When you cast "Eternal Song," you open a temporary rift to a mysterious, otherworldly swamp known as the Swamp of Eternal Melody. This swamp is home to magical locusts whose wings resonate with a haunting, rhythmic hum. From this rift, a swarm of locusts pours forth, attacking your enemies and disrupting their actions.
Effect:
Choose a point within range. A 20-foot-radius sphere centered on that point is filled with a swarm of locusts. The swarm spreads around corners, and its area is lightly obscured.
When the swarm appears, each creature in the area must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 4d8 piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Additionally, the area becomes difficult terrain as the locusts hinder movement.
Additional Effects:
- Concentration: As long as you maintain concentration, you can use your action to move the swarm up to 30 feet in any direction. Creatures that start their turn in the area or move into it for the first time on their turn must make the Dexterity saving throw again, taking the same damage on a failed save and half as much on a successful one.
- Blinding Swarm: Creatures that fail their saving throw are also blinded until the start of their next turn.
- Distracting Melody: The incessant hum of the locusts disrupts concentration. Any creature concentrating in the swarm's area must make a Constitution saving throw with a disadvantage to maintain their spell or effect.
Death by a Thousand Bites:
- Eternal Gnawing: If a creature within the swarm's area of effect is reduced to 1 hit point, the locusts swarm over the weakened target, gnawing their flesh with voracious hunger. The creature must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the locusts tear the creature apart, killing them instantly as their flesh is gnawed to the bone. On a successful save, the creature remains at 1 hit point but is paralyzed with pain until the start of their next turn.
At Higher Levels:
When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the piercing damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 4th.
Lore and Backstory:
The Swamp of Eternal Melody is a hidden, mystical place that few have ever seen. Legends say that this swamp exists in a pocket dimension, filled with magical flora and fauna. The locusts there are enchanted, their wings creating an otherworldly hum that can drive listeners mad or drive them to eternal sleep.
The spell "Eternal Song" was discovered by a pair of wandering bards who stumbled upon the swamp while seeking new sounds for their compositions. Entranced by the locusts' melody, they found a way to harness their power through a dimensional rift. The spell's knowledge has since been passed down through secretive circles, coveted for its destructive and disruptive capabilities.
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