Need an awesome shadow-themed magic item for a duskblade

[ChudoJogurt]

Hi all,

My players have finished an important quest for an Empire of Shadow, and I would like to give them equally awesome rewards.
But I'm sort of stumped as to what sort of item or blessing to give them.
I've come up with an idea for our Warlock (free ability to shape some soulmelds reskinned to more shadowy theme and essential to do so), and Warmage (Cloak of the Bat from PF), but I'm a bit stumped as to what to give to our Duskblade.

It should be something suitable to 9th level Tier 3 game, costing (approximately) 20k in gold equivalent. It'd be preferable if it's "cool" rather than boring but practical, and somehow makes them more flexible and adds options rather than just makes them better at what they do.
The character in question is Dwarf Duskblade 7/Deepwarden 2

[Segev]

How about a portable hole?

But instead of a black cloth, it’s some item which, when it casts a dark shadow, opens the portable hole in said shadow. I’m thinking a shield (no pluses), but any item that would be usable in general and cast the right shape shadow could work. Maybe even a coin.

[PunBlake]

When I think of shadow-themed items, I think of the prestige class Umbral Blade, from Races of Destiny. They feature an Umbral Blade that can change forms and strike touch AC a few times per day, among other things.

In an attempt to emulate that without the PrC baggade, I'd offer to enhance his primary weapon, whatever it is, into something like a great swordbow (MIC 61), with his current melee weapon(s) as the melee form and a +1 composite (mighty X) longbow as the other form. This only costs the same as the bow, so you have custom weapon funds left over. For flavor, give it Shadowstrike (MIC 43) 2/d on his melee weapon. Give an additional +1 weapon enhancement to the bow side (flat or a special ability) and it should be about right. If he already has a ranged weapon, instead fuse them together and add Shadowstrike uses/enhancements as you see fit to hit your ~20k budget.

[DwarvenWarCorgi]

Collar of Umbral Metamorphosis (Tome of Magick 10,800) grants the Dark Creature template 10 mins/day; combine with an Amulet of Health for shadow theme Deepwarden booster.

Shadowy Diadem (Dragon Magic, 6k ish) grants concealment (20% miss chance) and immunity to energy drain 3/day, combine it with a headband of intellect, would be great for duskblade

[Fizban]

Cloak of Shadowy Emergence: take the Cloak of Mysterious Emergence (Dragon Magic p93), but replace the Teleport effect with Shadow Walk, add secondary properties to taste. Though IIRC one of Deepwarden's only interesting abilities is Tunnelport later on, which Shadow Walk kinda overshadows.

Also- 20k is nearly half the treasure of a 9th level character, and also more than they'd get from 9th to 10th. Which means this "single" item needs to pull the weight of multiple smaller items/upgrades to existing items, and they are probably missing certain basic bonuses already. So you can't pick or design anything without considering their current magic item list. The Warmage might be fine with just a cooldown flight item, but a melee character needs magic weapons and armor and other AC bonuses and strength and saves and so forth.

[ChudoJogurt]

Well, it's a recently created new character, that was supposed to be temporary, so he's fairly low on magic items:
He has a +1 weapon, +1 armor, and +2 Str and +2 Con items, and that's it.
What would he "need" strictly speaking?

[Segev]

Well, it's a recently created new character, that was supposed to be temporary, so he's fairly low on magic items:
He has a +1 weapon, +1 armor, and +2 Str and +2 Con items, and that's it.
What would he "need" strictly speaking?

Typical doctrine around here would suggest, I think, either a +2 saves item or something to let him fly or at least keep up with fliers. Whether this is true in your game or not is more something you’d know than we would, though.

If he doesn’t seem to be suffering lots of misses or missed hit and doesn’t seem to be left unable to keep up with or close with enemies, your idea of “something fun” is probably better. I generally find “cool toys” to be more fun than “bigger numbers,” unless the bigger numbers are essential to feeling competent.

[Falontani]

Perhaps an item like a runestaff (but that doesn't replace his weapon spot) that grants access to various mysteries (tome of magic).

A once per day item of Call Nightmare would technically be 18k gp, and would give him flight and a decently powerful mount. Appling the dark template our shadow creature template (tome of magic or lords of Madness) would make the whole thing shadow themed.
Or perhaps a Shadow Dark Unicorn (monsters of faerun)

The final item I would consider personally would be an armor: +2 Ghost Ward Shadow Silk Hide Armor with several broaches, pins, or the like that are 1/day or less (1/week) that have different shadow themed spells/invocations/mysteries.