Azord

The Azords are a group of sentient spells created by a reclusive wizard who attempted to create new spells that can react to threats and situations dynamically without the caster needing to choose the best spell for the situation.

The result was a magical consciousness that took the form of many different sentient presences. An Azord can directly inhabit a spell slot once its been cast, and some Azords can even compel casters to cast a spell immediately to vacate the slot for them to occupy.

The caster can choose to cast the Azord as a spell to expel them from their spell slot, and the Azothw ill not leave until this is done, otherwise it occupies that spell slot forever. The caster has intimate knowledge of the spell only once they begin casting it, and if they stop casting the spell they will forget that knowledge instantly. When casting, the Azord chooses a spell that is not available to the caster's spell list and channels through them to have the spell cast properly, able to serve as their own power source for the spell. Some Azords have access to spells designed only for magic items, and other esoteric magical knowledge.

An Azord always has a name and a number, for instance, 'Azoth the 56th Azord' or 'Azmora the 9th Azord' and speak telepathically to anyone it chooses. Their personalities vary, some are helpful and wish to do good, while others are mischievous and some even malicious. Many casters die shortly after attempting to use the spell slot the Azord occupies and the spell is mischief. The Azords certainly seem to hold no value to the life of mortals, but some are closer to doing so than others.

As far as anyone knows, the Azords are immortal, and once expended as a spell are banished for a time to an unknown plane or perhaps just the magical ether, but they always return to the prime plane to leech off caster's spell slots. Azords are known to live on scrolls, some are within powerful magic items, some lie waiting in empty chests or in certain areas for someone to wander close by, hoping to come across a spellcaster.

Azords have no physical form but can choose to appear as a ghostly floating wave of force, unidentifiable except by someone who has seen an Azord before, and these are few who can say that they have.