Lord Surturs Bane

This weapon was originally created a number of years ago and has been worn predominantly by Icarone for the past 8 or so years. As part of an ongoing story the spirit within the sword has recently been released and the sword is a more normal (if still powerful) daemon slaying blade.

The first part of this page deals with the sword in its new form. The second part covers the previous properties of the sword i.e., for historical reference only.

Lord Surturs Bane

The sword is similar to a rapier in design although it is heavier in both look and actual weight. It has a basket hilt with a tentacle motif. The blade is covered in intricate runes inscribed in a flowing script that is hard to concentrate upon. The blade is 4 feet long and weighs 6 pounds.

Since the guiding soul has been released the sword no longer bonds to it's wielder however it's colour will change over time from mirror silver to inky black depending on the moral compass of the wielder. Currently the sword is mirror silver.

The following abilities of the sword remain.

Properties of the sword

The base chance of this sword is 55% and its base damage is D+8. Although the sword may be wielded by anyone it has a base strength requirement of 15 for the purposes of overstrengthing.

The chances of achieving spec grev and endurance results with this weapon are increased. Spec's will be achieved on 10% and Endurances on 33% of the base chance.

The sword may not break at all ever and provides +20 to not being dropped if the wielder is stunned.

The sword adds bonuses when battling daemonic entities as follows:

• +30% to strike chance and D+20 damage when fighting entities with an "Avatar" aura.
• +15% to strike chance and D+12 damage against related "Minion" type creatures (i.e. the servants of "Powers", Imps, hellhounds, lesser deamons and suchlike). The sword may stun entities that are "not stunnable" I.e. mind mages elementals and deamons.

Abilities that Cost

The following abilities are possible with the expenditure of 5ft (This counts as tiredness ft) and take 1 pulse.

• The sword will allow itself to change shape to another weapon. This weapon may be used at two ranks less than the host has that weapon ranked.
• The sword may become a Dagger or other close combat weapon but the Damage is reduced by 2.
• The sword may have its class changed. From A to B or C. When this is in effect the sword flows into a slight variation of it's form but retains it's basic shape.

Investing weapon spells in the Sword

The sword may also have a weapon spell stored within it. The sword may only have 1 spell stored at any time. To store a spell a mage must simply cast a spell at the sword. If no other spell is in storage the sword will absorb and store the spell. If another spell is present the mage will collapse and suffer 3 backfire effects.

Use of the Sword

If used as a normal sword it is used in exactly the same fashion as a rapier. The sword may be wielded and ranked by any humanoid entity regardless of strength or dexterity. However those who are ranked in rapier or Estoc may use their prowess in those weapons to aid in the learning of this sword. Training time halved for people with higher ranks in Estoc or Rapier. In addition the sword may be used at half ranks of Estoc or Rapier. Or if its shape is changed it may be wielded as the new weapon at half rank of the appropriate weapon skill. The sword counts as its own category for the purposes of the Warrior skill. The sword must be ranked as a separate weapon up to rank 20, however due to the way in which the sword works with magic the sword may be ranked concurrently with spells and rituals. The EP cost per rank is as follows:

Ranks	EP Cost
0-4	200
5-6	500
7	2000
8-11	4000
12-15	6000
16-19	8000
20	10000

GM Note

The sword is still a very powerful weapon, particularly against daemons. However it should be remembered that in order to retain this weapon in it's previous form cost Icarone tens of thousands of EP as well as the difficulties inherent in having a blade stuck to his arm. As such the power of the sword has definatly been earned. Mandos 08:56, 3 Jul 2007 (NZST)

Historical Reference

History of the Beast

This sword was fashioned thousands of years ago to destroy a Daemon intent on destroying the universe ( when will Daemons get a new hobby! ) This Daemon, "Lord Surtur", led his minions upon a charge across the plane and was in the process of plundering the worlds of Ky T'Haan when an elf slew Lord Surtur and many of his minions.

