The Portrait of Lady Alys Stormwing

Mechanics & Inner Workings

World of Abaz'shala (Al'Akyrian Realms)

The Portrait of Lady Alys Stormwing

Wondrous Item

Legendary Requires Attunement

Call the Storm. After attuning to this item the user may, so long as they are within 10 miles of the portrait they may use the Control Weather spell to conjure a mighty storm overhead, causing a heavy downpour and a gale. This all takes effect within five minutes as the storm clouds roll in quickly. This causes all of the effects of the weather such as blowing out fog and smoke clouds as well as putting out fires. This effect does not require concentration and will slowly fade after the 8 hour period. This effect may only be used once per long rest.
Call Upon the Gales. The user may choose a location 15 feet wide and 30 feet long to become a torrential gale with winds so harsh that it is difficult to navigate. The user may choose the direction that the winds are blowing. Anyone caught within the area during the time of using this ability must make a DC 18 Strength Saving Throw or be pushed along the wind tunnel until they exit it in the direction the wind is blowing. Everyone attempting to move against the wind must use double their movement while within the area and those moving with the wind may use half movement. This effect lasts for one minute or until it is dispelled by the user.
Claim Lair. After attuning to this item, the user may spend an hour to then attune the portrait to a room or building. After the ritual is completed, it is now considered your lair for the purposes of lair actions and other abilities gained from this item. You may only have one building or room attuned in this way, and attempting to attune to another breaks the attunement to the last one immediately. Using this effect in an extra-dimensional space (such as a demiplane or within a Bag of Holding) allows you to use the lair actions within, but it does not impart any of the terrain effects around it.
The Stormwing Stirs. The terrain in a 5 mile radius around the portrait slowly begins to become more windy, storm clouds starting to come in and gather around the place where the portrait is hung. Every day has at least a 50% chance of raining and a 25% chance of a lightning storm. After a month of being hung in the same location, there is a permanent gloom that hangs over the area and a constant rain. Lightning becomes significantly more likely and there is always a distant rumble of thunder no matter where you are.
House of Storms. While attuned to this item and this item is hung and attuned to a building or room you gain several lair actions that you can take which are detailed below. The lair actions act on initiative count 20 (losing ties) and you may only use one action per turn and these actions can only be taken within the room or building where the portrait rests. The same action cannot be taken twice in a row.
Call the Storm (Lair Action). The Portrait calls upon the power of the storms conjured above it. You may cast Call Lightning directly around the building or room and call upon the storm to strike down on a target.
Bulwark of the High Queen (Lair Action). The Portrait calls upon those who died defending the realm, calling upon the guards of the High Queen to return to their duty for but a moment. Select a target within the building and a shadowy knight of The Whitewater Legion stands guard defending them for but a moment. The next attack against that creature has disadvantage or they have advantage on their next saving throw. They also gain 10 temporary hit points. They cannot gain additional temporary hit points in this way and if they are targeted by this action again they only replenish the pool up to 10.
The Stormwing's Fury (Lair Action). The Portrait calls upon a flock of birds to rush to the defense of its home. The birds swirl around a target location with a 20-foot radius. This counts as heavy obscurement for everyone within and on either side of the flock. Anyone who starts or ends their turn within the area must make a DC 18 Dexterity Saving Throw or they take 10d6 Slashing or Piercing (Your choice) that counts as magical for the effects of overcoming resistances or half as much on a successful save. The user may choose for a target to not be affected in this way, but it still counts as obscurement. This effect lasts until the start of your next Lair Action Turn.

The Portrait of Lady Alys Stormwing rests at 30x36 inches. The frame of it is carved from wood from the heart of Ardenweald, a gift from the elves there in her memory. The wood itself is inscribed with elven markings for peace, rest, and travel, but the portrait seems to reflect anything but.

The Portrait itself depicts an elegant young woman that seems to be in their 20s, or perhaps 30s. Many tales conflict about how old Alys was when she was captured by the Valnir. Regardless, it depicts a young woman with raven black hair and piercing blue eyes. If one stares at her eyes long enough, there seems to be a deeper darkness in the woman's eyes. Her hair has slight curls to it but appears to be mostly straight, her lips seeming thin and almost bloodless as her face lacks any expression. Her dress appears to be a dark blue with striking lines of light grey along it. Wrapped around her shoulders is a cloak with the symbol of her house edged on each of the metal clasps.

Weight: 7.5lbs

History

Lady Alys of House Stormwing was said to be a fair lady whose wit would earn her the crown after her mother passed. She was a kind and fair lady who attended to her duties with pride. She often made trips out to Port Tah'mal proper from the The Whitewater Palace. Perhaps her one fault was being too trusting in her own people. Oftentimes she would attempt to sneak out of the palace, not because she wasn't allowed in the city mind you, simply so she could avoid the escort of The Whitewater Legion. As much as she enjoyed the benefits of being the daughter to the High Queen of The River Kingdoms, she was never very happy under armed guard.
It is, perhaps this trust and desire to be free of guardians that caused her capture. When she and the High Queen were visiting Mathyndal on the western coast, she managed to sneak out like she had trained herself to. When she was walking around the docks on a peaceful day, her escaping would be no more. Valnir from the north came upon their mighty longships, pulling up to the docks and grabbing anyone nearby and throwing them on board. Lady Alys, unfortunately was one who did not manage to escape in time.
It is said that she was held there in the north for thirteen years before she managed to escape and return to The Kingdom of Venithyr, though when anyone asked about the north or how she escaped, she simply shook her head and seemed to gaze in the distance.
When her mother had caught word of her return she sent out immediately to bring her daughter back to The Whitewater Palace. Upon returning, Lady Alys locked herself in her room and only came out to dine or on formal occasions, having a distant and almost dead look in her eye. Whenever any of the maids or even her mother checked on her in her room she was sitting and painting a portrait of herself, with such remarkable detail it was hard to tell which was real.
It is said that when she completed the portrait, she died, clutching the paintbrushes with a grip of iron, hunched over, and thus began the tale of The Portrait of Lady Alys Stormwing. It is said that her mother kept it for a time, slowly driving her insane over grief for her lost daughter. Her madness became so consumed that she started talking to Alys despite her having been long past. More and more people started to worry about High Queen Maevis Stormwing's health. Others, began to cry for her to be removed from the throne before her insanity drove her to nefarious acts.
While the The Kingdom of Venithyr was divided, House Stormwing rallied around the High Queen, despite their efforts however, she died two years later. The House reclaimed the portrait and as the years went by, more and more of their house leaders began to talk to Alys as though she was there, despite many of their number trying to explain that Alys was an ancestor long dead. Furthermore, with each generation the coffers of the house went lower and lower until they could no long afford to be even called a minor house anymore. So, they auctioned off what they could and the House Bel'thari purchased the portrait before it was taken just a few years later by bandits.
There is much speculation about where the portrait might be now. Some claim it is within the High Elven Academy of Three Moons, others believe that the Wood Elves of Ardenweald took it to protect it. Still others yet believe that a house still has it, though which is hard to say. But they believe that the portrait is still being rotated around the nobility of The River Kingdoms or perhaps simply laying in a cellar, forgotten.

Item type

Furniture

Rarity

Artifact (Requires Attunement)

Weight

7.5 lbs

Dimensions

30x36 inches