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You pick up the blade, a fairly common appearing sword, by all standards. There are no flashing runes running across the blade, no gems embedded in the hilt . . it appears to be nothing more than a standard issue soldier's sword. Don't draw the blade! Whew . . . you almost got a little more than you could handle there, my friend. Don't scowl at me like that! I know exactly of what I speak. Had you drawn that blade from the sheath, you would've had the blade for life - not necessarily a good thing. You see, it was "misenchanted", so to speak. This sword is a perfect example of what can happen should one use the wrong ingredients in a spell. The most powerful spell on it is one which literally links your life to the blade. As long as you own the blade (which you will until you die, but we'll go into that a bit later) you are immortal. You can not be killed except on the blade of Tam-Kwan, and I doubt suicide is in your agenda anytime in the future. No, no, no don't look so eager to draw it. For starters, you can still be maimed, disfigured, tortured and the like . . you just won't die from it. Imagine what it would be like to spend a few months with your entrails wrapped around a tree and I think you'll understand how dangerous this item can be. It does not stop you from aging either, so now you're really old and maimed. Also, the sword can not be resheathed until it has drawn the blood of a man. No women, creatures or prepubescent boys - just men. You also can not put the sword down until it has tasted blood. Ever wondered how heavy a sword becomes after wielding it continuously for a couple of weeks? Ahhh .. and here's the real kicker . . .it's only effective for one battle at a time. The sword will take on a life of it's own, killing the first man to attack you with lightning speed. After that, you are on your own until you resheath and draw the sword again. Kind of a bummer if you're facing an army. Speaking of battles, do you remember me saying that your life would be tied to the sword? Well, there's a tad more to it. The sword was enchanted for 100 kills, after that, the sword will turn on its owner and claim a new person to wield it. That person would have 99 kills before the same thing happened. The person after that would have 98 and so on. In game terms, the sword is a Longsword of Sharpness +2 at all times. When it has been drawn from the blade, it will become animate and kill the first man it can. The wielder has little to no control over it at this point. After that, it reverts to a non-animated sword. When the victim first draws it, it will have D100 "charges" before it turns on the wielder. There is no way to disenchant or destroy it without a wish. Once all the charges have been used, the sword will revert to a normal, non-magical sword. This item is based on a sword featured in the book, "The Misenchanted Sword" by Lawerence Watt-Evans. If you are interested in knowing more about this book, visit Rumply's Corner. |