The elven sorcerers had created this sword in order that their world would be saved, and intended that the sword would be destroyed immediately after. However Surtur had spun his own spells of corruption and tainted both the blade and it's wielder. Upon his death he gave the sword the power to choose it's manner of destruction and it's own arcane magics. The elven wielder was also tainted and refused to relinquish the sword after the battle. There the fate of it's original wielder and known history of the sword is lost although mention of such a blade has been rumoured often.

More recently the sword has been revealed to have been in the hands of a Rune Mage who attempted to study the sword. He unfortunately kept trying to read the runes upon the blade and spent most of three years in a coma.

Most recently the sword has been in the hands of those of good demeanour and so the soul residing in has settled somewhat into a less evil persona. The most recent changes are that the swords colour has shifted from black to grey to the current “normal metal” colour. It now no longer requires the bonding with the wielder but can still do so to enhance the abilities of the sword. Details on how to bond at a later stage are documented below.

If the sword is not bonded to anyone it will not stay with the wielder for more than three months before it disappears on a search for someone who will bond with it.

Any elf from Ky T'Haan will desire the destruction of the sword, but fear of the blade will keep them from attempting any rash action.

Bonding with the sword

Bonding with the sword is not something that should be attempted lightly. If possible allocate some time to speak with your GM or the creator of the item to discuss the long-term effects of having the sword.

The sword as previously described actually enters the flesh and joins with your arm. This is a painful process and costs 1 permanent endurance point which costs 2500 EP to repurchase.

From this point on you gain all abilities detailed on later pages. Many of these abilities cost yet more endurance and all of the endurance taken by the sword should be documented. A page is attached to aid you in this.

If the sword ever gets to the point where it has taken 50 points of endurance the creator of the item should be notified and the item will be modified appropriately.

The sword has been designed to still be playable despite it’s power and disadvantages. Please feel free to discuss this with the creator and small changes may be possible although downsides are meant to be bad and the sword should never be easy to wield.

Effect upon wielding

The sword when wielded will exude metallic black tendrils that will pierce the flesh of the hand wrist and forearm and mesh with the muscle. The arm will be rendered useless for any activity that isn't wielding the sword. Peoples reactions are also likely to be affected by the sight of a person with a sword welded to their arm. Note: The effects of having a 4 foot piece of metal attached to an arm should not be taken lightly, most activities from the daily and mundane through to the weird and unusual will all be affected by the presence of this item. Climbing becomes almost impossible, eating a chore and sex unusual in the extreme. The sword will not accept shapeshifters as a host.

The Sword can be wielded as a normal sword. If this is the case the effects of the sword are lessened and are detailed separately within the details below (in italics).

The Sword's Personality

The sword may communicate with its host. When without a host it will provide information and co-operate with any member of the adventurers Guild. It will always be on the lookout for anyone that would be willing to bond with it and will try to coerce anyone it can into wielding it. It also must inform anyone who asks, or who wields the sword the manner of its destruction without lying or avoiding the truth. It will be jealous of any other weapon <except shield> that the host may want to wear. If another sword is used then LSB will sulk, rendering any special abilities unusable for a week.

Effects from divinations

To a DA question the sword will be part of the host’s aura, when questions are asked pertaining to the sword itself the aura becomes murky and the GM should make a Perception check for the DA'er and the results indicate the level of truthfulness attained. If the runes inscribed upon the blade are read by a Rune mage or similar, they will immediately fall unconscious with no chance to resist. They will wake the next day with no recollection of the previous day's events.

Properties of the sword

The base chance of this sword is 55% and its base damage is D+8. Although the sword may be wielded by anyone it has a base strength requirement of 15 for the purposes of overstrengthing. The chances of achieving spec grev and endurance results with this weapon are increased. Spec's will be achieved on 10% and Endurances on 33% of the base chance. The sword adds bonuses when battling daemonic entities as follows:

• +30% to strike chance and D+20 damage when fighting entities with an "Avatar" aura.

