Black Lotus

The Black Lotus is a highly sought-after relic, often viewed as one of the most powerful magical items in existence. Created before written history by an incredibly powerful artificer named Dleifrag, the Black Lotus was intended to be the ultimate magical conduit, capable of opening a direct link between the user and the weave of magical energy which surrounds the world. Theoretically, the Black Lotus could be used to power anything magical, from spells to inventions, magnifying their power ten-fold. Shortly before the creation of the Black Lotus, Dleifrag destroyed all record of his research, condemning the process of the Lotus’ creation to oblivion. When he first used the Lotus, Dleifrag was overjoyed, feeling unlimited magical potential at his fingertips. But as time wore on, others heard whispers of Dleifrag’s power, and sought the power of the Lotus for themselves. Through magical trickery, the Black Lotus was stolen, and its power used to enslave Dleifrag, forcing him to create dozens of replicas of the Lotus.   At some unknown point, Dleifrag and his captors were lost in a magical catastrophe, which leveled the surrounding area for miles, and rendered all magic in the area totally inert. Tales of Black Lotus sightings have circulated for centuries as rumors, but no one is ever sure if they’re the original, or just the replicas made by Delifrag during his imprisonment. The Lotus’ location and timing of its appearance lead some to think several exist, but no more than one has ever been proven to exist at a time, and they inevitable disappear soon after.   You may use the Black Lotus to cast any spell or replicate any magical effect, without requiring material components. However, after being used to do so three times, the Black Lotus crumbles to ash. This drawback can not be determined through use of an identify spell. After disappearing, the Black Lotus reforms in the shape of a normal lotus, but pitch-black in color, waiting for its rediscovery once more. If the Black Lotus is used to cast three wish spells in a row, the Black Lotus instead explodes, dealing 30d10 damage to yourself, 15d10 damage to all creatures within 120 feet, destroying all nonmagical objects within 300 feet, and rendering all magical objects within 1 mile inert.