Thurbrand's Protector
by Ed Greenwood

Named for the fighter who found it in a
dragon?s hoard, this shield was later sold to
King Osbrun of Chessagol, whose treasury
and armory were looted six winters ago,
some say by magic. The  Protector  vanished
in that theft, and its present whereabouts
and owner are unknown. This shield is a
plain, battered, kite-shaped construction of
bronze plates bolted to a sturdy wooden
frame. It bears no maker?s-mark  or  inscrip-
tions. It is magical, and has the following
powers and abilities:
Any damage that pierces or parts the
bronze plates, or cracks through or breaks
the wooden frame, is magically  mended
overnight. Minor dents, scratches, and
scars are not so repaired. Manual repairs by
a blacksmith or the bearer seem to have no
effect on the shield.

The  Protector  has all the powers of a  +1
ring of protection.  In addition, whenever
the bearer raps the wooden frame of the
Protector  three times rapidly with a finger
or knuckles, the shield will radiate and
maintain, through some unknown magical
means, a 10? radius  globe of air,  cool and
breezeless. This  globe  will withstand the
pressures of deep water,  gusts of wind,  and
the like without altering its shape or loca-
tion, remaining centered upon the  Protec-
tor.  Large, solid, immobile objects like
stone walls will cause the ?air bubble? to
flatten out along the wall or around the
object. Creatures within the  globe of air
cannot drown, suffer harm from poisonous
vapors, etc. As many creatures can be
protected by the globe as can fit into its
area, usually 40 or so, or, if freedom to
move and fight is required, 8 or 9 man-
sized beings. The air supply can never be
?overloaded? or used up.
Most creatures are not physically con-
strained from entering or leaving the
sphere. It seems to keep out only creatures
who cannot breathe or move in air (such as
living fish), and those who are gaseous in
form (air elementals, a vampire in gaseous
form, etc.). The  globe of air  persists until
the bearer again raps the wood frame
thrice; to be effective, such rapping must be
on the inner side of the shield, directly on
the frame, and the bearer must have the
shield slung on his arm or strapped to him.
 
Dragon - Six Shields - Dragon #89