Baleful Mail

The Baleful Mail was a unique enchanted chainmail of duergar crafting, created for the Church of Bane, unusable by good-aligned creatures.

Description
This set of grim-looking dark chainmail was significantly heavier than other similar sets of armor. The armor's construction made it less effective against slashing damage and significantly more effective against crushing.

Powers
The Baleful Mail was imbued with a +2 enchantment. This chainmail also granted the wearer complete immunity to charm spells and abilities, including such spells as dire charm, charm person, confusion, command, rigid thinking, and others. Umber hulks' hypnotic gaze was among charm-like abilities the Baleful Mail rendered useless. These benefits were granted to the wearer in exchange for reduced charisma.

History
The Baleful Mail was forged by duergar smiths in 1221 DR, guided by a Baneite cleric Banenamed Alerri of West Waterdeep. Alerri harbored exceptional hate towards the Church of Sune, often attacking the goddess' priests. Subsequently, Sunite priests used her divine charm magic on the scornful Baneite, forcing him to perform indignant and embarrassing things in full view of the Waterdhavian public. Years after the incident, Alerri committed his life to creating a charm resistant armor to exact his vengeance. Guided by his communions with Bane, Alerri gathered exotic materials and rituals needed for the armor's crafting. The evil nature of the chainmail he was assembling was obvious from the horrific murder of thirteen married couples committed by Banenamed Alerri. He gathered the victims' wedding rings and had his duergar servants weave them into the chainmail. The next deed was to slay thirteen elves and baptize the Baleful Mail in their blood while praying to the Black Hand for thirteen hours.

Emboldened by the newfound protection from charm, Banenamed Alerri went on a reckless murderous crusade against the Church of Sune. His rampage extended from the clergy of Sune to Lliira's, and Hanali Celanil's. It lasted for three years until Alerri's death in 1224 DR at the hands of Corellon Larethian's archer priests who ambushed the maniac on a road north from Waterdeep.

Decades later, in 1281 DR, the Baleful Mail was taken to Dragon's Eye at the Spine of the World and stored among other treasures in a locked chest near marilith demon Yxunomei's lair.

Appearances

 * Video Games
 * Icewind Dale