Vengeance (Rune Long Sword):

Melphana cried as she watches her home burn down to the ground. Bandits had attacked her father's estate, killing everybody except for her. Next to her lay the dead body of her mother and two sisters. The girl had been beaten to a pulp and repeatedly raped. Her sisters and mother had shared the same brutal treatment but somehow she had survived. In truth, It was a miracle that she had survived and most likely the bandits thought she was dead as well. As a final act, they had burned everything to the ground.

Her father had been a prominent horse breeder in the Eastern Territories, almost a noble in his own right and quite wealthy. He raised some of the finest horses outside of the elves. Undoubtably, that was what had driven the bandits to attack her father's estate. Her father had never fortified his home the way he should have and that had come back to haunt them. All of her family's retainers were dead along with her family. The bandits had taken all of her father's fine animals with them.

Crawling over to her mothers dead body, Melphana vowed revenge with every fiber of her being over her tears. What good it would do was questionable. She was seriously injured and could barely move on her own. Her fine gown was nothing more than a few rags which clung to her body. There was a good chance that she would not last the night.

Dimly, she could hear the sound of a horse riding fast. One of the bandits coming back, maybe. She looked up, trying to get to her feet. Her eyes could barely focus from the beating her head had taken but she thought she could see a figure riding a black horse. The figure drew a sword and Melphana closed her eyes in preparation to meet the goddess. The sound of metal entering the ground, similar to a shovel digging into the soil could be heard.

Melphana opened her blood clotted eyes and saw the black blade and handle of a sword in front of her, the tip dug into the ground. It looked huge to her eyes and she could see deep runes simply to what she had seen in the book she had been suppose to read about the dwarves. Her father had never seen the need for his daughter to learn anything of weaponry. The figure spoke, "This is your Vengeance, take it and avenge yourself." With that, the figure on the black horse rode off without ever looking back again.

On her knees, the girl wrapped her hands around the handle of the sword so she would not fall and suddenly the pain began to diminish. Melphana got up to her feet on shaky legs. In what sounded like a female voice, the girl suddenly heard in her mind, 'I will help you get your vengeance. I will teach you how to fight and help you to kill all of those responsible. It is highly dangerous and there is a good chance you will die. It is not a path for the faint of heart. Do you still wish your vengeance?'

Only word escaped her lips, "Yes!"

While most rune weapons have interesting histories, Vengeance has a more interesting history than most. Unlike most rune weapons, it does not seem to remain in one beings hands for a long period of time. It is sometimes based between owners before the sword even has a chance to fully bond with them. Each time, the sword passes to the hands of someone driven to vengeance. In some cases, warriors have been the wielder but in many cases, the sword winds up in the hands of someone who has never wielded a sword, or any other weapon for that matter, in their life. The sword has been lost several times, often a wielder ends up being killed during their act of revenge, but has each time been reclaimed.

The personality of the sword appears more female than anything else. Some scholars have speculated that long ago, a woman who died without being able to get her own vengeance allowed herself to become part of the sword. She is almost humorless and is incredibly driven when in pursuit of vengeance. She does not see any harm in using force on those standing in the way of a goal and will even goad the possessor into torture if it will get results where other methods will not. She has been carried by both men and women although women have predominated. She will not allow herself to be carried by those which she perceives as evil and those who do not have a true moral code of their own. Still, those who see themselves as good but are not strong in their convictions often find themselves to sharing her moral code. She definitely does have a moral code and there are things she will not do. She will not allow her possessor to harm a true innocent and especially not harm a child. She also does expect a possessor to keep their word of honor to those who are worthy although those who she considers not worth are below her contempt. She will not allow anyone who is a wizard or a psychic greater than a minor to carry her, seeing them as having their own abilities to pursue vengeance. Once a possessor's vengeance is done, if they survive that is, the weapon will ask the wielder to pass it to another in need of vengeance

Vengeance has the ability to teach those who cannot fight the basic skills they need for survival. These include had to hand skills equal to those of a mercenary, how to use a sword with skill, the basic skills of boxing, and finally will put the wielder on a general regimen of exercise. She has a limited ability to train those who are already partially skilled as well. She will also teach intelligent tactics and does not expect her wielder to attack by direct means especially dangerous opponents such as wizards and psychics. (OCC: Can teach the skills of Hand to Hand: Expert, W.P. Sword, Boxing, and Athletics - all at first level of experience)

The sword is a relatively plain weapon with a black blade and black handle. The blade comes to a sharp point and is as useful a weapon for stabbing as it is for slashing. It is extremely well balanced, the equal of any long sword made by the dwarves. Along the matt blade and handle run deeply engraved runes. The hand guard is a simple oval tang and simple grooves run along the handle to improve the grip. The pommel is plain as well. It is obvious that whoever made this weapon did not bother with making it fancy.

In abilities, the sword is a powerful psychic. It gives the possessor all of the sensitive psychic abilities. Very commonly, the sword will use clairvoyance both to find a new wielder and to find the object of the wielder's vengeance. Other abilities such as object reading and astral projection came be extremely useful towards getting vengeance. Of course, telepathy can be used to read the minds of those suspected of being involved. Torture can be combined with this and even if a person does not confess out loud, they will usually have it in their mind. The sword has two super psionic abilities. One is the ability to heal. The second is the ability to psychically attack another with such attacks as paralysis and pain. It is more known as the "Evil Eye" by some. The wielder will also find that their attacks are faster and their actual movement is faster as well, more deadly in hand to hand than if they where using a standard weapon.

Attributes:

Characteristics:

Like all Rune Swords, it is completely indestructible
Links to wielder within 6 months of constant contact. Can sense each other presences within 4 miles (5.4 km).
Gives wielder +1 on all saving throws.
Add +1 Attack per melee and doubles speed.
Can be used to parry energy blasts at -6
Aberrant Alignment: Will only bond to individuals of Aberrant, Unprincipled, Scrupulous, and Principled Alignments. Those who are not strong in their alignment will often become aberrant in alignment (Game mast / players call.) Any being which attempted to wield the weapon but has an evil (other than aberrant) or anarchist alignment takes 2D4 points of damage each time they touch the weapon or 3D6 damage if creatures of magic.

Weapon Bonuses:

Due to superior craftsmanship, equal to Dwarven quality, and enchantments has +2 to Strike, +3 to Parry, and +4 on Initiative

Weapon Damage:

4D6+6 per strike, inflicts S.D.C. in S.D.C. Worlds and inflicts M.D.C. in M.D.C. Worlds. (Plus strength bonus if applicable)

Weapon's Special Abilities:

Psionic Abilities:

Sensitive:

Super Psionics:

Speed Doubler:

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Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).

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