Malleus Magorum

This bulky warhammer has a head embossed with golden emblems and holy symbols of the Light, while the oaken haft is engraved with intricate runes of warding against arcane magic. Divine power radiated from this weapon which glows and pulses with a soft, golden light when wielded. In the presence of an arcane magic user, an active spell or an arcane magic item, the pulse steadies and brightens into a constant yellow glow.
==History==
The Church of the Holy Light harbours its share of zealots more than willing to distort its teachings to their own ends - much like any other religion. One of the most notable heresies is the Most Saintly Order of Holy Witchfinders, more commonly known as the Witchfinders or simply the Hammers. This cult hails exclusively from the clergy of the Light. They seek out priests, paladins and laymen who distrust or fear arcane magic and offer them questionable scriptural proof that wizards and their ilk blaspheme against the Light. The Witchfinders are a secretive group, the mainstream church desires to root out and destroy the group as heretics, but the Witchfinders remain undeterred in their "sacred mission".
The Most Saintly Order of Holy Witchfinders is the brainchild of an itinerant priest coincidentally named Malleus. During his travels, he came to the conclusion that arcane magic was the source of all harmful, wicked things, while the Light was the font of all good and helpful things. With this revelation fixed firmly in his heart, he casually murdered the sorcerer Anthal (who had offered him lodgings for the night) while the latter was asleep. The next day, he announced his sacred mission to eliminate all "heathen" spellcasters to an audience at Menethil Harbour's market square.
Reliable reports tell of Malleus continuing to draw upon the power of the Light, despite him having committed numerous violations against the ethos. At first, his targets were arcanists who were openly oppressing the commonfolk as well as practitioners of the dark arts but as the Witchfinders' ranks swelled, innocent casters were included as targets of the crusade - just as it had been planned all along.
The Witchfinders' first conflict with the mainstream church came less than a year after Malleus founded the group. With the aid of his devoted "paladins", hired mercenaries and a torch-and-pitchfork-wielding mob, the Hammers captured a number of people on the grounds of magic practice, with demon worship and blasphemy added as an afterthought. Before anyone could react, the Witchfinders staged a public "trial" which, of course, ended with a guilty verdict and several pyres burning brightly in the night. This finally spurred the church and the state to clamp down. Many heretics were captured, but Malleus himself led a daring escape, along with his most trusted.
After the purge, the Hammers went underground. Malleus' personal weapon, which the commonfolk began to name Malleus Magorum, after its wielder, became the symbol of the cult. From then on, Witchfinders a hammer's likeness engraved on the reverse side of their holy symbols ar tattooed on inconspicuous parts of their bodies.
==Powers==
The hammer's abilities are tuned for one purpose only: the finding and destruction of arcane spellcasters. To this end, it exhibits the following powers:
*The Malleus Magorum glows brightly when in presence of arcane magic and its users. This ability overcomes magic-hiding illusions, but lacks precision or discernment.
*The strike of the Malleus strips arcane users from their defences.
*The Malleus can project an antimagic zone, protecting the wielder and their companions from arcane witchcraft. The effect works just like the Death Knight ability of the same name. However, the dome created by the hammer glows with a bright, golden light.
*The antimagic zone ability can be used offensively, denying arcane casters the use of their magic for a precious few seconds. This works like the Mage ability Counterspell.
*At dawn every day, the Malleus' sigils can be altered slightly to provide complete immunity against one specific arcane spell. The protection works for as long as the Malleus is held in hand. Once set, the protection cannot be changed until the next day.
The hammer's glow and powers are inactive when in the hands of an arcane user.
Category:Magic item