Magic Gem

[Zappo]

alright hmm.. The wizard actually started out as sort of a barbaric warrior. His name is Janon Thinnage, and he is the uncle to one of the characters in our party, Kei Thinnage. When Kei was about 10 years old, her father died under mysterious circumstances, and she secretly suspected her uncle. After her father died, he moved into the house and pretty much took over. Four years later, her mom died while traveling with him, and he returned home with her axe. Each time a member of the family died, the gem around the necklace he wore seemed to get a little bigger, and he gained the ability to cast magic more powerfully each time. Finally, when Kei was sixteen he made an attempt on her life, and she ran for it. My character met him once before we killed him, and he appeared as a tall human with a bigass axe strapped to his back, he seemd like a cheerful barbaric warrior and ate all of our food. When we actually fought him he was able to cast spells almost instantly instead of taking a few seconds like most casters, and he was able to fight effectively with both his axe and spells at the same time. During the entire encounter he taunted us, and he even mocked us while missing both his legs and watching the paladin raise his sword for the killing blow.

So there's some background info on the guy.

Wait, didn't you say that the party has taken the gem from a messenger who was supposed to deliver it to the wizard? Why didn't Janon have the gem on him when the PCs attacked?

 

[TheUber]

He hadn't received the gem yet, it was being sent to him by another wizard. Unfortunately, this means that the idea where it had been controlling him the whole time, slowly killing the family off, doesn't really work.

 

[Zappo]

I still don't understand. From what you posted earlier, it seems that this guy has had the gem for a long time; years at least. Or is this what would have happened if he had received the gem...?

alright hmm.. The wizard actually started out as sort of a barbaric warrior. His name is Janon Thinnage, and he is the uncle to one of the characters in our party, Kei Thinnage. When Kei was about 10 years old, her father died under mysterious circumstances, and she secretly suspected her uncle. After her father died, he moved into the house and pretty much took over. Four years later, her mom died while traveling with him, and he returned home with her axe. Each time a member of the family died, the gem around the necklace he wore seemed to get a little bigger, and he gained the ability to cast magic more powerfully each time. Finally, when Kei was sixteen he made an attempt on her life, and she ran for it. My character met him once before we killed him, and he appeared as a tall human with a bigass axe strapped to his back, he seemd like a cheerful barbaric warrior and ate all of our food. When we actually fought him he was able to cast spells almost instantly instead of taking a few seconds like most casters, and he was able to fight effectively with both his axe and spells at the same time. During the entire encounter he taunted us, and he even mocked us while missing both his legs and watching the paladin raise his sword for the killing blow.

So there's some background info on the guy.

 

[TheUber]

I still don't understand. From what you posted earlier, it seems that this guy has had the gem for a long time; years at least. Or is this what would have happened if he had received the gem...?

Oh, I'm sorry, I see what you're saying now. There are actually two gems involved in this thing. There is the gem that seems to be the key to his magic (which we now have, after killing him, and which enables Kei to use her own magic now), and there is another gem that we recently acquired from a messenger who was on his way to deliver it to Janon. The second gem is the one I'm looking for help with.

 

[Zappo]

Ok, now it's clearer. The suggestions about a gem controlling/influencing the uncle are still quite plausible. This paves the way for some nasty surprises for the character who keeps using the evil artifact (what is a hero doing using an artifact empowered by the murder of his family anyway? That's just inviting trouble).

Do you have any idea about the relation between the wizard who sent the gem and the uncle? Maybe he was controlled by his gem too, and the artifact desired to be reunited with its "brother" for some dark reason.

 

[TheUber]

Ok, now it's clearer. The suggestions about a gem controlling/influencing the uncle are still quite plausible. This paves the way for some nasty surprises for the character who keeps using the evil artifact (what is a hero doing using an artifact empowered by the murder of his family anyway? That's just inviting trouble).

Do you have any idea about the relation between the wizard who sent the gem and the uncle? Maybe he was controlled by his gem too, and the artifact desired to be reunited with its "brother" for some dark reason.

Unfortunately, that was sort of a spur of the moment thing, so I don't know what the relation between this two wizards are, or even who the guy who sent it in the first place is. Though that does leave you guys more room, since you can define that wizard to suit your purposes.

 

[TheUber]

Oh, and thanks for all the advice you guys have given me so far.