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Scythe of Dalavar

Level Four Orichalcum/Soulsteel Artifact

Once upon a time, the City of Dala Varia had been a glorious and rich city on the edges of Creation, with a history as rich as that of any great city of the Realm. Despite the fact that it's leaders had long resisted pressure to join the Old Realm and benefit from the benevolent rule of the Solar Deliberative, the city benefited from frequent trade and was used by the Harmonious Voices as a key juncture in the economic structure of the Old Realm.

Until, that is, a rogue Copper Spider named Jorush came to Dala Varia and took it as his personal kingdom. Many were the crimes of Jorush during that time, as he built up the city of Dala Varia in preparation for what many felt was a war of conquest in the South. These crimes and these plans drew the attention of the Solar Deliberative, and with force of arms they brought the reign of Jorush to an end and sent him on to his next incarnation.

Though they had brought Justice to the Sorcerer-King, they had brought no peace to the city of Dala Varia. The city was gutted in the final battles, particularly due to the various traps and triggers that Jorush set into the city to make the Deliberative regret just such an act. Those citizens that could be saved were taken back to Chiaroscuro and Dari as refugees, and the Dawn Caste Aeas was left behind to sift through the ruins as best she could and salvage those things that could be salvaged.

In her searches, Aeas found a hard wood staff, crafted with the aid of both Orichalcum and a strange greasy metal that she eventually came to call Soulsteel. Hand-crafted by Jorush for some unknown purpose, the power of the Staff was great, and after looking over it for a bit Aeas tucked it deep into her stores with a note to eventually send it to the Great Vaults of Deheleshen for safe keeping.

She then swiftly forgot about it.

Other Powers of the Dalavarian Scythe

• Staff-Form: The attuned owner of the Scythe of Dalavar can cause it to shift between its two primary forms as a reflexive action. The first form is that of a simple walking staff, laced with minute amounts of FMM. It requires a Perception + Awareness roll, at difficulty 4, to realize that the Staff is in fact magical when in this form. In the second form, the staff twists and recurves, and a glowing field of razor-sharp energy grows from the head of the staff.
• Multiple Energy Blade: The Energy Blade of the Dalavarian Scythe has multiple configurations, each of which gives various benefits. The wielder can switch between blade configurations with a dice action, and the expenditure of 5 motes.
  • Golden-Blade Configuration hardens the essence blade to the consistency of Orichalcum, and causes it to shine with the fury of the sun. In this configuration, the weapon adds his Essence to the Defense and Speed bonuses of the weapon, and reduces the soak of any opponent by a like amount. The blade also gives off approximately as much light as a torch. You can only keep the blade in this configuration for about an hour a day, and must have Essence 5.
  • Flame-Blade Configuration diffuses the essence blade into an yellow-orange burning blade of energy, with whirls of essence visible within. In this configuration, the blade ignores the natural soak of most undead (not including Abyssals or Deathlords), and can be used to attack immaterial ghosts and spirits. The blade can also start small fires in this form.
  • Ghost-Blade Configuration diffuses the essence blade into a chill ghostly white blade of energy, which hums with power. In this configuration, the blade ignores all mundane armor-based soak and cannnot be parried by mundane weapons without a stunt. Artifact weapons and armor, as well as items enchanted by charms or sorcery, work normally.
  • Void-Blade Configuration hardens the essence blade to the consistency of Soulsteel, and causes it to pulse with the power of the void. In this configuration, the weapon adds the wielders Essence to its Accuracy bonus and reduces the soak of any opponent by a like amount. The wounds caused by the blade are also exceptionally painful, inflicting a wound penality one greater than normal. You can only keep the blade in this configuration for about an hour a day, and must have Essence 5.
• Authority of the Realm: The Dalavarian Scythe was designed, Aeas suspected, as a weapon of Vengeance, and had several powers to assist in that ability. These powers can only be used by attuned Solars and Abyssals.
  • Voice of Zeal: The wielder can invoke this power for 5 motes when anyone stands in the way of something that he feels strongly about (ST's Discretion). Those offering resistance must make a Conviction roll at difficulty 2 or back down.
  • Inevitability: The wielder can invoke this power as a Simple ability for 10 motes and 2 willpower. The wielder must clutch the staff firmly in both hands, and name the criminal that he seeks in even tones. The wielder thereby gains various abilities to assist him in his hunt for the criminal he seeks: He gains +Essence in automatic successes to Presence rolls for intimidation and to invoke his authority in the hunt. In addition, anyone seeking to interrupt his passage must spend a willpower point and make a Valor roll at difficulty 2. However, the Wielder must fail a Conviction roll to engage in any activity other than hunting for his quarry. The mote cost for this power until the wielder lets its effects lapse.
  • Each use of Voice of Zeal gives a Solar one point of Limit, and any use of Inevitability gives a Solar three points of Limit. Abyssals gain one resonance any time they use either Voice of Zeal or Inevitability, due to the Solar Essence they channel when using these powers.
• Hearthstone Setting: In Staff-form, the Hearthstone merely rests comfortably embedded in the material of the Staff. In Scythe-form, it instead floats gently in the base of the energy-blade, sparking energy now and again.

Commitment Cost: 8 motes