Dark Reaver (Holy Sword of Evil):

Black blood dripped into an obsidian caldron in a giant chamber filled with unimaginable wealth. Styphon watched the thick black liquid sluggishly drip from his wrist into the container of volcanic glass. He kept having to reopen the wound to keep his blood flowing. Once the caldron was full, he summoned a Dwarven servant to take the cauldron to forge the blood, once it cooled, into a great black sword. A few weeks later, the Dwarven Smith presented the sword to the Black Dragon God. He transformed into humanoid form and picked up the sword and looked at it. He thought about using the dwarf as a target but skilled smiths are hard to find. Well, if the sword was not as good as promised he would. He summoned for a human servant and watched as a timid young girl came stumbling into the great chamber. She looked unwilling but afraid to not follow his command. She would do and he could show what punishment that those who are reluctant to follow his would get. As she bowed in front of him, he stabbed the sword straight through her slender body. The weapon was perfect. He concentrated his will on the weapon to enchant it. Several heroes of light had received holy weapons from the Pantheon of Dragonwright and he wanted to give in response a weapon to servants of darkness. He already had plans for the weapon and he knew who would be given the weapon. A warrior simply known as the butcher would be given the weapon and should cause much hate and anarchy with the weapon.

While the history of many magical items are unknown, the history of Dark Reaver is well known. The sword was created by the Styphon the Black, Dragon God of Evil, for a human warrior known simply as the 'Butcher.' The number of kills attributed to him have been equaled by few and the anarchy he created in his life is legendary. He is known to have absolutely no mercy and he killed a whim. There are legends that he never died but instead was taken up by Styphon and was transformed into a supernatural servant by the Evil Dragon God. The stories also tell that he now serves as a loyal lieutenant. There have been several searches for his body but nothing has ever turned up. After the Butchers disappearance, the sword eventually founds its way into a dark temple serving Styphon. Though the history, the Malign sword has passed through a number of different hands that were just as evil as the original wielder of the sword. These owners have included dark priests, assassins, witches, evil knights, and evil soldiers and mercenaries. Some of these owners have been worshipers of Styphon but many have not been. Stories tell that Styphon sends his priests out to retrieve the sword if it find its way to the hands of those who the god does not wish to have it. As well, it is believed to have a curse which only effects a being of good alignment who wishes to use the weapon.

For as deadly a weapon as Dark Reaver is, the weapon is surprisingly plain. The weapon looks like it is made from glimmering black metal although it is well known that it is made from the black blood of Styphon. The sword is the size of a claymore and appears to have been forged, handle and blade, from a single piece of metal. The weapon shows no signs of corrosion and is as sharp as when the sword was owned by the 'Butcher.' From this, it is believed that the weapon is indestructible. The blade and handle have not engraving and are quite plain. The only feature of the handle is that it is grooved in a checker-board pattern to make it easier to hold. The hand-guard of the sword is a flat bar with the sides rounded. The utilitarian blade has a single blood groove running down the center of the blade. The blade comes to a point and is usefully for stabbing even though the weapon is fairly heavy. The weapon has been described as a tool for butchery, plain and simple.

Before the weapon was imbued with magical power by Styphon, the weapon was crafted by a master Dwarven weapon smith. The smith is believed to have come from Odguard and originally a servant of Hel, also known as Lady Dyval. It certainly is well crafted and finely balanced for such a huge weapon. Enchantments on the blade make it inflict more deep wounds that are explained by strength and sharpness alone. When used against supernatural creatures, the weapon inflicts even greater damage. This works against both spirits of lights and beings of evil. It was expected that the weapon would have to be used against nominal allies as well as enemies. As final abilities, the weapon is enchanted so that it gives protection against a variety of magic and glows blood red when beings of supernatural good are close by.

The weapon is believed to have been cursed by Styphon himself. These curses only effect beings of good who attempt to use the weapon. This includes those of unprincipled alignment. The weapon is cursed so that a good wielder causes dislike to those around them and finds their healing reduced. Getting rid of the weapon does not remove the curse and a remove curse is required to remove them. Interesting is that the dislike around a good wielder has cause a few to change their alignment due to developing hatred for others and in that case the curse disappear.

Basic Statistics:

Damage:

Weight:

Length:

Bonuses:

Powers:

Virtually indestructible and never dulls
Glows with a just barely visible red halo of energy when drawn and registers as magic.
Adds +5% to all prayers to one's deity.

Special Abilities:

Damage Bonus: Weapon inflicts 2D6 additional Damage (S.D.C. in S.D.C. worlds and M.D.C. in M.D.C. worlds).
Monster Slayer: Inflicts normal S.D.C. damage +6 points to human and mortal foes, but does double damage to supernatural beings and creatures of magic (effects being of both good and evil). It does S.D.C. in S.D.C. worlds and M.D.C. in M.D.C. worlds.
Magic Bonus: +1 to save vs Magic (All), +2 to save vs horror factors, +2 to save vs poison and disease.
Sense Good: Glows bright blood red when within 20 feet radius of good. Turns brighter with supernatural good (such as spirits of light) and being of principled alignment.

Curse:

Dislike: The target of this curse becomes an irritant to those around them and who he meets. Strangers will take an immediate dislike to them. Fights will break out (often over nothing), merchants will not want to deal with them, and they will be unable to get service at shops. The M.A. Attribute is reduce to 5. After six months, there is a 44% that the character will become paranoid.
Reduced Healing: This curses effect is that the wielder will only heal one point per day by natural means and half normal healing by magical and psychic means. Spells of restoration will be unable to heal severed limbs and resurrection only has 25% of working successfully. When attempting to recover from a coma, the wielder has no bonuses to save (Base recovery only).

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Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).

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