Khilat Moonblade - Ethlando

From House of Khilat

Dates: -9,050 to -9,000 DR (50 years)

Powers

Chromatic Blade

On command, the edge of the sword can activate a magic similar to a chromatic blade spell. A needle-fine line of brilliant chromatically shifting light forms along the blade edge shedding dim light like fairie fire, outlining the blade with 1 foot of constantly color changing illumination. The lit edge is immune to magical darkness, and is not affected by any magnetic effects or changes in light or darkness.

The chromatic edge enhances attack rolls with an additional +1 to hit, which also increases chances to sever. Against creatures of shadow, the blade gains an additional +1 to hit and damage. The edge is dangerous even to the wielder, and merely touching it causes 2d4 damage, which is added as bonus damage to any successful attack.

Opponents with armor or magical protection of +3 or better, are protected from the bonus damage. Against these and magical weapons with +3 or better, the chromatic edge will flash a brilliant light, causing blindness for 1d4 rounds to everyone within 5 feet that fail their saving throw, including the wielder if precautions haven't been taken .

The chromatic power of the blade can destroy color spray and prismatic spray spells that come in contact with it, scattering the light harmlessly in all directions.

The chromatic edge of the blade can destroy one layer of a prismatic sphere or prismatic wall after which the chromatic power of the blade will be disabled for 24 hours. If a mighty blow is struck, the sword can cut through all layers of a prismatic sphere or prismatic wall but there is a 25% chance that the barrier will remain intact, while effects of those layers will affect the wielder all at once, though saving throws may apply.

The lit sword edge grants an opponent +1 to hit the wielder in darkness, similar to the benefits of a faerie fire spell.

Sharpness

The edge of the blade is razor sharp. The sword is treated as +3 for purposes of who or what can be hit by it, even though it gets only a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls. On a very high attack roll, it will sever an extremity—arm, leg, neck, tail, tentacle, or other extremity determined by natural (unmodified) dice roll:

  • 18-20 normal/armored (17-20 with chromatic edge)
  • 19-20 larger than normal size (18-20 with chromatic edge)
  • 20 solid stone or metal (19-20 with chromatic edge)

A Called Shot can select the extremity to be severed, though the typical -4 Called Shot penalty may apply. Otherwise the DM can select the extremity severed by logic or random roll. Called Shots may also be attempted against opponents weapons or other items held.

Similar to an axe chopping through soft wood, the sword can chop through rock hard materials, including hardwood, bone, stone and metal. The sword can inflict 1 point of structural damage per round.

Unbreakable

The sword is extremely hard, and can only be broken by extreme measures including Titan or god like strength. It will only fail a saving throw versus crushing blows on a 20. When an opponent uses a weapon to attempt to break the sword, there is a 75% chance that their weapon will be broken instead.

Light

The sword can shed magical light at will, according to the wielder's desired intensity - none, a 5-foot circle of dim illumination, a 15-foot light, or a 30-foot radius glow. Unless specified, the light is a silvery blue, but can be any color of the rainbow, or a rainbow pattern of constantly shifting colors.

Judgement

The sword can judge the character, motive and intentions of anyone it touches.

Each time a moonblade is passed on, the moonblade itself decides whether to accept the new owner or not. The owner must be Elven, a member of its chosen Elven family if any still live, of good alignment, and act in a selfless and heroic manner. Major acts of cowardice, cheating, or lying will all count against an individual attempting to possess a moonblade.

If the moonblade does not accept a new owner, or if it is touched by a non-elf, the blade may choose to inflict 5d8 points of damage per round. If the blade is dormant or chooses not to react, it will perform as a long sword +1. Individuals of evil alignment must successfully save vs. death magic or be instantly slain. Even if the save is successful, the evil individual will feel intense pain, and will never be able to handle the blade again.

Specialization

Regardless of class, the owner of the blade has proficiency as a weapon specialist while using the sword. The weapon specialization only applies to the moonblade, and doesn't apply to other weapons of the same type. If the wielder is already specialized in using the weapon type, then a fighter can gain the next level of specialization, up to Grand Master.

Interactions

  • Moon Blade - Shed light will default to moonlight, unless a color is specified or the chromatic blade is activated.
  • Dreamwarning - Activating subdual damage negates severing.
  • Nature's Friend - When used against living wooden creatures, the sword does double maximum damage.
  • Flame Tongue - When the sword is flaming, it can cut through two feet of ice in a round.

