A mysterious discovery By Beefy the Bull November 2023
In a remote northern boreal forest, a long abandoned tunnel entrance is discovered in a hidden cave. Buried under a collapsed stone entry portal. Excavation is initially slow, but potential wealth may be just beyond! Once past the blockage, exploration of the tunnels and chambers doesn't find much. Its beginning to look like an empty and abandoned mine, but deep inside a prominent heap of loose stones stands out in a partly collapsed room. The pile of stone just feels or seems important some how. Clearing the rubble that hasn't been untouched for centuries uncovers a mysterious bundle on what appears to be a rectangular stone alter. The bundle seems like a thick cloth wrapped around a heavy object. Unwrapping the bundle reveals it is a large dagger in a scabbard. Though the place and its contents are obviously very old, ancient even, the blade seems out of place... Its not rusted or corroded, the cloth intact and leather still supple. besides obvious signs of wear from the previous owners regular use, it seems almost pristine condition despite its obviously extended time buried in this place. The dagger is large in size, having clear minosian proportions. The dagger, grip, and scabbard have been blackened with smoldering oil-soot. The blade is thick and strong, coming to a sharp point, clearly a stabbing weapon. The metal has a marbling pattern in the steel, small veins of light metal dispersed on darker steel. The only marking on the weapon is stamped in to the blade just above the guard: 137
On later more careful examination, the blade shows several unexplained and disturbing properties:
It is always icy cold, regardless of ambient temperature or even if flames are applied to it.
Anytime someone is alone in a room with it, it causes a sensation of dread, accompanied by an eerie hair raising sensation on the back of their neck and arms when it (or whatever contains it) is glanced or looked at, even if in it’s scabbard, or in a cupboard, covered, or otherwise hidden from direct sight.
If anyone sleeps in the same room as it, they will wake from night terrors they can’t really recall, but remember flashes of blood and violence, and they know, deep down inside, are of the memories of gruesome deaths the blade has been part of.
The blade may look old and worn, but it is always sharp, wickedly sharp. Even attempting to directly blunt it with a rock or hammer has no effect.
It always has small flecks of dry blood in the canvas of the grip, and a line of sticky dark blood smeared on the blades edge - a person can clean it and remove every trace of blood, but it always reappears when the blade is sheathed in its scabbard, or it is out of sight, even if for a just a few seconds.
It has a disturbing propensity to find its way to your hand… for example if a person blindly reaches about a drawer, bag, cupboard or other container containing the blade, they will always accidentally find its grip in the first touch.
Trying to throw it away or dispose of it results in it reappearing near you when you next sleep or rest.
Its wielder cannot be seriously hurt by it: any cuts it causes its wielder will seep and leak thick, dark, slow moving blood, and the wound is painful, and will tingle and pulsate, but is only a superficial injury.
If it is possessed by someone who does not attune to the blade, after one month they will loose sleep every night, the blade’s mere sight, presence, or memory, will fill them with dread and loathing, but they cannot escape from it. They will roll with disadvantage on all rolls, and start gaining levels if exhaustion every day until they submit to the blade and attune, or pass it to another. (symptoms fully fade after being away from the blade for three weeks.)
It is clear to all who experience this blade in person that it is both dangerously powerful because of, and horrifically cursed by its dark past.
When attuned to the blade it gives the following additional effects:
Bleeding wounds: Once per a turn on a successful hit, the blade can cause a bleeding wound effect to the target; target must have blood or similar vital fluids. Bleeding wound can stack on a target, causing 1d6 bleeding damage per a bleeding wound at the start of each turn for the creature. A critical strike with this blade causes two bleeding wound effects.
Murder weapon: This blade was used to murder innocents. The wielder will occasionally feel urged to murder, and may come to their senses and be in a strange place with the blade in hand, possibly standing over potential victim(s). It does automatic lethal damage to targets that are Sleeping, unconscious, paralyzed, (and at DMs discretion: stunned, or have surrendered.)
Bloody mess: Targets killed by this blade cause a terrifying bloody mess, and blood splatter covers the blade and hands of the wielder. The wielder will roll with advantage +1 to intimidate in a 15 foot radius when they make a kill, On success foes are frightened, low level opponents flee for one turn, higher level opponents next attack is with disadvantage . (May affect allied and neutral characters at GMs discretion)
Burdened spirit: Burdened by nightmares of harsh training and dark deeds, you are now the quiet type. Roll with disadvantage in social charisma checks, and with advantage in silent or visual intimidation attempts.
Assertive memories: Gain plus one to attack rolls with the blade, and minus one to Attack rolls with any other weapon or magic. If its attuned wielder ignores or doesn’t handle the blade for more then 8 hours, they will start to feel symptoms slowly intensifying.. Symptoms start with a tingle in the dominant hand, and an increasing sense of psychological discomfort as if there is potential danger, culminating in a slow dimming of general awareness, and amplifying the sound of one’s heartbeat and breath, and the tingling sensation afflicting their hand. These slowly drowning out other sensations and awareness, and instantly relieved by the wielder grasping the blade.
To Attune to the blade: One must be alone, nude, and kneel in a place of compleat darkness and quiet. Then unwrap the canvas grip wrap. Only in darkness will the assassins mantras be visible on the inside of the canvas, if read aloud and memorized for a full night, one becomes attuned; or ‘shackled’ to the blade.
