his head not to be lost in an infinity that threatened to suddenly disperse him. Still, there was a tiny, gray thing before him, and "it" seemed to want his contact.

Seeing his hands down before him seeking out, then speaking out towards it, "Father and mother-- I hope I do not let you down", he said as he reached out and touched the mote of light.

Caleb, feeling the tiny mote come into his hand pulled it into his chest, where he felt a warmth and a sense that for a second, probability had become slightly malleable. In that moment from the outside of the vision, Jester and Nott could see a faint mote of gray drift out of the dodecahedron, and then float, enter and vanishes into the chest of Caleb, at which point, wide-eyed, he had awakened out of his trance-like state.

He was unable to ascertain the full truth and power of the object, it being inscrutable on such a scale that his puny, mortal knowledge could not fully achieve verstehen, true existential understanding... He had, though discovered that by reaching out to this device that he could pull within himself a "Fragment of Possibility."

"The Stowaway" (2x45)

Jester showed Twiggy the dodecahedron and invited her to look at it. Twiggy felt herself get drawn into it. Her surroundings faded. She saw herself surrounded by stars and little ghost versions of herself. A glowing warm light appeared in front of Twiggy, who reached out and touched it. She felt warm, closed her eyes, and opened her eyes to find herself back on the Squall Eater.

"Homeward Bound" (2x48)

While meeting with the Mighty Nein in his tower, Yussa Errenis (a powerful elven wizard) asked to see the dodecahedron. He cast a spell Caleb recognized as Identify on the beacon then cast another unknown spell on it. He then spent a few moments staring at the dodecahedron and got a Fragment of Possibility.

To his own surprise, Yussa knew nothing about the Beacon and did not even recognize its school of magic. Whatever magic is in the beacon blends arcane and divine. He advised taking it out of Jester's haversack only for short periods of time and when absolutely necessary.

While searching the basement of Yeza Brenatto's apothecary in Felderwin, the Mighty Nein find notes of an unknown Cerberus Assembly researcher. The notes talk about using the beacon to weaponize Dunamancy for battle. The Kryn Empire of Xhorhas has the ability to use Dunamancy to manipulate gravity, entropy, and time. The Kryn have been researching its use for centuries in Ghor Dranas. It has been difficult for the Cerberus Assembly to create an object that can sustain the energy of a dunamis field. Yeza has been working with the Cerberus Assembly and managed to distill one vial of dunamis. They have plans to make more once they can remove the Beacon from the process.

"Feral Business" (2x52)

Jester noticed that Gluzo wears a symbol of a beacon. He told her it was the symbol of The Luxon.

Lady Olios's audience chamber in Asarius has an altar with an art piece of a Beacon.

"The Favor" (2x56)

The Mighty Nein were granted an audience with Leylas Kryn, Empress of the Kryn Dynasty. When Lythier identified them as the group that attacked him in the Ashkeeper Peaks, the Queen ordered them arrested. Caleb called out that they had brought something for the Dynasty. He reached into Jester's haversack and showed the Beacon. Shocked, Leylas Kryn ordered the Mighty Nein released. She proclaimed them heroes of the Dynasty for returning the Beacon to them.

"In Love and War" (2x57)

Empress Leylas Kryn revealed that the Luxon Beacons are actually the physical remains of The Luxon's body. According to the Kryn Dynasty's religious beliefs, before the Founding of Exandria (when the gods came to the Creation Primordial), the Luxon (known as the "First Light") came to Exandria while it was still cold and dark. Alone and not fully understanding his/her/their own divinity (still trying to discover what it was), the Luxon discovered this lifeless rock as lonely as the Luxon was and embraced it. In doing so, the Luxon scattered itself across the world to bring it fire and life...the elements of the Creation Primordial.

The many parts of the Luxon - the Luxon Beacons - remain buried within Exandria. Since the founding of the Xhorhas Empire, the Kryn have recovered four Beacons. Empress Kryn is convinced that there are many more out there that have yet to be discovered.

Empress Kryn revealed that two Beacons were lost when they were stolen by the Dwendalian Empire. Thanks to Caleb returning the Mighty Nein's beacon, the Kryn Dynasty now has three Beacons in their possession. The Skysybil emphasized that the loss of a Beacon is a loss of a source of the Kryn cycle of rebirth.

Trivia

• CritRole Stats has a page dedicated to gazes into the dodecahedron and uses of Fragments of Possibility.
• The xhorhasian concept of an "umavi" is very similar to a "bodhisattva": a perfected soul who has reached "nirvana," and yet remains to help other souls along the path. Nirvana is the religious goal of Buddhism and Jainism. In Buddhism, nirvana is the state of perfect enlightened peace when cravings and ignorance have been eliminated from a person's life...freeing their soul from "samsara," the cycle of rebirth (though freedom from the cycle per se doesn't seem to be a goal of the xhorhasians).

References

Art: