06/03/05

The Sword of Vargas

Vargas was a legendary Dragon-Slayer, who was already an ancient Legend before the Scourge. Despite the great legend attributed to him, little else remains of this ancient hero, except the blade that bears his Name.

The Sword of Vargas is a curved broadsword of obviously Elven design, with graceful lines and a one-sided blade. The grip is made in the image of a hawk's head, and there is a large gem set into the handle where it meets the blade. The grip is a brassy metal wound with soft leather, and and the blade is smooth spring steel with a slight reddish tinge to it. Without a thread woven to it, it does Strength+3 damage.

Maximum Threads: 2

Spell Defense: 18

Rank 1 - 500 LP

Test Knowledge: The user must learn the true Name of the sword.

Key Knowledge: Serpentsbane

Effect: The sword does STR+6 damage, and can also detect the presence of dragons and dracoforms within 50 yards. It does not give direction, but merely indicates their presence.

Rank 2 - 800 LP

Test Knowledge: The wielder must learn the Name of the Weaponsmith who made the sword.

Key Knowledge: Laurendulin

Effect: The sword does STR +7 damage, and STR +8 against dragons and dracoforms.

Rank 3 - 1300 LP

Test Knowledge: The wielder must learn the Name of the first Dragon that this sword drew blood from.

Key Knowledge: Vargas wounded the Dragon Anantaboga, and stained the blade with his blood.

Effect: The sword does STR +8, or STR +9 against Dragons and dracoforms. It can also now ignore the Armored Scales power of dragons, allowing the wielder to get Armor-defeating hits on an Excellent Success as normal.

Rank 4 - 2100 LP

Test Knowledge: The wielder must learn where and how Vargas died.

Deed: The wielder must journey to the site, and build a shrine to his memory - 2100 LP.

Key Knowledge: Vargas died battling the dragon Anantaboga in his lair in the Thunder Mountains.

Effect: The wielder can now resist the Dragon powers Suppress Magic and Dispel Magic, with a step number of Willforce (or Willpower) + Thread Rank.

Rank 5 - 3400 LP

Test Knowledge: The wielder must learn who last wielded the blade.

Key Knowledge: Duncarion of Wyrm Wood.

Effect: The sword does STR +10 against all targets. The wielder can resist the effect of the Dragon power Fear, with a step number of Willforce (or Willpower) + Thread Rank.

Rank 6 - 5500 LP

Test Knowledge: The wielder must learn what became of the last wielder of the blade.

Key Knowledge: Duncairion died attempting to defend Queen Failla against the great dragon Alamaise.

Effect: The wielder gains a bonus to their Spell defense to resist the effects of Dragon Breath equal to the Thread Rank, and the same to their Willpower for putting out Dragon Fire. They also get a bonus to their Toughness test to resist Dragon Venom equal to the Thread Rank.

Rank 7 - 8900 LP

Deed: The wielder must hunt down and slay a Dragon, using the powers granted by the sword. They must re-baptize the sword in the blood of that Dragon.

Effect: Any dragon damaged by the sword cannot use their Regeneration power to recover that damage. Any successful hit against a Dragon that does damage also causes an automatic 5 Wounds to the Dragon, in addition to any other Wounds caused.

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