Daumoqag, The Black Talon
Threads: 1
Spell Defense: 30
Daumoqag is a very large silver 2-handed sword, difficult to wield without a thread. It is not particularly distinctive except for 3 strange crystals or gems of unknown origin. One, the Eye, is clear and diamond shaped: it is embedded in the center of the blade near the crossbar. The other two crystals, one black, one scarlet, are spherical and mounted at the ends of the crossbar.
Rank 1
- Cost: 500
- Key Knowledge
- The bearer must know the name is Daumoqag, The Black Talon
- Effect
- Once a thread is tied to Daumoqag, its surface becomes nonreflective. Though clearly made of silver, it does not gleam or shine. The damage step is now 9 and the bearer gains a +2 bonus to Melee Weapons when wielding the sword. It is easy to wield, but still requires the same minimum strength as a normal 2-handed sword.
Rank 2
- Cost: 800
- Key Knowledge
- The bearer must know the sword was forged by A'Kvaun Seha Jycain and his Black Circle
- Effect
- The bearer gains a +1 bonus to Spellcasting Rank.
- Might of the Land:Bearer must forcefully drive the sword into the ground, preferably into actual stone. This takes an action and costs one Karma Point. While the bearer remains near the sword and faces it, he may add Rank steps (Rank plus 2 if in stone) to any tests involving Willpower, including Willforce. Also add Rank points to the wielder's Perception Attribute.
Rank 3
- Cost: 1300
- Key Knowledge
- The bearer must learn that the sword's power comes from a powerful spirit A'Kvaun bound to it.
- Effect
- Daumoquag's Damage Step is now 10.
- Blood Flame:When the wielder Wounds someone with the sword (including the wielder), the blade is surrounded by a deep red flame, which embodies a Blood Flame Point . Blood Flame Points are gained whenever the sword inflicts a Wound , and each point remains a number of rounds equal to the Thread Rank . If all Blood Flame Points expire, the flame dies away. Each Blood Flame Point adds to either the damage step or the Melee Weapons step, and the points may be redistributed at will (but not between rolling the attack and damage tests, of course). If the wielder chooses to use Might of the Land , the flame continues and the wielder may divide Blood Flame Points among Willforce, Spellcasting and Thread Weaving tests instead. In any given round, the wielder may spend 1 Strain to prevent any Blood Points expiring that round, this may be done as often as desired.
Rank 4
- Cost: 2100
- Key Knowledge
- The bearer must learn that the sword's spirit actually feeds on the ambient blood magic of the death and wounding of those around it.
- Effect
- The wielder gains a +3 bonus to melee weapon tests when wielding Daumoqag, and the Eye of the Blade may be used a a Spell Matrix of Rank equal to the Thread Rank.
- Death's Door:If a blow inflicts a Wound and brings the victim to within the maximum karma roll of his death rating (the karma step for this purpose is the wielder's karma step plus the thread rank), Daumoqag will draw a karma point from the wielder and add the karma test result to the damage inflicted. Blood Flame must be active for this to happen, and it surges when this ability is used. The wielder may only prevent this by making a successful Willforce test against Daumoqag's Spell Defense.
Rank 5
- Cost: 3400
- Key Knowledge
- The bearer must know the source of the scarlet crystal
- Effect
- The wielder gains +1 to his Thread Weaving Rank. Blood Flame points may be spent in place of karma points or strain. When used for karma, the karma step is the Thread Rank. These points cannot be used for Death's Door unless the wielder has no remaining Karma Points. Also, when striking an opponent with Daumoqag, the wielder gains blood flame points equal to the success level of the damage test vs the target's Wound Threshold, with Average Success being 1 point. This also applies to Spells cast while benefiting from Might of the Land.
Rank 6
- Cost: 5500
- Key Knowledge
- The bearer must learn the source of the black crystal
- Effect
- When using Might of the Land, instead of gaining Rank Willpower steps, the bearer makes an Unshakeable Earth test each round (paying the Strain for the use of the Talent only if the test result exceeds the step number) and adds the result to his Willpower attribute during that Round, in addition to effect of Unshakeable Earth. When making this Unshakeable Earth test, the Step number is only Strength + Rank unless the sword is driven into solid natural stone, in which case the full step of Strength + Rank + 5 may be used. If the wielder has Unshakeable Earth, add the Thread Rank to this test result, otherwise, treat him as having the talent at a Rank equal to the Thread Rankfor Might of the Land only, i.e. he gains the benefits of Unshakeable Earth only in conjunction with Might of the Land, and cannot tie threads to it or otherwise use it as a real Talent. The wielder still adds the Thread Rank to his Perception attribute, and while using Might of the Land, Blood Points last twice their normal duration.
