DM's Workshop: The Iron Ring

Before they encountered the would-be Winter King, Thorn & company ran afoul of an encampment of the Black Eagle's troops, holed up in the cliffside city of Byxata, in the Lost Valley. While Gilliam's bluff was enough to get them through the gates, it was not enough to keep them out of hot water once they met the leader of the Glantrian mercenaries augmenting Baron von Hendricks' garrison.


Rather than a slaver organization (though they no doubt dabbled in that, as well), the Iron Ring is the name of the mercenary band hired by Bargle to oversee the demonstone export operations within the Lost Valley of the Hutaaka. Their leader is the Glantrian Shepherd, based off the Golthar in module B10, renamed "Golithar." Rather than a cleric, Jolenta is his 4th level leashed Wilder.

Golithar
Medium humanoid (human male), Chaotic (evil tendencies)
Glantrian Shepherd 6
Armor Class 16 (studded leather + Dex modifier)
Hit Points 38 (6d6+12)
Speed 30 feet
STR 9 (-1) DEX 18 (+4) CON 10 (+0)
INT 17 (+3) WIS 16 (+3) CHA 10 (+0)
Saving Throws: INT +6, WIS +6 (CON +3 CHA +6)*
Skills: Investigation +3, Intimidate +3, Weaving (Int) +3 (Deception +5, Persuasion +5)*
Senses: passive Perception 13
Languages: Thyatian Common, Glantrian (Klantyr dialect), Traladaran, Goblinoid
Challenge: Yes (still factoring)
 * these are shared through the shepherd's leash.
Weaving: 3 1st level slots, 3 2nd level slots, 2 3rd level slots
Golithar can cast weaves up to 6th level without Overburning. He has Affinities with Energy and Matter, and knows the following weaves in the Elementalism Talent: create fire, fireball, fiery sword, immolate, light, wand of fire.

Jolenta
Medium humanoid (human female), neutral (evil tendencies)
Glantrian Wilder 4
Armor Class 10 (leather armor - Dex penalty)
Hit Points 18 (4d6+0)
Speed 30 feet
STR 12 (-1) DEX 9 (-1) CON 10 (+0)
INT 15 (+2) WIS 16 (+3) CHA 16 (+3)
Saving Throws: CON +2, CHA +5 (INT +2 WIS +5)*
Skills: Deception +5, Persuasion +5, Weaving (Cha) +3 (Investigation +4, Intimidate +5)*
Senses: passive Perception 13
Languages: Thyatian Common, Glantrian (Klantyr dialect), Traladaran, Goblinoid
Challenge: Yes (still factoring)
 * these are shared through the shepherd's leash.
Weaving: 3 1st level slots, 2 2nd level slots
Jolenta can cast weaves up to 5th level without Overburning. She has Affinities with Thought and Time, and knows the following weaves in the Elementalism Talent: Arms of Air, blade of fire, Circle of Silence, Current, Harden Air, Renew.

The Shepherd's Leash

This device consists of a collar, four foot braided metal lead, and bracelet of the same silvery-sheened metal. Their exact composition is unknown, as those studied contain elements not native to the world of Mystara, most likely coming from either Old Alphatia or one of the worlds the Flaems visited on their long exile.



The leash creates an artificial bond between the collared spellcaster and shepherd who wears the bracelet. This bond allows the sharing of awareness of each others' emotional state and general health. It can also be used by the shepherd to cause excruciating pain or euphoric pleasure to the collar's wearer. If these are not enough to keep the collared weaver from casting, it can also cut them off from their ability to manipulate Spheric threads to weave, or -- with traditional spell casters -- muddle the magical formulae of their spells or prayers.

The collar-and-leash's bond allows the sharing of spherical Affinities and weave slots among weavers. Skill and saving throw proficiencies are similarly passed back and forth. Some shepherds have been known to even draw on the vitality of their collared charge: a shepherd can use the Hit Dice of the collar's wearer, in addition to his own, to restore his own hit points during a short rest.

Only the shepherd who closed a collar can open it. If the weaver wearing the collar tries to open it, or tries to move the bracelet more than three feet from where their shepherd has left it, they are seized with a crippling vertigo and nausea. If the shepherd should be killed, it creates a backlash down the leash connection. The collared weaver must succeed an Overburn check, the DC equal to 15+ their shepherd's level. The resulting hit point loss is treated as if inflicted by an undead's Life Drain ability.

These characters make use of the pretty neat Wheel of Time 5th edition conversion rules posted by redditor Yugdol.