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Hessesselen grants binders resistance to heat, powers over vapor, and swimming abilities.

Vestige Level: 3rd
Binding DC: 22
Special Requirements: No

Legend: In a forgotten age, millennia ago, the planes existed differently. The baatezu and tanar’ri had not yet been fashioned, the mind flayers were slowly building their grand empire, and the serpentine races lorded over the prime.

In the present day, Earth opposes Air. Fire opposes Water. They combine into Magma, Ooze, Smoke, and Ice. It was not always so. In the ancient days, the planes combined differently. Earth met Air to make the Paralemental Plane of Sandstorm. Where Fire met Water lay the Paraelemental Plane of Steam. The Plane of Steam was an infinite expanse of boiling seas and scalding skies, and the greatest elemental lord was Hessesselen.

The Steam Lord ruled over thousands of vassal spirits of steam, but Hessesselen was not content with his kingdom. He had designs on plane-spanning empire. He sought to conquer the other elemental kingdoms. Hessesselen launched simultaneous attacks on both Fire and Water, grandly confident of victory. The initial battles favored the Steam Lord, but something disastrous happened.

Some believe that the cataclysm was brought about by defenders of Fire or Water, seeking to protect their lands from Hessesselen. Others say that Hessesselen himself caused the disaster, thinking it would secure his victory. It may be never known, but the consequences were infinite – the borders of the Elemental Planes sundered and recombined. Sandstorm was scattered settled to the Planes of Earth and Air, while the Paraplane of Steam evaporated, leaving no traces of its existence but the pompous steam mephits – and the vestige of Hessesselen.

Manifestation: When the binder completes the seal, a cloud of warm vapor fills the circle and spills out. Rising from this thick cloud, Hessesselen appears as a giant, winged beast, formed like a gargoyle or mephit. His transparent body seems made of glass but is filled with angrily boiling water. When he speaks, his voice is soft and warm, but screeching and hissing in anger. Hessesselen always considers himself a superior being.

Sign: Your skin and hair become warm and damp. When your emotions become strong, your breath visibly steams.

Influence: Hessesselen’s arrogance shines through you. While under the Steam Lord’s influence, you cannot seriously consider other creatures to be your equals or betters. You rationalize all cooperation as deception of subordinates, and Hessesselen demands that you refuse all direct orders given to you.

Granted Abilities: Hessesselen gives you abilities that recall his ancient land – the Paraelemental Plane of Steam.
  Fire Immunity: You have immunity to fire damage.
  Swimming: You gain a swim speed equal to your land speed.
  Breath of Steam: You can spit a stream of boiling water that explodes in a cloud of steam. This acts as a Fog Cloud spell with a range of 10 feet per binder level. If the binder wishes, the steam can deal 1d6 points of fire to each creature within the effect’s area each round, for a maximum of 5 rounds. This ability works under water normally. Once you have used this ability, you cannot do so again for 5 rounds.

Before anyone submits any more Vestiges, allow me to provide a little warning to all DMs in the audience.

As the Tome of Magic is written, THERE CAN BE NO OTHER VESTIGES.

That is not to say that you can't make some but to say that you'll need to do some ever-so-slight modifications

The reason for my deduction is quite simple. Dahlver-Nar. He became a vestige because he wore all of their teeth. As he was a human with 32 teeth, he could only utilize the same number, which is the exact number of Vestiges the book created.

Although the book never directly says that he wore the teeth of ALL vestiges, if taken only out of the book, that is the case, creating new flavor for Dahlver-Nar. If you ruin this, his reason for being a vestige doesn't seem as significant. The entire point of the teeth, including their name, is that they belonged to him.

If you are going to include other vestiges (and with them other teeth), substitute them for something else, remove Dahlver-Nar and rename the teeth, or simply change him and his history ever-so slightly.

I am really picky about small details like that.

Nothing in the book says that these are the 'only' vestiges to exist. In fact, having the character search for new and unknown vestiges to bind is an excellent reason to go adventuring.

as for letting the player design a new vestige, thats fine. Its not his 'character' whos making a new vestige. the character just finds it.

I'd of course have to review it , make sure its not over (or under) powered.

Yeah, someone might want to tell WOTC they should remove their "Guide to Making New Vestiges" column because it doesn't fit fluff text.