Appearance

The sword was created by Lumiel Miritar, a Master Swordsmith artisan priest of Corellon Larethian as the culmination of his crafting skills, taking 50 years to complete, with the blessings of all the Seldarine. First, he formed the outer edges from folded layers of Arandur, a rare silver-blue metal famous for staying sharp, and further blessed and magically hardened by priests of Labelas Enoreth. Inside the outer edges, he crafted a grill of small black adamantium circles to provide the underlying framework and structure of the blade. Each circle was silver plated to appear as a quarter moon, and each contains an 8 pointed titanium silver star, individually blessed by Corellon. He obtained a block of pure Dwarven "True Silver" Mithral that had been hidden in an ancient shrine of Sehanine Moonbow and blesses with numerous Moonfire ceremonies making it living metal. He mixed in ingots of Obdurium, a pale violet metal harder than adamantium, and Arambarium, a silver metal tuned to primordial and elemental energies that enhances magic. Working for decades, he carefully molded the living Mithral alloy over the adamantium framework to form a mastercraft blade of perfection. Over the Mithral, he laminated a foil of cold iron Darksteel, a deep gleaming purple meteoric alloy tempered with special oils blessed by priests of Hanali Celanil. The completed blade of the sword then underwent the ancient Dwarven blueshine process to purge any fractures or weakness while providing resistance to acid and corrosion, and any future rusting. The tang of the blade is a thick walled tube of adamantium wrapped with wires of gold, silver and platinum gifted from the horde of Avachel. Sealed in the tube of the tang is a single perfect feather of a mighty phoenix servant of Aerdrie Faenya. Made of Dlarun, a bone-white metal that can take a high polish and appears like ivory, the cross guard has the form of a crescent moon that curves towards the handle. The cylindrical tubelike handle was designed to thread securely by twisting onto the wire braided tang. The handle was crafted from Duskwood, a wood as hard as steel, by a druid of Rillifane Ralathil, who blessed it with an Ironwood spell and seasoned it with Fairy Dust collected from avatars of Erevan Illesere. The handle has a fine inlay of Holy Moon-touched Oak and Weirwood that had been temporarily transformed into a Treant. The wood inlay inscribes symbols of totemic magic drawn by totem-sisters of Angharradh. The handle ferrules capping each end are made from thin rings of unicorn horn, collected from a unicorn servant of Khalreshaar that died of old age, and was blessed by her Druid. Threaded onto the adamantium rod tang, the pommel piece is made of platinum and extends the handle a few additional inches. The pommel knob is a hollow conic bulb of platinum, with a depression at the end, and a loop for a lanyard. Sealed inside the pommel is hair from Fenmarel Mestarine. The pommel stone is mounted in a mother of pearl clasp carved from the pearlescent shell of a steel oyster blessed by Sea Druids of Deep Sashelas. The pommel stone is a large deep blue star moonstone, bathed in moonfire and blessed by a Starsinger of Sehanine Moonbow. The final product had mending cast on it to turn the sword into a single piece. At its completion, the Mastercraft sword with its blessings was equivalent to a magical +1 weapon.

Rite

The Moonblades were brought to life in -9,000 DR by an Aryvandaari High Mage named Ethlando, and a Circle of Elven High Magi. The blades were enchanted with magic cast by the Circle to judge those who were worthy of wielding them, and to empower them, based on the exploits of the wielder, and past wielders. The completion of the High Magic resulted in the sacrifice of Ethlando as his life force and spirit was divided and bound to the 300 master crafted swords created for the ceremony.

Since the swords creation, each owner has completed a simple ceremony that bound a portion of their spirit (requiring 5,000 experience points) to the blade for as long as the blade retains its magic. Transferred with the spirit of the owner, personality and knowledge are added to the storehouse of information from previous owners. Further, each owner contributed a finely crafted, rare or precious material to be incorporated into the sword having a value of at least 5,000 gold pieces. The material selected typically has properties related to the power the user wishes to imbue into the sword. The material gets magically incorporated to enhance the overall value, aesthetics and craftsmanship of the weapon. The owner may then imbue the sword with a power of his choosing or need which is powered by the owner's spirit and the high magic ritual that created all the moonblades. A rune then appears on the blade to signify the power.