Tarsardar

Often called staff spirits or sword spirits after their favorite homes, tarsardar are translucent, flowing, wraithlike beings that fly. They hold a rough upright shape with a head and shoulders, while the rest of their form ripples and shifts; one bard called them glowing ghostly wisps. They can shrink to fit inside any item with even a trace of enchantment, gem or ring included, and can leave at will even if the item is designed to trap spirits or control creatures. Much like shadowstaves, which they resemble, they are often taken for undead but are not, and magic that affects undead does nothing to them.

No known means can compel or control a tarsardar, apart from the goddess of magic and the god of wizards, whose mastery over the fabric of magic lets them turn one into any creature or destroy it instantly. Tarsardar avoid fights when they can, but readily animate their item and send it to attack seemingly on its own if a target suits them.

A tarsardar uses an item as if it were the ideal user in class, alignment and nature, at the highest possible level, with full expertise in all its powers. In a new item it must rest for 1 round before it knows every power, though any obvious function, or one it watched being used recently, is available at once. Every tarsardar can make its item fly, float and move as though held by invisible hands, because it is really the spirit moving, gripping the enchantment.

Dispel magic automatically expels it from its item (roll only for the spell's effect on the item itself), but does it no harm and keeps it out for only 3 rounds. An item that cannot move by itself drops to the ground when its spirit is ejected. If the item loses all its enchantment, the tarsardar is forced out harmlessly and can never return. It sees all magical auras and bindings within 90 feet, in every direction, as a permanent detect magic.

It can make two energy burn touches per round. These hit automatically against anyone touching its item; if it has partly or fully emerged, it must roll to hit. Whenever it suffers more than 6 damage in a single round and lands a touch in that same round, each point past 6 is added to the burn as leaking energy.

It squeezes through the tiniest gaps and changes size instantly. Falling, wind, and weapons of the same type as its current home cannot hurt it: a spirit living in a magic axe is immune to every chopping blade, enchanted or crude. It can also pick one attack power of its item to become immune to, along with related powers (chain lightning goes with lightning bolt, meteor swarm with fireball). The protection holds even against its own home item, lasting until that item is destroyed or the spirit chooses anew. It moves between enchanted items at will. Spells of the enchantment/charm and illusion/phantasm schools fail against it, as do death magic, hold and paralysis effects, psionics, poison, petrification, polymorph, cold and electricity.

Tarsardar communicate by gesture, by writing, by a haunting whistling whisper, and mentally with anyone they touch. They keep the mind, memories and personality of their former lives, though many turn cynical, sarcastic or bitter. Their charge is to spread magic and its use to everyone, and to deepen its wonder by making the goddess of magic seem present everywhere and enchanted objects seem to act alone.

More than shadowstaves, they grow independent and pick favorites among mortal wizards. Some routinely foil evil mages, making items flee or turn on them, while others frustrate good mages or magic-wielding rulers and lawgivers. They obey the goddess of magic, the god of wizards and her Chosen, but ignore the current Spellwarden and all clergy of the magic deities, and follow their orders only to the letter when those masters are absent. Disobedience has gotten many destroyed or permanently turned into mules, harmless little creatures or even suitable familiars. When the gods destroy one this way, it can be considered to have shifted alignment, losing its lawful and perhaps neutral side.

Tarsardar never fight one another willingly, even through items. Rival mortals who use spirit-inhabited items against each other usually find those items suddenly dead and unresponsive.

They need no food, drink, air, sleep or warmth, and belong to no natural cycle or food web. Many are curious and investigate any magic they sense, which has convinced some sages that they feed on magic, but they do not need to.