Ivory Chain of Pao

The Ivory Chain of Pao, also called the Demon Binder and the demon chain, was a legendary artifact of Shou Lung history, crafted by the Lesser Immortal Master Pao. It had the power to bind any spirit or being of the outer planes, most notably the Black Leopard and the Copper Demon of Tros.

Description
It was a length of chain, with links fashioned from ivory. Unusually, each link was finely carved into the figure of a man with arms outstretched and hooked, giving the effect of each holding hands with the next in the line. Though the loops were not closed as in a typical metal chain, they were so cunningly wrought it was very difficult to unhook them without a certain combination of twists and slides, so there was no risk of them falling apart. Though the Ivory Chain appeared very fragile, this was far from the case. When complete, the chain was reported to be 9.8 feet (3 meters) or 12 feet (3.6 meters) in total length. There were 48 links altogether.

Powers
The Ivory Chain of Pao had two different powers, depending on whether it was whole or separated into individual links, which had lesser powers of their own.

First, if the complete Ivory Chain was wrapped around a spirit or outer-planar creature, whether around their wrists, ankles, waist, neck, or an equivalent body part, that creature was instantly bound. When the owner of the chain gripped one end and issued a command, the bound creature was compelled to obey that command to the full. As fragile as the chain seemed, the bound creature was utterly unable to break it or throw it off. The creature could not use any of its powers unless commanded by the chain's owner.

When one of the links was separated manually or broken by external force, the bound creature was freed and if broken the chain vanished entirely. Moreover, the Ivory Chain carried an odd curse or flaw: for every day that a creature was bound, there was a 1 in 20 chance that it would break and disappear in an instant, freeing the bound creature. In either case, the freed creature would be very possibly vengeful against its former captor. Afterward, the broken chain would magically reform into a single piece once more. If the Ivory Chain was completely disassembled, it had no more binding power.

Second, if a separated link was hurled at a spirit or outsider, it could incapacitate and bind it to a lesser extent. It produced shackles or chains of golden light that bound the creature for some six minutes, stripping its defenses, or delivered all the effects of a holy word spell. If hurled at an object like a statue linked to a spirit or outsider, it could crush the stone to dust. However, it disappeared immediately after being used in this way, hence it could only be used once.

If the chain was broken and had disappeared, it apparently had some unknown ability to reform itself and reappear, thanks to Master Pao's magical craft.

History
The Ivory Chain of Pao had a long and storied history, known well in Kara-Tur but barely heard of in Faerûn, with only fragments known to sages who'd had communication with the east. The following account is considered to be only heavily abbreviated.

According to tradition, it was crafted by Master Pao of Mount Yei, a Lesser Immortal of the Celestial Empire, during the Age of Red Earth. The Ivory Chain was gifted to the Nine Empires as a symbol of their unity and the harmony of the peoples of the empire they ruled jointly.

However, in the seventh year of their reign, a daring thief infiltrated their treasury. The thief was inspired by another— some stories said it was an evil deity, others pinned the blame on Monkey, the Lord of Mischief. Regardless, the thief stole the Ivory Chain of Pao. Not long after, the Black Leopard Cult grew in power and prominence in the south, causing strife. Around the same time, the Nine Emperors ascended to the Celestial Heavens, and their reign passed to others, with Tan Chin becoming emperor in Shou Year −127 (−1377 DR).

In fact, the Black Leopard Cult had used the Ivory Chain of Pao to trap and bind the Black Leopard himself. In this state, he was known as a great demon panther. Under their villainous high priest Nan Kung Chi, the cult terrorized the once-peaceful lands of the Fenghsintzu River.

Then, in the seventh year of his reign, in Shou Year −120 (−1370 DR), Emperor Tan Chin heard rumors of the Black Leopard Cult's crimes and decided to destroy the cult. First, he sent seven parties of heroes, one after the other, but none came back alive. But he did learn that the high priest was a mighty wu jen, and unassailable in his lair, and decided he must do it himself. First, he read in the libraries of Kuo Meilan the legend of the demon panther trapped by the ivory chain and compelled to serve the cult. Accompanied by his friend, the poet wu jen Kar Wuan, Tan Chin went in secrecy to the main temple in Durkon. But Nan Kung Chi saw them with his magic and surprised them, and summoned the Black Leopard to kill the blood brothers. However, guided by Kar Wuan, Tan Chin cut the Ivory Chain with a sweep of his spear, Shan Tien, and managed to free the Black Leopard, who quickly seized Nan Kung Chi and dragged him screaming into the night. The Second High Priest and the surviving cultists escaped out to sea, but their power was ended (but the cult would see resurgences).

