Tunnelrunner's Axe (Magic Axe)

Aeons ago, the dwarves of the north lived in the kingdom of Delzoun. This realm was peppered with dwarven citadels, large and small, and their metal crafts were seldom rivaled. As mining was the lifeblood of the dwarves, their mines, especially those with mithril veins, were the heart of Delzoun.
As the sturdy folk worked and prospered, the increasingly frequent raids by orcs and goblins became a growing nuisance. The humanoid incursions began to menace the dwarven communities. After innumerable clashes in the mines of Delzoun, one dwarven defender crawled out-and into legend.
Amidst the chaotic frenzy of bloody beards and flying goblin heads, Tunnelrunner of Clan Irongrip turned the tables on the evil raiders. The raging warrior led inspired attacks to the very hearts of the invaders, his axe permanently removing evil thoughts from their leaders” minds by separating heads from shoulders.
Tunnelrunner continued to roam the fringes of dwarven society, a free agent in the defense of all that was good and strong. His fate is unknown, but stories told by forge light imply that Tunnelrunner met his demise when he ravaged the lair of a large orcish force-alone.
Tunnelrunner did indeed take on a few more orcs than he and his trusty axe could handle. And upon his death, Tunnelrunner's stalwart soul was gently carried to the mountains of the dwarvish gods by the scarred, leathery hands of Clangeddin Silverbeard himself. At Tunnelrunner's behest, a portion of his spirit was channeled into his old axe, so that he could continue to protect his people.
The weapon appears to be an old dwarven battle axe, showing only faint enchantment magic if checked. It has a head of polished steel and a very keen edge. The haft is of stout oak, deeply stained from the axe's grisly past. It is shod with a beaten steel cap that resembles a dwarven helmet. Among the many scores and notches on the haft is carved the original owner's name-Tunnelrunner. These letters cannot be removed or defaced by any means short of destroying the axe.
Any good dwarf who holds the axe and speaks the name “Tunnelrunner” hears the dwarven hero's voice mentally. The hero tells of past battles and the axe's magical nature, and urges that the wielder continue to defend against evil. The axe's enchantments then reveal themselves.
The weapon is a battle axe +3. Once each day the wielder can ask the axe to bestow a “tunnelrunning” ability, which lasts for three turns. This is similar to the spider climb spell, except that the affected dwarf's hands need not be empty. With this power, the axe wielder can run up a wall and stand freely on the ceiling while continuing to swing the weapon in combat. The tunnelrunning ability is not subject to a dwarf's ability to resist magic.
Should the wielder ever commit an evil act, or fail to protect goodly folk against evil, then Tunnelrunner ceases communicating. The hero's spirit withdraws the enchantments from the axe, leaving the wielder a simple, worn weapon. If the wielder atones for his actions, the hero may allow the enchantments to return.
The weapon was once rumored to lie at the bottom of a “mountain” of orc skeletons. Legends said a skeletal dwarvish hand is amid the pile, clutching an old scarred battle axe, its stained oaken haft carved with the legend “Tunnelrunner” in Dwarvish runes.
Category:Encyclopedia Magica Magic Items
Category:Magic Items
Category:Magic Axe
Category:Magic Weapons