Wyrmclaw

By Dafydd Flower (dafmeister@hotmail.com)

Author's Notes

The Wyrmclaw is a combination Mage Talisman and Fae Treasure. I bought it as a 3 point Talisman, with suitable powers. My Storyteller then turned it into Excalibur on LSD! It usually appears in the form of a sword.

Arete

4

Quintessence

32

Powers

Wayfare 3: Portal Passage

Prime 3: Absorb Quintessence from victims (has been observed to work on Immortals and Mages, absorbing Quickening and Quintessence. Has yet to be tested on Vampires, Fae and Garou).

Prime 2: Charges the blade to do aggravated damage.

Portal Passage can be used to enter the Near Umbra, the Shadowlands or the Near Dreaming. From these worlds it can then be used to moved deeper into the Umbra or Dreaming, or into the deeper worlds of the Dead.

By looking through the jewel (see description) the wielder can see into the Near Umbra, the Shadowlands and the Near Dreaming.

The blade can be made to burst into flames, either chimerical (expend 1 Quintessence) or real (expend 2 Quintessence), doing an additional four dice of aggravated damage per strike.

The wielder is immune to chimerical fire.

Wyrmclaw can alter its shape and mass to an incredible degree, even to the point of dividing into several separate pieces (NB the jewel cannot be divided, and only the piece with the jewel can perform any of the powers). Wyrmclaw's most recent wielder usually carried it as a pair of finger rings, one on each hand, which became a sabre and main-gauche when needed.

Wyrmclaw can project a blast of fire. (No solid rules were formed for this power)

Description

Wyrmclaw is constructed of a currently unidentified silvery alloy, similar to electrum, possibly of extra-terrestrial origin (we entered a parallel world where the asteroid which killed the dinosaurs never hit, and Wyrmclaw began to fade out of existence). This alloy affects Garou in the same way as silver, and may also have the effects of gold on Corax. Set into the alloy is a red jewel, which always assumes a prominent position in whatever form that Wyrmclaw takes; for instance, when Wyrmclaw becomes a sword the jewel is set in the base of the blade. Whatever form Wyrmclaw takes always has a vaguely draconic theme -- a pair of claws sprouts from the base of the blade when in sword form, the rings are in the shape of dragon chasing their own tails etc.

History

Wyrmclaw was forged far back in the mythic age, so long ago that not even Wyrmclaw itself can remember. Since then the sword has appeared at several key points in history, usually during a great disaster. In each case, a great city has been sacked; Troy (c.1200 BC), Carthage (146 BC) and Constantinople (1453 AD) are the known victims. Each time, an Immortal has been wielding Wyrmclaw, fighting another Immortal on Holy Ground as the final battle for the city takes place. The other Immortal has always been armed with a similar weapon, a sword forged of a gold-like metal with a blue jewel set in the base of the blade. In the intervening periods, Wyrmclaw has appeared in the hands of Mages, Garou, Fae and almost every other form of supernatural life that does not directly serve the Wyrm. Since the fall of Constantinople it has been in the hands of Immortals. It was passed to its most wielder, Owen Kavanagh, in the seventeenth century after his mentor, and the swords previous wielder, learned that the Kurgan was pursuing him.

Wyrmclaw has various legends attached to it. The Fae refer to its wielder as the Paladin of the Silver sword, and believe that it will bring about the next Great Winter. Some welcome this, believing that the Winter must inevitably lead to Spring, while others fear that the Winter will last forever. Therefore, the Paladin may be welcomed or reviled by any Fae he meets and knows who he is.

The Garou know that Wyrmclaw has often aided them against their enemies and as such have some respect for it. However, the sword's most recent wielder had no respect for them, having seen their failure for himself.

Some Mages know a little of Wyrmclaw, but more as a curiosity than anything else. It is believed to be the work of the Soleficati.

Wyrmclaw's link with Immortals seems to be the most bizarre. Both Wyrmclaw and its gold twin have caused duels to be fought on Holy Ground on a number of occasions. Furthermore, there are a few legends which say that the final battle will be as much a duel between the gold and silver swords as between the last two Immortals. Perhaps the Prize is control of both.