Gatespawn

Gatespawn

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level    : 19

school   : Conjuration

syntax   : gatespawn <target> (target optional)

cost     : 150 sp, 50 hp

reagents : a bladed weapon

Calling across the planes, gatespawn summons a creature from realms outside

Astaria to attack your target. If a target is supplied, your summoned creature

will attack for a given number of rounds and return to its plane of origin. It

will serve this singular purpose until it is destroyed, tracking its victim

relentlessly. If a target is not supplied, the minion summoned will be bound to

you, following and protecting you at any cost. Minions in service to a mage

may struggle to free themselves from the magical bondage that secures them

to your plane of existence and sufficiently strong servants may eventually find

a way to free themselves and return to their native plane. This process becomes

immediate if the summoned creature's loyalty is dropped to a negative value, 

indicating that the servant would rather die than serve you any further. A

gate spawn cannot be issued complex commands, understanding only the first

comand to which its service is bound (generally "kill" or "defend"). Most often

a minion that responds to the rite of summoning will be of similar alignment

and intent to the spellcaster, although there are locations in Astaria where

the barrier between the void and the physical world are damaged or naturally

weak. In these locations, the rite may behave... unpredictably. It is advised

that you do your best not to panic if something truly alien answers your call.

Do note, casting gatespawn inflicts minor damage to you.  Don't cast it when

low on hit points. Summoned gatespawn who are especially powerful and who are

forced to act in direct opposition to their natural inclination will

lose loyalty at a much faster rate than normal and may even be strong enough

to retaliate against the spellcaster who brought them before fleeing back to

their home plane. Consider this before forcing an Astral Deva to murder orphans

or a demanding that a Defiler Lord save a litter of kittens from a burning

house.