Moonveil

This complicated evil ritual to magically veil moonwells was recently rediscovered and developed by certain priests of Bane. Moonwells are precious pools of clear water found in the Moonshae Isles sacred to the goddess Chauntea, known as the Goddess (or Earthmother) in the Moonshaes. Some sages and priests believe that this ritual could be modified to seal other existing gates, color pools, and other means of passing between planes or contacting deities.

A moonveil spell is a long ritual involving chanting, dancing about the entire circumference or shore of a moonwell, and the sacrifice of one living creature per round. The caster may have up to seven assistants active in carrying out the ritual.

If successful, the spell causes a moonwell to lose its properties. In addition, any holy water or sweet water potions that are within 90 feet of the caster at any time during the ritual are fouled and useless. The moonwell may be magically purified again, but the other magical waters are ruined forever.

A veiled moonwell is covered by an opaque black carpet of curling mist, even in full sunlight. This veil blocks all beneficial effects of the moonwell. It also lessens the local influences of the Goddess (Chauntea), preventing her from awakening or, if already active, from accurately directing her landdwelling children, Kamerynn the unicorn and the Pack, against evil.

Contact with the black mist forces items to make saving throws vs. acid with a -2 penalty or be destroyed and living beings to make saving throws vs. poison with a -2 penalty or suffer 3d4 points of corrosive damage per round of contact. If a being dives, falls, or is otherwise immersed in the pool, 6d4 points of damage automatically are inflicted for each round of contact, and the victim must make a successful saving throw vs. poison each round or be blinded. Such blindness lasts for Id4 turns after the being was last in contact with the mist or water.

All spells of 6th level or less directed against the black mist of the well are reflected back 100% for full effect on the caster. The black mist cannot be separated into smaller portions, nor can any of it be taken away from the well; the magic of the spell generates it continuously from the pool itself.

A moonveil can be destroyed by a specially cast variant of the sunray spell, sanctify sacred site (a 7th-level priest spell of the church of Chauntea). No other means of destroying a moonveil has yet been found. It cannot be reversed or negated by the will of the caster.

The material components of this spell are a piece of burned bone from any creature native to the Moonshaes, the blood of one living creature per round of the ritual (each creature must be slain during the ritual), a pinch of dung, a pinch of ashes, a dried snakeskin, and a small vial of liquid poison.