Mournsky

Aura strong transmutation; CL 20th; Slot none; Weight 6 lbs.

DESCRIPTION

This beautiful sword has a black blade that twinkles like the night sky with a hilt made from bones of death knights. The hilt is designed to represent the horns tipped with violet gems branching out from a demonic face with a great open maw within which is a dark hallow. There are runes set into the pommel in golden script that repeat a single word “Mourn”

ABILITIES

When first encounter in its unawakened state this weapon functions only as a masterwork bastard sword. When a rightful wielder (determined by GM adjudication but always a magus) comes near or touches Mournsky the world darkens and no matter the time of day or intervening barriers for a moment you can see the night sky and you witness a shooting star falling down like a single tear drop. If an unworthy wielder touches, Mournsky he is nauseated for 1 round and in addition suffers a –2 penalty on all ability checks, attack rolls, combat maneuver checks, combat maneuver defense, saving throws, and skill checks so long as he is attending Mournsky. When a worthy wielder reaches or exceeds a certain level, he learns of a specific ritual, he can perform along with what materials are required to perform it. Each ritual requires 1 hour to perform and after it is completed that special quality is awakened with the item gaining that ability.

Level Special Ability Component Cost
3rd +1 Loyal 2,500 gp
4th Maiming 2,000 gp
7th Hexing 6,000 gp
12th +2 Hexing burst 42,000 gp
15th +3 Mourn the Sky 150,000 gp

+1 Loyal: At 3rd Level, the wielder learns the ritual that awakens this ability; the ritual requires consumable components worth 2,500 gp. Mournsky is attuned to the wielder. Thereafter, the weapon cannot do damage to him or to anyone who is loyal to the her. If it is used to strike such a person, the wielder must make a Strength check (DC 20) each time or drop the weapon, as it tries to leap from his hand. Even if the wielder retains his grip on the weapon, it deals no enchantment or Strength damage due to the struggle.

Maiming: At 4th Level, the wielder learns the ritual that awakens this ability; this ritual requires consumable components worth 2,000 gp. When the weapon would deal damage that would kill an opponent the wielder can instead choose to withhold that damage and instead leave a vicious unhealable scar, permanently blind her (or only take one eye), or remove an appendage, which leaves your opponent at -1 hp. To repair this damage magically requires a successful caster level check (DC 15 + the wielder’s magus class level); if a caster fails, an attempt cannot be made again until that caster gains an additional level.

Hexing: At 7th Level, the wielder learns the ritual that awakens this ability; this ritual requires consumable components worth 6,000 gp. This weapon inflicts a –2 morale penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, ability checks, and skill checks to living creatures it successfully deals damages to if the target fails a Will save (DC 10+½ the wielder’s character level + the wielder’s Intelligence modifier). The penalties caused by this ability do not stack.

+2 Hexing burst: At 12th Level, the wielder learns the ritual that awakens this ability; this ritual requires consumable components worth 42,000 gp. This grants an additional curse upon striking a successful critical hit. Instead of the penalty from the hexing ability (see above), a Mournsky inflicts a -4 morale penalty bonus (these penalties do not stack) if the creature fails a Will save (DC 10+½ the wielder’s character level + the wielder’s Intelligence modifier). If the weapon’s critical multiplier is increased to ×3, add the morale penalty is -5, and if the multiplier is ×4, it is a -6 morale bonus. Even if the hexing burst ability is not active, the weapon still inflicts the morale penalty on a successful critical hit.

+3 Mourn the Sky: At 15th Level, the wielder learns the ritual that awakens this ability; this ritual requires consumable components worth 150,000 gp. Mournsky grants the rightful wielder a +1 insight bonus on her attack and damage rolls and the ability to see in normal and magical darkness as darkvision to a distance of 60 feet (if a wielder already has darkvision, the ranges in darkness are double).

Upon a successful hit Mournsky deals an additional 2d6 points of extra fire and lightning damage.

DESTRUCTION

Mournsky can be broken, but it cannot be ruined unless it is melted down by the heat created by a falling star (such as that created by meteor swarm spell).

Lore

Knowledge (arcana, local, or religion) DC 15:

The inquisitors known as the hawks of vengeance who serve Our Father of Star and Sky in the city of Questhaven refer to this blade as The Devourer’s Blade, while the Wyrd of Questhaven (half-ogre magi/half-elves) name it “Death of Many Stars”; however, Mournsky is by far the better-known epithet.

The wyrd mystic theurgist Iron Star Illith, of Our Grand Wright of Heaven, who is the most celebrated weaponsmith in all of Questhaven and its Protectorate, spent 100 years creating this blade. The wyrd is so wealthy that he no longer forges blades for coin alone, requiring an interesting challenge or client to stir him to work. He has been known to send the uninteresting, wishful clients on perilous quests before he will forge their weapon to “…make my client’s interesting enough for the glorious Iron Star Illith to forge a weapon for their use.”

Creating the blade in what he names Xaphan’s Heart, Illith cloaks this forge in powerful illusions, further still it is protected by multiple nests of guardian naga. Xaphan’s Heart is located somewhere on the southern slopes of the Spellborn Peaks, which is where Illith forged the blade at the request of the Dark Emperor Cynmark, the Dread Lich, who ruled the lands for a thousand years before his overthrow at the hands of the Questor’s Society.

Mournsky was not seen at during the final confrontation and no one knows the final fate of Mournsky.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

The Secrets of the Magus

The Secrets of the Magus. Copyright 2011, Steven D. Russell. Author: Steven D. Russell.
scroll to top