Black Mirrors
In the temples built by the legates across the north and in every orc-occupied settlement in the land are magical altars called zordrafin corith, or Black Mirrors. The corith are not true mirrors, but rather are large stone basins crafted from obsidian stone quarried from some unknown location far to the north. They are at least 10 ft. in diameter and 3 ft. deep and filled with a vile recipe of blood and unholy water. Through these corith the dark god is able to draw on the magical essence of the lands surrounding a given temple and collect that power to his use. The power that currently remains within a given region therefore depends on the proximity and age of the closest corith.
There are essentially three classes of corith, based on their relative ages. Those that have stood for less than a decade are called pale mirrors and have only begun to draw power from their surroundings. Those that have existed for up to 100 years are called blood mirrors and have stolen much of the magical essence of their surrounding lands. Those that have stood for more than 100 years are called grand mirrors. These are found only in the far north or in long-corrupted places and the wicked holdfasts of evil dwarves that support the dark god. These terrible altars have drawn all but the last vestiges of magic from vast regions across the north.
Drinking the Magic of the World
Since the arcane energies around these temples are greatly reduced, the magical power on which spellcasters can draw is limited by their proximity to a zordrafin corith. Likewise, magic items and ongoing spell effects that are powered by channeled magic that enter the area of influence of a corith can be suppressed as if targeted by a greater dispel magic.
In the table below, find the mirror type on the left and cross-reference it with the effect's distance from the mirror on the right. The first number listed is the increase in the spell energy point cost to cast a channeled spell when within that distance of the corith. The second number is the caster level of the greater dispel magic effect.
| Mirror Type |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 mile | 10 miles | 100 miles | 200 miles | |
| Pale | 2; 10th level | 1; 5th level | — | — |
| Blood | 3; 15th level | 2; 10th level | 1; 5th level | — |
| Grand | 4; 20th level | 3; 15th level | 2; 10th level | 1; 5th level |
Note that while pale and blood mirrors are relatively common in the central part of the continent, grand mirrors are found only in a few of the major cities and in the orc lands of the far north. As a result, the severe effects they can have on magic and magical items should be rather limited within the scope of most campaigns.
Dispelling Effects
In all cases, check once for each item created via channeled magic or each ongoing channeled magic spell effect to see if it is dispelled or suppressed when it enters the area. Check again when it draws closer and crosses one of the listed thresholds. For example, a character with an active spell effect would have to check to see if the effect was dispelled when he approaches within 10 miles of a pale mirror. he would have to check again if he approaches to withing one mile of the mirror. No spell effects or magic items, such as a ring of counterspells or spell immunity, can prevent this effect.
Spells
Spell effects that are countered upon crossing a mirror's threshold are entirely gone, not simply suppressed. They may be recast once through the threshold, though with greater cost in spell energy points.
Magic Items
Magic items that are suppressed upon crossing a mirror's threshold remain powerless, even if they travel beyond the mirror's reach, for a number of hours equal to the number of additional spell energy points needed to cast spells within that threshold. If a powerless magic item is carried from a weaker threshold to a stronger one, another greater dispel magic is targeted on the item, even though it is technically non-magical. If the new greater dispel magic works, the new suppression duration supersedes the old one.