Tuesday Magic Item – Lost Legion’s Banner

It had taken three years of hard campaigning, convincing the villages to cooperate and let some of their brave young people leave to join the slowly growing ranks of the liberators.  But today, today it was all worth it.

The Bandit Earl Comran the Knight-killer and his men drew up in their ragged ranks, assorted bandits, mercenaries and killers.  Across the field from them was the militia of the valley, blooded and determined but ill-equipped, united under the torn banner of the Knights of the Peak who had once defended these lands before their Order was betrayed and slaughtered by Camran.  The village minstrels struck up the march of the Knights of the Peak and joining the ranks of the militia were the phantoms of the Knights slaughtered by Camran, eager to redeem in death the Oath they could not keep in life.

Lost Legion’s Banner

These banners are damaged and battered, often with ancient bloodstains, it is only barely recognizable as the symbol of a once proud fighting force.  The shaft it is mounted on is equally worn though still serviceable.

The banner is but a historical curiosity of a military force that failed in some task until someone takes it up and proclaims their intention to redeem that group’s honor and name by completing that task.  By doing so, they are infused with purpose gaining a +2 bonus to Will saves to resist anything that would turn them from their task and once per day when trying to overcome an obstacle in completing the task, they can gain a +2 morale bonus to skill checks, a +1 morale bonus to attack rolls and a number of temporary hit points equal to Wisdom modified (minimum of zero) plus their level for one hour.  When used by a pledged bearer as a weapon, treat the banner pole as a +1 polearm (usually a long spear but occasionally something else).

When leading allies in pursuit of the banner’s redemption, they -if within 50′- (and the bearer) gain a +1 morale bonus to attacks rolls and to saves against mind-effecting abilities.

Once, and only once, when the final goal of restoring the honor and name of the banner is within reach, the bearer may summon phantom legionaries to fight beside the bearer and his allies.  No more than one legionary per two mortal allies can be called (minimum one) with a maximum of the number of the original legion when it fell, they fight until the fight is won or an hour has passed whichever comes first.  When the phantom legionaries vanish, so does the magic of the banner but hopefully it has been restored to honor.

Aura strong necrourgy; CL 13th
Slot none; Price 18,805; Weight 8 lbs
Construction Requirements
Craft Magical Arms and Armor, Craft Wondrous Item, bless, prayer, quest, monster summoning VII; Cost 9,250 + 305 for the spear

Notes: Distantly inspired by Latvian Legion Day and by lost causes in general.

Photo License Some rights reserved by Watt_Dabney.

Edit: Added link to phantom warrior.