Cicatrix (Major Artifact)

Slot none; CL 30th; Weight 2 lbs.; Aura overwhelming necromancy

DESCRIPTION

When Cardinal Martyr reached for a tool to permanently put an end to her sight so she no longer had to bear witness to the evils of the multiverse, her hand fell upon Cicatrix. Although even she doesn’t know who or what placed the black blade within her grasp, in the ages since it put out its mistress’s eyes, the blade has rarely left Cardinal Martyr’s hand. Cicatrix is a +5 holy returning vicious dagger that counts as both cold iron and silver. Any time Cicatrix deals damage, the creature struck must attempt a DC 25 Will save. If it fails, the wielder instantly knows that creature’s alignment and can listen to its surface thoughts, as detect thoughts. If the wielder chooses, she can then force the creature to attempt a DC 25 Will save; if the creature fails its saving throw, the wielder may blind the target (as blindness/deafness) or inscribe a martyr’s mark upon the target. Inscribing a martyr’s mark means the wielder takes the damage from the attack instead of the target; the martyr’s mark is triggered like a mark of justice, but activates a geas/quest of the wielder’s choosing instead of bestow curse. A martyr’s mark can be removed as if it were a mark of justice.

DESTRUCTION

Cicatrix is destroyed if an evil outsider of CR 20 or higher uses the blade to sacrifice itself to save a good outsider’s life.