Rank 7
- Cost: 8900
- Deed
- With Blood Flame alive, the wielder must slay an innocent fighting for a cause he believes in. When Daumoqag strikes the death blow, the victim will be engulfed by the Blood Flame and consumed--painfully. The Blood Flame becomes so intense that nothing inside it can be seen, and the wielder may need to drop the sword to prevent being wounded himself. When the flame subsides little remains of the victim save ashes, and Daumoqag has changed to its true form: what was once the blade is now two blades, one deep red, the other black as night, each a wave and both intertwined. The crossbar remains unreflecting silver, but is now carved a pair of snarling demons, with arms swept forward holding the gemstones out near the blade, and each with a long curved horn extending half the length of the hilt. The hilt itself is now the twisted ends of the blades, dulled to cords and twining about each other to form the grip and meet at the strange new shifting black and red crystal at the end of the hilt. The Eye is no longer a clear crystal, but a smoky crystal with a scarlet cat-like iris. It lies in the space between the first wave of the blades, and though still crystal, looks almost alive, almost watching.
- Once the transformation has taken place, The damage step increases by 2, and the Spellcasting and Melee Weapons bonuses increase by 1 each. This deed is worth 2,000 Legend Points.
- Effect
- The wielder may use Blood Flame Points for temporary blood magic effects. The Eye is useable as a Share Matrix, with rank equal to the thread rank plus 2. The Spellcasting bonus is +2, the Damage step is 13, and the Melee Weapons bonus is +5.
Rank 8
- Cost: 14400
- Key Knowledge
- The bearer must learn the Name of the spirit in the sword: Kthuuj-Mahaev Vec Ithlaiz
- Effect
- The sword's damage step is now 14.
- Energy Channeling:By making a successful Melee Weapons test--with Perception as the base Attribute--against a difficulty number equal to the Spellcasting test result of a spell targeted at the Wielder, the wielder may break the cast spell and channel its power into Daumoqag. If the spell has an effect step, add that many Blood Flame Points to the current total. If the spell has no effect step, use the caster's Spell Casting step instead. Note that the wielder must be holding Daumoqag or using Might of the Land .
Rank 9
- Cost: 23300
- Deed
- The wielder must gain the spirit's acceptance and cooperation, either by trickery, coercion or force. Nothing of the higher Ranks may be determined until this deed is accomplished. This is worth 6,000 Legend Points.
- Effect
- The damage step is now 15, and the wielder gains a +2 bonus to threadweaving tests.
- For a cost of 3 Blood Flame Points each, the wielder may make Thread Weaving or Spellcasting tests as non-actions. This allows Thread Weaving tests, followed by a possible Spellcasting test, but no Thread Weaving tests may follow the Spellcasting test, and only one such Spellcasting test is allowed. Additionally, these tests may only be made for spell patterns stored in the Eye.
Rank 10
- Cost: 37700
- Deed
- The wielder must use blood magic to re-Name the spirit, becoming a part of its true pattern and granting greater access to the abilities it has. This deed is worth 10,000 Legend Points.
- Effect
- The damage step is now 16, and the Eye is a rank 15 share matrix. Also, Energy Channelling may be used on any spell targeted within sword reach of the wielder. Daumoqag isat leasta Major Pattern Item for its wielder's True Pattern.
- Death Flame:By driving Daumoqag through a fallen foe (who must be slain by this strike) and into the ground, the wielder may cause the Blood Flame to consume the victim from the spirit out. The blood flame surrounds the victim and turns a deep black, taking only a round or two to consume the target. This may only be used on a Named entity, and someone killed this way has his spirit utterly destroyed. The wielder gains a few significant memories of the opponent and a number of ranks equal to their circle for adepts, their second highest skill rank for nonadepts, or any characteristic number for creatures. The wielder may add these ranks to his own talents, skills, defense values, etc. These ranks last until the next sunrise unless the wielder uses Blood Magic to extend the duration (to a year and a day).