Blade of Whispers

By Fredrik Svanberg (euthanatoi@hotmail.com)

History

This talisman sword was originally created during the Himalayan War by an Akashic Brother called Tsui Cheng-ji. Cheng-ji used the weapon with great success in the war, fighting enemies on both sides of the Gauntlet with equal ease.

Proto-euthanatoi moving through the realms of the dead were caught off guard by Cheng-ji when he wielded this sword and he was able to fight them and their minions across the Shroud.

In his last battle Cheng-ji defended an outpost of the Shangri-La chantry against hordes of undead and restless souls led by half a dozen conjurers. He was finally overcome by his enemies but with his dying breath he cursed the blade to prevent it from falling into the greedy hands of the death-mages.

The blade is supposedly still in the ruined outpost which now serves as Tsui Cheng-ji's tomb. Akashic masters can tell countless stories of different attempts to recover it, all thwarted by the mysterious guardians who protects the warrior's grave.

Appearance

The blade looks like a scimitar of ancient oriental design. The weapon is worn and tarnished but the edge is still sharp and it is marvelously well balanced. An Awakened being who picks it up will hear a choir of whispering voices and other sounds, just barely audible. It is impossible to hear what they are saying. The blade will never produce another sound; a blow from this sword is completely noiseless.

The slightly curved blade is about three feet long and made from a dull gray metal which bears marks of oxidization but no rust. It can't be polished by any normal methods. The handle is made of bone entwined with some kind of leather which is dry and crumbles. It can easily be replaced without affecting the sword's magical properties.

Powers

The Blade of Whispers allows the wielder to see and attack beings in the Umbra through the Gauntlet even when the wielder is in the material realm. It is also a good focus for the Spirit sphere, especially for affecting ghosts and their realms.

Cheng-ji's curse altered the sword's magic somehow but nobody has found it and figured out exactly how it's changed yet. The death-mages he fought didn't make it back to their chantries to tell anyone about it. The reason anyone knows about the curse at all is due to rumours in the Shadowlands. Wraiths who know about the sword are not at all likely to discuss it with the quick, though.

System

A simple activation roll using the sword's Arete (2) at difficulty 4 is all it takes to use the sword's original powers. It can strike spirits and ghosts causing its usual damage (Strength + 3), even though the wielder remains in the physical realm, out of reach for most spirits.

When used as a focus for Spirit effects concerning the Lower Umbra or wraiths the Gauntlet/Shroud rating is always considered to be 4.

Cheng-ji's dying curse made sure that anyone killed by the blade would become bound to it as a wraith. Wraiths and Spectres who are beaten into a Harrowing by the sword get it as a new Fetter as well. The owner may find himself haunted by far more than he can handle if he uses the sword too much. The local Shroud near the sword is always at 4, adding to the danger. Wraiths and spectres bound to the sword have all kinds of different ideas. Some will want to destroy the weapon while others try to protect it. Some are planning to kill the owner and others are just trying to prevent him from creating more wraiths with it. Almost anything spooky can happen; think "poetic justice" and remember that the low Shroud works both ways.