The Ivory Chain of Pao reputedly vanished with the breaking of that single link, yet it seems to have later reformed and resurfaced, as it appeared in much later events. In fact, as shown in a vision later, most of the chain was recovered and taken away, but who by and where to was not revealed. Someone else took a single link to a shrine on the Joi Chang Peninsula.

It was believed to have stayed in the imperial treasuries of Shou Lung, as it was known to be in the possession of the Sixth Emperor Chin of the Hai Dynasty during the failed conquest of Wa in Shou Year 976 (−274 DR). However, the fleet ran onto hidden reefs and sank, the Emperor was killed, and the Ivory Chain of Pao, as well as the Emblems of Imperial Authority themselves, were presumed lost beneath the waves. However, according to rumor, Rourke, a foreign pilot and navigator serving the emperor recovered the Ivory Chain of Pao and the Emblems and took them back to authorities in Shou Lung. Yet he was killed in the Imperial City and the treasures disappeared again. Without an emperor, dynasty, or Emblems, Shou Lung's decades-long Black Cycle of Years began.

In Shou Year 1010 (−240 DR), a band of champions known as the Seven Heroes and the Seven Nonmen, among them the great Wo Mai, went to do battle with the Copper Demon of Tros, which had tyrannized the northwestern provinces of Shou Lung for years. While some accounts say they slew the fiend, accepted stories say they trapped it with the "Demon Binder"  or else in unbreakable irons. In either case, the Copper Demon was imprisoned in the Acorn of Wo Mai and taken as a prize back to the imperial court,   when Wo Mai recovered the Emblems and became the First Emperor Chin of the Kao Dynasty in Shou Year 1025 (−225 DR), ending the Black Cycle of Years.

Afterward, the Ivory Chain of Pao disappeared again, at least from history if not from existence. According to some scholars, it had been ground up and the dust used to forge the Acorn of Wo Mai. However, others believed it remained in imperial possession.

In any case, the single link recovered after the Black Leopard was freed remained at the shrine on the Joi Chang Peninsula, until it was raided by four Kozakuran ronin who'd turned to banditry. They murdered all the priests, interrogating the last to learn about the magical ivory figurine, but didn't like his cryptic answer. With his dying breath, he laid an ancient curse upon them.

Later, the four ronin went to the ruins of Balanzia, but there they quarreled and slew each other, with the figurine bearer falling down an old well. Cursed to be eternal guardians of the ivory figurine, they rose again as skeleton warriors.

In Shou Year 2608 (1358 DR), the Black Leopard sent a bauh-yin, one of his leopard-headed servants, to guide the adventuring party hired by Ko Ho San to the old well. If they did not attack the bauh-yin and explored the well, they would find the ivory figurine. Touching it would grant one a vision of its history, but awaken the skeleton warriors. If they retrieved the ivory figurine, it would aid them in their battle against the demon known as Dragon Claw, Lung Jua.

Destruction
Some proposed means of destroying the Ivory Chain of Pao were as follows. One was to reform it using a secret way of joining each link whereby the hands could not touch. Another supposed that each link was associated with a living hero, and that if all were slain, then the Ivory Chain would crumble. Finally, it might be given to an elephant god, who would smash the ivory.

Notable Owners

 * The Nine Immortals
 * Nan Kung Chi, high priest of the Black Leopard Cult
 * Rourke, pilot and navigator serving Sixth Emperor Chin of the Hai Dynasty
 * Wo Mai, the First Emperor Chin of the Kao Dynasty

Background
The word "pao" means "panther" in the Shou language and appears in a name of the Black Leopard, "Hei Te Pao". It appears therefore that the Ivory Chain was originally named for the Black Leopard before the introduction of Master Pao in Book of Artifacts. In-universe, it may be that Master Pao is an invented legend or is the Black Leopard himself.