Khilat Moonblade - Amorim

From House of Khilat

Dates: -8,406 to - DR (years)

Powers

Wounding

Damage inflicted by the sword cannot be healed by regeneration. Each round thereafter, one additional hit point of damage is accrued for each wound inflicted by the sword; 1 additional point of damage per hit. A critical hit causes 3 points of damaged per round. The magic of the blade keeps wounds open and bleeding for 1 turn after the last successful hit, after which the loss of the extra points automatically stop. Applying bandages to the wounds will immediately stop the ongoing loss.

Only rest and time will allow inflicted wounds to heal, never by potion, spell, or other magical means short of a wish.

Energy Drain

The sword can drain a level (1 hit die for monsters without levels) and accompanying hit points and abilities when it strikes any opponent on a natural roll of 20. Animals and non-intelligent creatures are immune, but objects or creatures with spirits or souls are subject to this life loss.

After the initial level drain, the sword forms a spiritual connection to the opponent which manifests as a glowing cord of energy between the sword and the opponent. When the life force of the opponent doesn't actually reside in the body, such as with liches, then the cord connects through the host then on to the real location of the soul, even across planar boundaries, if required. The color of the cord is determined by the character and alignment of the opponent. Each subsequent hit automatically draws another level into the blade. If the opponent has suffered a recent alignment change due to curse or magic, but the underlying nature remains good, then these life force drains can remove layers of evil until the good is exposed.

Up to nine opponents can be spiritually bound to the blade at any given time. The connection fades 1 turn after the last successful attack against that opponent. Attacks against new opponents resulting in energy drain and bonding that exceed the 9 bond limit will automatically replace the oldest previously established bond.

Opponents can break the spiritual bond to the sword by traveling to a different plane of existence. Certain spells may also be used to sever the cord that binds the opponent to the blade, but cutting the connection has a 50% chance of causing the soul of the opponent to be permanently absorbed into the sword.

Levels drained that do not result in the stealing of the opponents life force are added to the pool of levels held within the gem from Halel's Ring.

Life Stealing

When all levels or hit dice have been drained or the opponent has been slain after having at least one level drained, the sword has the power to draw the life force from the opponent. The sword will never steal the life force of a good creature, unless the action is necessary for the greater good that can only be accomplished by controlling the knowledge or power of the victim. The wielder may choose not to steal the life force of neutral opponents, but evil opponents are always subject to this permanent death. The victim is entitled to a saving throw vs. spell to avoid having his soul being trapped and consumed by the blade.

The real name, true nature, knowledge and abilities of creatures whose life forces are stolen instantly become available for easy access for 1 turn. Contact with the trapped life force requires full concentration, excluding any other strenuous activity. If multiple life forces are trapped within a short period, the highest level or hit die is dominant, but the others can easily be contacted by name.

Once a new life force is trapped within the gem, it will automatically occupy any open slots. If all slots are already filled, the wielder has 1 turn to decide if the life should be converted to the pool of life levels or replace the weakest creature (lowest remaining levels) currently trapped within the gem. The wielder becomes aware of the name of the creature that will be replaced, but if the wielder is not already familiar with the creature in question, there may not be time to investigate the nature, knowledge or capabilities of the creature that will be lost. The levels of the creature replaced are added to the pool.

Captured Life Force

The gem slowly consumes the life force trapped within, both to seal the trap and to power any magic abilities formerly possessed by an entrapped beings. The pool of unassociated life force is used first at a rate of 10 years per level, and once that supply is exhausted, then levels or hit dice are subtracted from all imprisoned beings equally, with a reduction of 1 level every 100 years. Once a being looses a life level, the loss is permanent, but adding levels to the pool revitalizes the imprisoned beings by resetting their clock for level loss. Thus, creatures imprisoned in the gem of Halel have a lingering existence lasting centuries. Up to nine souls can be trapped in the gem.

Only one creature in the gem can be contacted at a time. The easiest to contact is the creature who is currently the most dominant personality, typically the one with the most levels or hit dice, but certain locations or circumstances can cause another to become dominant. The most dominant personality can occasionally exert enough will to express an emotion or insight in an attempt to gain the wielder's attention, but it is easily ignored and has no force or power. Either the wielder or the sword itself can easily quell such calls for attention if they are bothersome, distracting or harmful. It takes one round to bring the full power and personality of the dominant creature forth for conversation or to perform magic. Other personalities imprisoned in the gem can be called forth by name, but contacting them takes effort such that the difference of levels or hit dice between the current dominant personality and the one to be contacted determines the number of rounds required to bring the lesser personality forward. Thus, if the dominant creature still has 12 hit dice versus the desired creature that has only 5 levels, then contacting the second creature will require 7 rounds before that creatures powers or knowledge can be accessed.

Creatures contacted are bound to serve the wielder and must do as they are commanded. They must divulge any information they know, if it is asked of them. Depending on their personality, they may attempt to hide information by not volunteering it when asked about other topics, but when asked directly about specific topics, they must answer truthfully with out misdirection. Their innate powers and any magic spells the trapped creatures had at the time they were slain can be used at will by the wielder. Such powers can only be used as often as the creature could use them when alive, but memorized spells are never lost, but are cast by the consumption of the creatures soul into magical energy.

Creatures trapped inside the sword can only be restored by wish spells or similarly powerful magic cast by at least a lesser deity or a circle of mages who's combined levels exceed 50. Once the gem has reduced the trapped creature to zero levels or hit dice the soul is consumed and can never be restored.

Souls

The following creatures are currently trapped in the gem:

  • 19 levels
  1. Deep Dragon Wyrm 21 HD (183 DR)
  2. Lich 19 level Wizard (277 DR)
  3. Shadow Dragon Wyrm 19 HD (310 DR)
  4. Aboleth Savant 13 HD - Wizard 7/Priest 7 (687 DR)
  5. Nycaloth 13 HD (714 DR)
  6. Mezzoloth 12HD (714 DR)
  7. Salamander Noble 11 HD (650 DR)
  8. Drow 9 Level Priestess of Lolth (421 DR)
  9. Cornugon 9HD (572 DR)

Scar Removal

All wounds inflicted by the blade against non-evil opponents that heal will do so without leaving a noticeable scar. Only careful examination where the wound was inflicted will reveal any trace of the previous damage.

The wielder's past scars are also slowly healed to become nearly invisible, unless some magic prohibits such healing.

Interactions

Appearance

Rune

Feature

Rite