Shamshir of Silent Speed

By Gary Astleford (ocelot@connectnet.com)

Description

The Shamshir (the word from which "scimitar" is thought to have been derived) of Silent Speed is an excellently-crafted weapon of fine Damascus steel. Written in Arabic characters on both sides of the blade are the words, "Strike silent and swift, and your foe will fall." The pommel is made from steel, and inlaid with ivory. The scabbard is wood wrapped in deep, nut-brown leather sewn with silver thread.

When drawn from its scabbard, the sword is uncannily silent -- no noise issues forth. The blade itself does standard damage, yet strikes silently. No noise is made when it cuts or parries, and any victim who is killed or rendered incapacitated by the blade will fall silently to the ground. It also grants the user an additional dot of Celerity, but this power will not be apparent until it is used in combat. The extra Celerity action must be used and is automatic each turn, and the sword drains one blood point from the wielder (even if he does not have the Celerity discipline) to pay for it.

The Shamshir is tied heavily to the Assamite clan, though it was lost in battle during the First Holy Crusade. Due to its close association with the male-dominated assassins, any woman attempting to wield the Shamshir will be unable to draw it from its scabbard. It has since been recovered by Tremere seeking relics in the Middle East.