Thursday, April 26, 2012

Wergild

Rathgar paused for dramatic effect "She said 'You killed my sister' and brought her hand out from behind her back. In it she held an ornate long dagger 'with this very blade. You took her. You despoiled her, and when you were done, you plunged this into her chest.' The robber-baron laughed at the slip of the girl before him. 'Guards! Take this waif to my chambers. It's only fitting that she share the same fate as her sister.' The guards went to take her, but none could lay a hand upon her. She weaved and dodged like none I'd seen before. Even better than Nimble!"

"Hey!" Nimble jeered from the bar.

Smiling, Rathgar continued "I was in no position to help her, though I wanted to. I was yoked and chained to a pillar in the hall. I could see it all happen, but I couldn't do a damn thing. But how she moved! There was a lot of yelling, then screaming as she slipped among them, cutting as she went with the dagger that killed her sister. It wasn't long before the robber-baron himself decided to stop her himself. Unarmed he stepped toward her, and caught her by the wrist as she tried to thrust the dagger into his chest. 'I'm going to kill you, and you can't stop me.' she spat at him. He just laughed and twisted her arm up, pulling her in close. With the dagger blade between there faces he whispered something to her, I didn't hear what it was. Her face became cold, the anger drained out of it, and she shot her free hand straight into his neck. His head snapped back, and he dropped her as he fell to his knees."

The tavern patrons were completely focused on Rathgar. Nimble looked around the room, sizing up targets. Feris put his hand on Nimble's wrist. "Don't" he whispered "We come here too often."

"The robber-baron coughed and blinked away tears in time to see the flash of the blade as she plunged it into his eye. Unfortunately one of the guards chose that moment to stab her with his spear. In the resulting confusion a fellow prisoner released me, and we got away with a little to show for it. I still have one thing I took before we left." Rathgar then drew the dagger from his boot and held it up for all to see.


Wergild

This magical blade contains a natural but temporary enchantment. The possibility of enchantment begins when a blade is used to murder in cold blood. If that blade is then taken up while the blood of the victim is still wet upon it, and an oath of revenge is sworn, the blade may become the fated instrument of that revenge. As long as the blade is in the oath-swearer's hand it will gain a +3 bonus to all attacks, and +6 against the target of the revenge. In addition it will grant the wielder a +3 bonus to AC, and if within 50' of the target it will reduce by half any damage taken. Upon the death of the target most of the power of the dagger will drain away, leaving it a +1 dagger.

2 comments:

  1. Interesting. Blog on!

    http://francene-wordstitcher.blogspot.com/

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  2. Ooh, interesting. I love the sound of Wergild. :)


    Elizabeth
    A to Z co-host

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