• +15 to strike chance and D+12 damage against related "Minion" type creatures (i.e. the servants of "Powers", Imps, hellhounds, lesser deamons and suchlike).

The sword may stun entities that are "not stunnable" I.e. mind mages elementals and deamons.

If wielded as a normal sword it does D+6 normally, D+15 against Avatars and D+9 against minions. When not bonded with the sword no additions to Strike chance apply.

The sword may not break at all ever. It may not be dropped. If the host rolls a 99 or 00 roll the opponent gains a chance to riposte. If the opponent chooses to riposte they may add 7 to their rank for the purposes of riposting. This +7 only counts on the occasions where the host rolled 00 or 99 and not on all riposte rolls. The sword adds +15 to the willpower of the wielder. The sword adds +50 to resistance against all magical effects that may cause the host to change shape. I.e. lycanthropy and other shapeshifting curses and effects.

If wielded as a normal sword non of bonus’s in the above paragraph will be in effect.

The sword will also give a 5% bonus to the casting of all spells talents and rituals cast by the host. The host must spend two weeks familiarising himself with the weapon during which no spells may be cast. This training takes both morning and afternoon and must all be done at one time. Once learned the host may cast one handed but the other hand must aid in general gesticulation and as such the sword must be waved around in the air.

The sword will, due to the way in which it bonds with the host, protect the host from ALL Spec Grev's that affect the arm on which the sword resides. The sword can keep its wielder alive for a number of pulses after the wielder has dropped to below negative half endurance. The number of pulses is equal to the amount of endurance drained from the host by the sword (see below). Any damage taken after this time may be healed but if all the damage is still enough to kill the host after the sword runs out of pulses then the character dies and any endurance loss due to death is doubled. If a trollskin is placed upon the character then the sword will allow the spell to keep the host alive. The sword will replenish the ability to keep the host alive upon each week. Upon the lunar phases of full, half and no moon

If wielded as a normal sword non of bonus’s in the above paragraph will be in effect.

Abilities that Cost

These abilities are not available unless the wielder is bonded with the sword.

With the expenditure of one point off permanent endurance <at a cost of 500 ep to regrow> the following benefits may be gained. These abilities take one pulse to take effect and last for 1 combat or ten minutes whichever is the lesser. These effects must be paid for at the time of use and may not be stored previously to the time of effect.

• The sword will allow itself to change shape to another weapon. This weapon may be used at two ranks less than the host has that weapon ranked.
• The sword may become a Dagger or other close combat weapon but the Damage is reduced by 2.
• The sword may have its class changed. From A to B or C. When this is in effect the sword flows into a slight variation of it's form but retains it's basic shape.
• The sword may become a climbing claw, adding +15 percent to the climbing skill. This also allows the host to climb. <In case you hadn't guessed>.
• If the wielder is ever under the effects of having more power channelled through their body than they can effectively control the sword can channel the power out safely through itself.

Investing weapon spells in the Sword

This ability is not available unless the wielder is bonded with the sword

The sword may also have a weapon spell stored within it. The sword may only have 1 spell stored at any time. Any spell stored within the sword must stay within the sword for 1 week before it may be triggered. To store a spell a mage must simply cast a spell at the sword. If no other spell is in storage the sword will absorb and store the spell. If another spell is present the mage will collapse and suffer 3 backfire effects.

Spell Casting Abilities

The sword will allow the bonded host to cast the following spells. These spells have base chances and as such may backfire. The Sword has an MA of 30 for the purposes of determining base chance. All of these spells may only go to rank 20.

• Dark Vision

The sword will allow its host to cast Dark Vision with a rank equal to the amount of permanent endurance (“Endurance Stored”) the sword has taken.

Range 15ft <+15ft/rank> Duration 1 hour <+1/rank> Base Chance 60 Visual Range 50 <+10/rank>

The vision is monochromatic and rangefinding perceptions are reduced. The higher the rank the less of a problem this becomes. This Vision costs 2 Fatigue points to activate.

