Shield of High Justice, Divine Shield +3
(Ego 15, Int 9, Wis 15, Cha 12)

Shield of the High Justice
Small Shield +3 of Command

The Shield of the High Justice is one of the most palpable symbols of the ancient order of warriors known as the Huscarls, or home guard, that protected the lost city of Tyranon and relentlessly patrolled the surrounding lands to drive off marauding monsters and keep the roadways free of bandits. The ranks of the Huscarls were open to any person of Lawful alignment who was willing to dedicate him or herself to the protection of Tyranon and any peaceful individual who trod upon her territory. Due to the need to patrol the lands surrounding the city, the Huscarls were skilled horsemen, representing one of the earliest-known precursors to today’s knightly orders.

It should be noted that even though the overwhelming majority of Huscarls worshiped Tyr (as is to be expected from the home guard of a city devoted to the God of Justice and War), and indeed several paladins to that deity were known to have served in the ranks of the Huscarls, devotion to the god was not a requirement of service. All that was required was an adherence to the laws set down by Tyranon’s governors. However, since these governors had very strong ties to the Church of Tyr, and the local laws were strongly influenced by Tyr’s teachings, Huscarls had to develop a knowledge of the religious dictates even if they themselves were not followers.

The leader of the Huscarls was the High Justice, charged with commanding the Huscarls currently residing in Tyranon and receiving reports from Huscarls in the field. Although a lawful organization, Huscarls abroad were given great leeway in keeping the peace and protecting the populace, and could come and go as their consciences dictated. The only requirement was that they report back to the High Justice once a year and be willing to muster at Tyranon if the High Justice saw sufficient need to gather the entire Huscarl force (typically only in cases of a direct threat to the city itself).

The High Justice was given many symbols of office, but the Shield quickly became the most important in the minds of the populace. Some scholars theorize that this was a result of the Shield symbolizing the protection that the Huscarls were sworn to give to the weak and helpless. Others suggest that the Shield itself possessed some divine power to inspire those around the leader, enhancing the High Justice’s own powers of command and assisting the leader in binding the powerful egos in the Huscarl ranks into a cohesive fighting force in times of need. It is known that the Shield has protected past bearers from a variety of situations where foes have sought to sap the High Justice’s strength or will through magical means, and undead foes came to regard the appearance of the Shield with considerable dread.

Regardless of the reason for its popularity, the legends surrounding the Shield have survived when other details about the Huscarls have not. Legend has it that the Shield was left behind in Tyranon when the city was finally abandoned, watched over by the High Justice and a handful of Huscarls who refused to leave the city they had sworn to protect, even though its fate was decreed by the Norns. The legends go on to tell of how the Shield still lies in the lost ruins of Tyranon, awaiting the day when the city is rediscovered and restored to its former glory.

Stats

The Shield of the High Justice is a +3 Small Metal Shield imbued with the powers of Absorbing and Command, as laid out in the Defenders of the Faith supplement. A summary of these powers is provided below. In addition, the Shield is also possessed of a Lawful Good intelligence who’s purpose is to preserve the lore and history of the Huscarls and promote the welfare of this organization. It is unknown whether the Shield possesses any additional magical properties.

Absorbing armor and shields absorb ability-draining and level-draining attacks. It can absorb as many points of ability damage or levels drained per day as its enhancement bonus. It allows Fortitude saves against energy-drain attacks that normally don’t allow such saves. A successful save means the attack has half effect. Absorbing armor or a shield does not change saves against attacks that already allow them.

Commanding armor or shields always appear brilliant and gleaming, no matter what the conditions and despite all attempts to paint over or obscure it. Coveted by military leaders of all sorts, this armor or shield carries a powerful aura that gives a +4 competence bonus to Charisma and a +2 moral bonus on Will saves to all allies within 30 feet. The enchantment also makes the possessor very noticeable, giving a -6 penalty to hide checks.

Huscarl Prestige Class

Essentially, the Huscarl behaves in all respects like the Knight Protector of the Great Kingdom class detailed in the Sword and Fist supplement, save that the Knowledge (Nobility) prerequisite has been replaced with Knowledge (Religion), to reflect the strong religious bias of the city-state of Tyranon, and the fact that feudal and heraldic systems were still in their infancy during the height of Tyranon’s power in the First Age.