Vizier's Turban - Turban Familiar

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	Scenarios The Vizier's Turban

Background

The vizier's turban is a symbiotic creature which attaches itself to a wizard and provides its partner with greatly enhanced spellcasting potential and magic resistance. In return, the wizard agrees to a permanent loss of hit points, which are used by the creature to sustain itself. The potential power to be gained by bonding with a vizier's turban far outweighs the sacrifice to the wizard.

Vizier's turbans look like a turban (of any colour) secured by two bright jewels (its eyes). Their skin resembles fine cloth. They can change colour to suit their partners' attire and can reshape themselves somewhat to look more like a scarf or veil for female wizards who prefer such attire to turbans. A vizier's turban enjoys watching what goes on around it from its vantage point atop its partner's head and communicates telepathically with its host.

Vizier's turbans make no attacks and cause no damage. For all practical purposes, the vizier's turban and its host function as a single being. The symbiote is content to let its partner control the thinking, movement, and body functions. It will give advice only if specifically asked.

When a vizier's turban is left on it's own, it can be attacked normally, but it usually does it's best to remain in hiding from those who threathen it.

Habitat/Society:

There are several theories as to the origin of vizier's turbans. One theory suggests that the turbans are actually lesser genies of some sort, either condemned to serve wizards for some transgression against other genies or specifically shaped to perform the duties they do (much like tasked genies). Another theory contends that vizier's turbans were originally just that- headgear which somehow developed both intelligence and a sense of self while retaining their magical properties. The theory which has gained the most acceptance is that the creatures were originally some sort of familiar.

Whatever their origin, vizier's turbans do not appear to reproduce in any discernible manner, and no mated pairs have ever been found. When two vizier's turbans meet (usually while travelling with their bonded wizards), they will greet one another politely but refrain from long conversation, as though they had no interest in one another. They seem to have no differentiation of sex, adopting a male or female outlook to match that of their host. It has been theorised that the creature may reproduce by fission, forming a duplicate which is then left to fend for itself.

Though it recognises that it is a separate being from its host, a vizier's turban takes its personality and reactions to situations directly from its partner. It will never disagree with a decision made by its host unless asked to give its own opinion. It has no opinions about what spells the wizard should study or which ones he or she should cast in a given situation, since it does not itself have an spellcasting talent. It does not understand and cannot read the spell which its wizard learns but instead derives a sense of satisfaction from feeling its wizard's emotional response to both learning an casting spells.

The vizier's turban seems to have no fixed ethical sense, changing to match that of its host and adopting his or her point of view.

A vizier's turban exists on the hit points given to it and on the companionship of its chosen wizard. It eagerly engages in philosophical discussions with its host if the wizard initiates the conversation It has no need to eat or drink but does enjoy being bathed, and i likes to rearrange itself into different styles of turbans when give the chance.

Keenly curious, a vizier's turban is always happy to travel with it's host to see new places and things. It is very observant, though it reacts to stimuli with a never-ending sense of wonder rather than logically. If it sees a lion charging its wizard, for instance, it does not warn the wizard but rather goggles at the wondrous creature rapidy approaching.

Although they can be found almost anywhere, it takes a keen mind and a desire to bond with one to locate a vizier's turban. Even the its rarity makes it unlikely that a wizard who is not spending every waking hour searching for one will find one. They are virtual masters of disguise since they look like strips of material when unwound and like scarves, turbans, or veils when posing.

This odd creature does not detect as magical but can be found by spells or devices which detect life and creatures. Its sense of humour is such that it is amused by the antics wizards go through to locate it. Indeed, its attempts at disguise and camouflage may be a test to see a particular wizard is clever enough to find it and therefore worthy to become its partner. When its eyes are closed, it is indistinguishable from any other item of clothing. Favourite hiding places for vizier's turbans are at cloth markets, inside wardrobes, atop the cloth coverings which shade suqs, in rag bags, and among caravan goods. Since it can change colour at will, it can be quite difficult to spot one should it wish to remain hidden.

Ecology:

Vizier's turbans have no real effect on their environment other than upon the wizards they bond with. They occupy a unique niche. No one has ever seen a vizier's turban die of natural causes, so it is impossible to estimate how long they live. They might ever be immortal.