THE ARK OF WORLDS
The Ark is in fact only a container for a powerful artifact, but over the ages the Ark itself became an item of power merely because of its continuing proximity to the Universal Key.
In appearance the Ark is a circular casket about three feet in diameter, with large carved handles extending from two sides. The Ark is made of the enchanted black Dir-wood, trimmed with gold and many rare enchanted elements. The lid is also of Dir-wood and gold trim and there are three silver clasps around the rim. On top of the lid is a small gold globe with a beautiful dragon crouched on it with wings spread.
Inside the Ark, bathed in its own golden glow, is an item from the First Era. While it is referred to as the Universal Key (or simply "The Key"), it is in fact a small orb only two inches across. Controlled by thought, this small bauble can transport the holder instantly anywhere and anywhen. It will open Portals and moved through the infinite planes of the universes. It is so powerful and perilous that even the Jerak Ahrenreth members fear to use it. It also has a will of its own; members fear that it would resist 'evil' use, perhaps by tricking the user into becoming trapped in another time or place.
The Ark is normally stored in a vault in the Ahrenlaakh (one of the Eight Secrets) lined with the Essaence-inhibiting metal kregora.
GM Note: the Key is a ridiculously powerful device, and it is strongly recommended that PCs never gel 'heir hands on it. If they do, they should be taken on a nightmare ride through the universe and dumped in a parallel plane where they have a slight chance of returning to their home Kulthea – without the Key (which has managed to escape through time).
EFFECTS
Anyone within 30' of the Ark (assuming the vault is opened) will begin to feel an occasional 'stuttering' effect as lime begins to fold on itself and things repeat.
Anyone touching the Ark will feel a physical pulling, a dreamy sensation of vertigo like they are falling. People around them seem to move fast, slow, backwards or flicker in and out of existence.
If the Ark is opened, all within 1-10 miles will begin to 'waver', changing slightly as the area shifts across alternate time lines. People's clothing, the weather, even individuals themselves, will undergo a continuous shifting while the lid is up. There is a 10% chance that, when the lid is closed, the area in question has shifted to an alternate timeline.
GM Note: This may sound nightmarish/or GMs, but it sets up an interesting quest scenario (assuming the PCs get out of the Ahrenlaakh alive; maybe the place is abandoned in this timeline!) in which the PCs must travel through a strangely altered yet similar Shadow World and get to a particular Gate (see Places of Power, Part 10) and transport back to their own universe. Naturally, finding out where to go and how to set the gale will be a challenge...
Anyone looking directly at the Key will find themselves (and, optionally anyone in their party) transported anywhere they might be thinking of (in this case the transport will only be spatial, not planar or temporal). Anyone touching the key is thrust into another (possibly Chaos) plane - and might suffer some serious Mind Erosion problems (see the Evil Mentalist Base list of the same name).
-- Atlas Addendum (from the Emer Boxed set, out of print) © 1990 ICE
