Black Murder (Holy Voulge of Evil):


In the center of the ring of soldiers was a figure in black scale armor wielding a black voulge. The figure had been one of the most trusted commanders of the duke’s army. He had been in command for over a dozen years. There had been rumors of him quietly taking victims even before this. These victims were from those who would not be missed. Still, the commander had been cautious and the duke had been able to keep them quiet.


A few months ago, the commander had come back from what he called personal business. Most likely some adventuring. He had come back with a black voulge. Soon after, the commander started taking more victims. Now though, in addition to being more frequent, the victims that the commander had taken were those who were missed including those from prominent families and even from lesser noble houses. These killings had not even been cautious and discrete.


It had forced the duke to no longer ignore the rumors. The duke sent his best guard people to escort the commander, unarmed, to the duke and explain his activities. They were skilled soldiers and mercenaries, many from far outside the duke’s lands. Instead of coming along quietly, it was clear that he planned to fight them. While he was known to be a good warrior, it was not likely he could fight two dozen soldiers by himself.


As they surrounded him, he pointed his weapon at the sky. A mental keening was emitted from the black voulge. Many of the guards, even though quite brave, ran in fear. Only eight of them remained around the commander. Even so, eight should be enough to easily beat him.


As they came in, he swung at one of them. The blade cut deep, almost cutting the soldier in half. Not even a large pole arm such as this one should have been able to cut that deep in a single blow. Still, two of the other soldiers were able to get in under his guard. One only scored on his armor but the other scored directly on him. After a few moments, the clashing figures retreated back.


A second charge against him and yet another soldier lay dead on the ground from a single blow, this one a female soldier but no less skilled for being a women. What the hell was the weapon he wielded. Only greater rune weapons were known to inflict that kind of damage. He again was scored on, this time by three soldiers and two getting blows through the scales of his.


With the soldiers was a single sorceress. She decided that it was time o act. The duke would not be pleased if all of his special guard were killed. As the soldier’s charged again, she used them as cover to cast a magic net on the former commander. Entangled in the net, he could no longer fight.


The remaining soldiers took their turns stabbing at the former commander while he was trapped. There was no way that they would allow him to get free, many more of them would get killed. Eventually, he stopped fighting with the net that was entangling him.


One of the soldiers reached for the voulge. The sorceress warned, “You do not want to touch it.” She had a bad feeling she knew what the weapon was.



Almost every scholar believes that Black Murder is made from the blood of the malign dragon god “Styphon.” It is believed to be thousands of years old, a weapon that the dragon god dropped into the world to cause death and discord. The weapon has caused both many times carried by a variety of hands. There have been a few cases where the weapon had been locked away in hopes of stopping its destruction.


Each time however, the weapon seems to not remain locked way for very long. In one case, the weapon was seen as needed to stop a monster. A good knight used the weapon to kill the monster but something happened to the knight. He grew to enjoy the killing of those who were seen as enemies, not being very choosy about who he considered enemies, and had to be killed by his own friends. In another case, there was a massive raid which captured the weapon from where it was secured in a monastery. Hundred of attackers were killed but the weapon was taken in the end.


The weapon’s appearance is often described as a weapon for butchery and murder, part of the reason why the weapon got the name it did. Both the head of the weapon and the handle / shaft are made from black materials. The blade of course is from the metal forged from the blood of the dragon god Styphon while the handle / shaft is made from some sort of black wood. There is a simple straight blade on one side of the head although it does come to a point for stabbing. On the other side, there is a sharp spike. It seems to show no signs of wear either on the head or shaft of the weapon. The only decoration on the whole weapon is a single rose design on the head, the symbol of Styphon.


Even though a plain weapon designed for killing, the weapon is still balanced equal to a weapon made by the finest of Dwarven weapon crafter. One might say that one could not craft a finer Voulge. It seems to fit ones hands perfectly and dance around in battle.


While the weapon has other powerful enchantments, the weapon is enchanted to inflict massive damage. In fact, the weapon can be considered as deadly as many greater rune weapons. Part of this is due to the natural powers of the blood of the black dragon god but it is further boosted by the enchantments. Against supernatural and magical creatures, the weapon inflicts even greater blows. Does not matter if those creatures are good or evil.


The other powerful enchantment are that the weapon both glows when in the presence of good and the weapon causes terror. When held aloft, the weapon will cause terror to those around them. It can be activated up to three times per day and effects a radius of sixty feet around the wielder. Only the wielder is immune to this enchantment. When somebody who is good is within twenty feet, the weapon glows a malign red. When somebody who is principled or a supernatural creature, this glow increases.


A number of enchantment items have curses on them and it is well known that Black Murder has a curse of its own. This curse does not discriminate between those who are good or evil but seems to catch all those who wilder the weapon eventually. The curse is considered bad enough that former allies, even those who are pretty malign themselves, to see a need to eliminate the wielder of the Voulge. Still, there are those who consider the weapon to be worth the curse put upon it.


Over the course of several months, the bloodlust and a love of carnage or death will grow in the possessor of the weapon. Murder will become a pleasurable activity for them and they will in effect become a homicidal maniac.

The curse will take only around two months for those who already have a measure of it while those who did not have it before, they will take a bit longer, around six months.


If their alignment was one that would be considered good, unprincipled, or aberrant, targets will be those who are considered enemies. Often, they will only have the most flimsy of excuses. If they are evil or anarchistic, they will not even need such excuses. They will often kill for the shear pleasure with not even any pretenses. They will often go far overboard and not be cautious in their killings.



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Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).


Copyright © 2013, Kitsune. All rights reserved.


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