Items · Melee Weapons · Campaign Defining
Wrathbringer
The deadliest Sinblade, Wrathbringer is coveted by the violent and feared by all.
With the change of the Seven Brave into The Sinblades, our people were lost. The guiding lights that were meant to lead us to conquering our power, they were gone. We scattered the blades, locking them away where we could bide our time and gain strength to face them.
But we waited too long, and forgot. They lingered, and lured weak minds to their cause. Wrathbringer appeared first...
WrathBringer
Type: Bastard Sword
Appearance: This slightly longer than normal bastard sword starts with a claw-shapped pomel, the hilt bound in a black leather-like material. The crossguard extends from the hilt, with the ends curving up towards to blade, each coming to a sharp point. The blade itself seems to seeth with a red pulsating glow, which grows in intensity within combat. The blade is primarily for slashing, although is sharp enough for thrusting attacks.
Mundane Qualities: Wrathbringer is perfectly balanced, requires no maintence*, and is a very easy blade to use in combat. (*Besides being used in combat at least once every few days.)
Magical Qualities: Wrathbringer cannot be broken save by besting the corrupted soul of the Seven Brave contained within. Wrathbringer adapts to its user so that it can be used most easily in combat. Feeds on wrath.
Long Term Effects of Ownership: Owner becomes unwilling to compromise, parley, give surrender, or consider non-violent solutions to problems. Owner delights in violence, and has a need to release their wrath that becomes stronger with time. Owner's immune system weakens, and their mental stability degrades.
Wrathbringer feeds on the anger of its owner, dulling their emotions tied to wrath. Many a pious person has believed Wrathbringer to be a boon in controlling one's emotions, only to realize the insidious nature of this feeding. When least appropriate, most damaging, or at a time considerably inconvenient, Wrathbringer sends its owner into a rage fueled by the sum of all the anger, rage and resentment fed into the blade- usually enough to cause the wielder to draw Wrathbringer and attack anyone in sight.
Wrathbringer must be used in combat once every few days before it starts to dull. It will goad its owner into violence to feed its hunger for violence.
The Seven Brave within Wrathbringer is mostly feral from his imprisonment, and will attempt to cooperate with anyone who sates his need for violence- agreeing to bestow his powers upon the wielder only as needed- not as an inconvenience. Being as tormented by captivity as he is, the Seven Brave's self-control is not sufficient to make such deals work well in the long term.
During a rage bestowed by Wrathbringer, the wielder attacks with complete disregard for his or her safety. Released from the bonds of fear, worry, and self-presevation, they take monumental risks and attack with aggressiveness that usually leaves their enemies little time to actually strike. Such is the increase in capabilities of the wielder in a rage that many mistakenly think that increased speed and strength are bestowed by the blade- but in reality, the limits placed on human action are lessened. Wrathbringer does not stop its wielder from protecting themselves, and indeed, the improved physical capabilties conferred to the wielder while in a rage lead to a considerably improved defense.
One wielding Wrathbringer walks a fine line when in combat with allies, and must show very strong self-control to avoid attacking friends.
When the rage subsides, most wielders find that their entire body aches, their breathing is harsh and ragged, and that they must rest for a short period. In reality, the amount of Wrath being released during a rage has deleterious long term effects, most notably mental instability and a weakened immune system.
Seven Brave: Wrath
Wrath has been driven insane by his imprisonment, unable to release the pent up rage within him. Wrath is barely clutching to the last shreds of sanity that allow him to bargain with those possessing Wrathbringer. He tries to prompt the owner to violence whenever possible, and delights in working with those predisposed to violence. Corrupting innocents is not his primary concern: relieving the constant build of anger, rage and hate is. Wrathbringer prefers someone who will give him constant release over one who he would have to corrupt.
Seven Brave: Relationship to the other swords.
Wrathbringer's wielder is generally immune to the effects of the other swords, so complete is the rage brought on by the Seven Brave within. Wrathbringer is the strongest combatative sword, and even the Seven Brave within Kingmaker has to pause before claiming to be stronger than Wrathbringer.
The Seven Brave within Wrathbringer wants nothing more than to be released from the sword. He cares nothing about the other six of seven.
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- The Sinblades by Ted Bound
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Nice to see one of the sinblades come up! I wonder how someone with an iron discipline would react with this blade. It seems that the wielder would always be walking the line between self-control and all-consuming rage.
I like that you've included a section on the relationship between blades, and look forward to seeing how the oother blades interact with one-another.
I intend to eventually do a sub on each sword, as well as a final one detailing more specifically a plot for their final destruction.
Don't hold your breath. Might be a year before it's done, or longer. ;)
Considering I promised a sub to Ancient Gamer over four years ago and haven't started it yet, I won't hold it against you!
A weapon that loves to be used, the more so the better.
It's the classic berserking sword; a thumbs up for the back-story.
But really, the idea of a sword fuelling your wrath is so old. If it offered you the choice, again and again, and by making the wrong choice so many times, you'd succumb to wrath... that would be cool.
Originally, Wrathbringer was going to be benevolent in nature, before the Sinblades came to being. The others are much less straightforward (thinking on Kingmaker now).
As EM mentioned, the blade is a nice berserker blade with a backstory. Now, if the sword really fed on rage, its best direction would be to 1. Get its bearer into power, or be acquired by one with power. 2. Induce its bearer to acts which enrage those about him. So long as the bearer has sufficent power, those about him who are enraged may be kept in check, feeding the blade. However, eventually something snaps, the current bearer is overthrown and the blade passes on to a new bearer.
KIngmaker is concerned with gathering power. Wrathbringer cares only about exercising it through violence- to the exception of almost all else.
That's not to say that someone in possession of two Sinblades might create such a scenario, and Kingmaker + WrathBringer would very likely lead to the one you mentioned above.
What I really like about this particular sword is that the sword itself is going insane which makes me wonder what will happen if it goes mad.
4.0/5
I also quite like the idea of the seven deadly sins turned into weapons. A good start with this one. Onwards!