This drow magical item is rarely found anywhere but space. It is group of small, adamantine chains, which run around the back of ones hand, and link up on the inside of ones palm, where a blood-red ruby sits (yes, that means this item is link with the other "Blood ruby" themed items). The item radiates alteration, invocation, and necromancy.

Worn by priestess' of Lloth (typically), this item of jewellery has a dark, gothic look about it, and occasionally the blood-red ruby feels warm to the touch, and it seems as though blood swims inside it. This item, in fact, may only be worn by women (although race is irrelevant) - any male attempting to wear it is shocked by a dark force for 5d6 points of damage.

Twice per day, this item allows the wielder to cast "blood ruby", without the pre-requisites inherent in the spell (an evil alignment, and strong, emotional hatred), at 7th level of ability. This requires an initiative modifier of 3, and has some very visual effects (the missiles are much brighter than normal, and a dark aura surrounds the user's hand during the activation). Usage of this power, however, insinuates the ideal of the spell into the user (ie hatred), and there is a chance (cumulative per day) chance that it will send the user into a chaotic, berserker like rage. Note that this is not revealed to the wielder through identify or other similar spells - as it is a property of the way the spell is cast from it, not the actual item or spell themselves.

The berserk state is similar to that of the Berserker kit from The Complete Fighters Handbook, but without the bonuses to attack and damage, and with the difference that the wielder of the hand will attack solely with the hand's powers (eg a standard berserker will be forced to run around hacking people to shreds with his sword, but the wielder of the hand instead blasts people to smithereens). The following conditions also apply: the state does not end until either ALL the hand's powers are drained, or there are no enemies left, apparent to the user (ie in sight/hearing range); the DM does not track the user's hitpoints, as some part of the user's mind retains its coherency, and knows what is goin on - but is unable to act upon it (ie, the character must still fight, and may not fight defensively etc etc); once the state ends, the DM (and DM only) should note down the character (be it NPC or PC) has been "tainted" by the hand.

Each 3 "taints" move the character's alignment one step towards chaotic, and once chaos is achieved (or if the character was already chaotic), each 3 taints move them towards evil; note only the blood ruby power of the hand of darkness initiates the berserker state - which may not seem much of a drawback, but one should remember it is a drow item, and drow live for hundreds of years - time is of no meaning to them. Finally, characters should fight absolutely berserkly - irrelevant of others on the battle field. Should the character throw some Darkfire, and miss and strike an ally, he is likely to not care at all during the berserk state (although he may greatly afterwards).

The chance of berserking is based upon alignment, and has a cumulative bonus if the character has used the blood ruby the same day or same week, as outlined in the table below. Alignment is the characters alignment, a d100 roll of equal to or less than the % berserk with modifiers produces the berserk state, day is the modifier if the character has used the blood ruby power previously in that day (only possibly once), and week is the modifier for how many times the blood ruby power has been used in the last week. Alignment changes to is the alignment shift, once the tains have been accumulated enough.

Note that as the lawful characters path of taints begins, he is more likely to go berserk, as his mind is twisted and his soul darkened. As he passes through neutrality, he finds some relief, but soon finds chaos and evil taking her over. Note that DM's are suggested to keep the taints from the character, and only tell them when their alignment changes etc, or give them roleplaying tidbits (ie, "for some reason, you don't feel like helping the peasant, and before you know it, you have sworn at her, and booted her away. You stand in the street gazing at your foot and the fleeing peasant"). Also, should DM's have not revealed all the hand's powers, a berserk state could bring them out (ie the DM states what happens in a particular round, and it is one of the powers the character is unaware of), although not unlock them for the character. In this way, truly power hungry individuals will try to keep using the hand, twisting themselves more, and leading towards darkness.

DM's could, if they wish, also have additional effects once chaotic evil is reached. Suggestions are turning a human, elf, or half-elf, into a drow, or a dwarf into a duergar, or something similar. Perhaps the character notices patches of skin changing colour, and so begins to wear clothes to hide herself, or begins to have his eyes stung by sunlight. Furthermore, anyone not reaching this state might require a remove curse cast by a drow priestess (including Ellistrae'ans) to take the item off. Furthermore, DM's are encouraged to, each time a taint is received, reveal a previously unaccessable power of the item, but this is up to personal preference - I see it as a way to suck the user in deeper into oblivion evil. Note that the blood ruby and Darkfire powers should automatically be learned upon first examining/identifying the item, although the drawbacks/taint of the item are only revealed through attunement, drow sage knowledge, or trial and darkness.

Further powers will now be described.

The hand can, once per fortnight, Create Portal, as per the spelljamming spell (Wizard's Spell Compendium, Volume I, page 192). This power has no repercussions, and a casting time of 6 turns (normally the casting time is random, but the Hand is similar to a passage device).

Once per day, the hand can cast Darkning Bolt (Wizard's Spell Compendium, Volume I, page 210), at 8th level of ability. Note that this spell can cause blindness in allies as well as enemies, and this knowledge is imparted with the knowledge of the power - but in the berserk state the character will not care.

The hand itself is named after a drow spell, Hand of Darkness (Wizard's Spell Compendium, Volume II, page 424). This spell may be cast 3 times per day, at 8th level of ability. Should the wielder not have infravision, it is granted to her during for one half hour, or until the spell's duration ends.

The hand has been given the Llothite spell of Darkfire (Demihuman Deities, page 31) - but with a 30 ft range on thrown Darkfire, and a duration of only 8 rounds. This spell also functions at 8th level of ability. The Darkfire is only able to effect the limb upon which the hand is worn.

Selvetarm's (the drow god of warriors, and Lloth's champion) priests, the Spiderswords, had a hand in the making of the item also, and have placed the power of Fortitude (Demihuman Deities, page 36) in a contingency type effect, for if the user gets dropped below 15 hit points, or 20% of maximum (whichever is greater), the spell is cast upon her, AND she incurs a berserk check (the same as the blood ruby power).

Spider Strand (Wizard's Spell Compendium, Volume III, page 857), may be cast by the wielder once per day.

A slight defensive power of the item, as it was, after all, attuned to drow, is that any full blooded high or grey elf (or their counterparts on other worlds) wearing the item, has a 10% chance per night of being effect by the Kiaransaleean spell Haunted Reverie (Demihuman Deities, pages 25 and 26). This also has the side-effect of adding a 10% bonus to any berserk-checks made in the next week (this is not cumulative for every time the Haunted Reverie occurs, however, it is just a one-time penalty if the power has effected the user in the last week). This is especially suggested if DM's are having the drow-changing effects described above.

Finally, and most importantly, the hand bestows a -1 to initiative, and allows a drow to have half her normal magic resistance, in areas where she would normally have none (ie on the surface world, after several weeks of being away from the underdark). It also bestows the drow power of faerie fire once per day, and a permanent levitate on the user - if they are drow, and drow only (because it enhances their existing abilities). The hand, also, lowers the casting of any drow faith spell by 2, to a minimum of 1.

This item, unlike other drow items, does not require an attunement ritual to be used, but such a ritual automatically allows the user access to ALL the hand's powers. Normally, due to the strange mix of drow magicks used in the creation of this item, a well-stocked sage could discover only one power of the item (and only offensive powers, not the taint, nor the Fortitude, or drow enhancing abilities etc), requiring a week of study (meaning the character must stay with the sage), and would then be unable to find out anything more on the item. Any drow sage could, after a month of study, or an attunement ritual, find out all the hand's properties - but would likely cut it from the hand of the wielder and send them into a different kind of darkness all-together first.

XP: 10,000

Suggested GP value: 40,000 black market, 100,000 drow market.

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