• ShadowWings

The sword will allow its host to cast the spell of Shadow-Wings at a rank of Endurance Stored /2.

Range 10ft <+10ft/rank> Duration 30 mins <+30/rank> Base Chance 25

This spell creates huge wings of darkness that will bear the target through the air at a rate of 30 miles per hour plus 1 per rank. This spell costs 4 fatigue to cast.

• Shadow Walking

The sword will allow its host to cast the spell of Shadow-Walking at a rank of Endurance Stored /3.

Range Host Duration Immediate Base Chance 5

The host can cause him/herself to be instantly transported from one area to another as long as both are in shadow. The destination must be in sight or have been studied carefully <1 minute> beforehand. The destination may be up to 5 <+1/rank> miles from the spot the host occupies. This spell costs 6 fatigue to cast.

The Bad Side

The sword lives in a state of constant agony, the only way to relieve the pain is to drain the life force from its bearer or other sources. This means it removes 1 EN per quarter from its host <Buyback: 2500ep> and also must be bathed in the blood of a living entity the size of a pig or larger every Lunar Cycle. The sword must be plunged up to the elbow of the wielder inside the living animal. The sword will allow itself to be removed once the creature is deceased or half an hour has passed if the creature dies too quickly. If no creature is provided the sword may require 4 EN from its host to ease it’s suffering.

The sword is unremovable without removing the arm it is attached to. If removed without a remove curse being successfully performed before-hand the sword will also inflict an amount of endurance damage equal to the amount of stored endurance the sword possesses in addition to the damage caused by losing the arm. The art's of healer will fail to heal this damage as will potions and spells although a healer may stabilize the wielder. If this causes death the wielder will be unressurectable for a number of days equal to the amount of damage taken less one and a half times endurance. During this "unressurectable" time the body may be preserved. The chance resurrection is also modified by -1 for each day the victim is "unressurectable". if the damage taken is ever three time the victims endurance they are unressurectably dead, their body will crumble to dust and their soul reside within the sword. This will effect the abilities of the sword for future wielders.

P.S. When we use the term unressurectably in conjunction with this sword, we mean it...no second chance...that's it...no coming back...not ever...at all... WE ARE NOT KIDDING HERE!!!!!!!

Use of the Sword

If used as a normal sword it is used in exactly the same fashion as a rapier. The host of the sword is automatically at Rank 0 in the weapon as soon as it is wielded. The sword may be wielded and ranked by any humanoid entity regardless of strength or dexterity. However those who are ranked in rapier or Estoc may use their prowess in those weapons to aid in the learning of this sword. Training time halved for people with higher ranks in Estoc or Rapier. In addition the sword may be used at half ranks of Estoc of Rapier. Or if it is convinced to change shape it may be wielded as the new weapon at half rank of the appropriate weapon skill. The sword counts as it's own category for the purposes of the Warrior skill. The sword must be ranked as a separate weapon up to rank 20. However due to the way in which the sword works with magic the sword may be ranked concurrently with spells and rituals. The EP cost per rank is as follows:

Ranks	EP Cost
0-4	200
5-6	500
7	2000
8-11	4000
12-15	6000
16-19	8000
20	10000

The wielder may not rank or use any 2 handed weapon while wielding this sword.

Destruction of the sword

The sword may only be destroyed by being wrapped in the flayed skin of a virgin not older than twenty eighty years old, then placed on the top of a snow covered mountain during a lunar eclipse. The blood of six children must then be sprinkled upon the snow in the shape of a six-pointed star. The sword must then be watched by six people from the time of the eclipse until dawn. During this time the sword will test the watchers requiring 2x willpower checks every hour to resist the temptation to grab the sword and kill the other watchers. If dawn arrives and the sword has not been taken the first rays of the sun will cause the sword to crumble into dust. If a watcher fails a check and wields the sword the wielder is believed to number among the most powerful entities in all worlds, rivalling even the gods.