Dagger of Rotting (The Stern Lady's Cunning)

Full Item Description

The Dagger of Rotting is an artifact of much renown among the true followers of Wee Jas, the goddess of Law, Death, and Magic. These devout know that The Stern Lady is not to be trifled with, and that she has her own assassins to pursue even the most powerful mortals to betray her. This dagger is typically bestowed upon them, and its legend has brought many who would try to re-create it for their own use.

While Wee Jas does not forbid the use of these daggers, she does keep a close eye on those who carry them, making sure they remain utterly loyal to her alone. Only one who is truly devout could ever hope to succeed in making a Dagger, let alone using one.

A shard of Tantalum must be brought, small enough to fit in a vial covered with 2-3 drops of fresh blood, to the Plane of Acheron**. Amidst the Infernal Battlefield, the would-be creator must locate and petition Wee Jas for her help in the creation of this item. Perhaps the intended use of the dagger will be enough to sway her; perhaps she will demand some other task to be completed before she grants her blessing on the creation.

Once the metal is blessed by Wee Jas, the creator of the dagger must, while still on the Plane of Acheron, forge it onto the tip of an adamantine dagger set with one very clear, dark ruby. Only the tip will end up have any more than a trace of the blessed Tantalum, but that will be sufficient.

Magic/Cursed Properties

This newly-forged blade seeks to be blooded, and after its first kill, preferably a ritual sacrifice to Wee Jas, its full potential will be released. With even the tiniest scratch of the tip, this blade will cause a latent infection that incubates for 7-20 days, and then starts festering, turning purple and black, and dissolving the flesh where the wound originally was.

This flesh-rot causes the victim to lose vitality, as well as the obvious detriment it will suffer to its appearance. If the wound is not somehow cleansed within two weeks of the end of the incubation period, the victim will die.

The blade has its own desire to take life, and so hits more accurately than most daggers, guiding the hand that wields it closer to vital organs or major veins, depending on whether it is stabbing or slashing.

The longer a follower of Wee Jas carries such a dagger, the more likely she is to become more and more obsessively devout. She will develop compulsive rituals that help her connect with her deity, and disdain any who do not follow the same, to the utmost precision, even priests of higher rank. These rituals can consist of anything the GM or player would like, but they must be time consuming, orderly, and precise, and if even one small mistake is made, the entire ritual must be restarted. These rites will eventually grant a boon to the wielder, from the goddess Wee Jas.

Additional Information

*Ferchiun: I will make this and link it later. Lightning so strong it split the earth and struck great chasms into the ground.

**Acheron: the Infernal Battlefield of Acheron. In an infinite void great metal cubes float, sometimes smashing into each other, their ringing joining in with the clash of steel in the great battles eternally fought here. Home to Wee Jas and other deities.

thanks to:rnCheka ManrnMay 7, 2007 18:03
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