Kuzuryū

**Kuzuryū** (九頭龍, nine-headed dragon) is a unique sword created by Reverend Shōta Ichika when he found a rare crimson red ore in an abandoned covenant, deep underground the ore was harvested and transferred to his shop in ancient blood mist village, the blacksmith wanted to sell this beautiful scarlet ore but a old blonde couple plead to him in not selling it but using it to earn great deal of money which made the man stop and question a couple about their motives in this which they were simply out on a stroll and saw what the blacksmith was carrying so they followed him so they buy it from him which baffled the man.

He accepts the order, spending most of the week working on the scarlet ore, testing and experimenting on this rare specimen, showing to be very durable beyond any metal known so Shōta took it to shamans who quickly identify this ore and it's origins, they called it Hihīrokane, a rare artifact that appeared some time during the six path era, presumed to be a fragment of the Jūbi the forefather sealed away over an millennia ago. The blacksmith asked to be trained on how to properly manipulate this metal, the shaman made Shōta form a blood pact that'll bind him to not tell anyone of the lessons to which he's gonna learn. After the pact was made, the blacksmith began to take spiritual and physical training that made him question his life choices of coming there but stayed anyway. Once a full year of training was complete, the blacksmith returned with the now-forged weapon wrapped in thick wool and presented it to the blonde couple who eyed the weapon with marvelous awe that they threw in a extra six thousand to the original thirty thousand ryō showing how generous these people are. Once Shōta was paid and spent several years traveling and learning more blacksmithing skills, the honored man came to the couple one last time and bestowed them his three sons who now possess the shaman skills that he did, and made a vow to honor their family and name, this seems to startle them but they reluctantly took the three boys in and named them the "Blacksmiths of Kuzuryū" who will continue to forge and reforging any weapon that has the scarlet ore.

## Description

Kuzuryū is a Tachi (太刀, "Long Sword") possessing a scarlet red wrapped around black samewaga with pyramid shaped design, a golden oval shaped tsuba and golden colored guard with the habaki binding the sword in place. The sword is lacquer black when inactive but when actively in use it'll glow a nitrocellulose flaming red that lights up bright upon contact with anything, the sword has a long deep bo-hi to give it a more swiftness and, balance to distribute the weight when swung. The scabbard is black wood with gold serpent plating designs.

## Acquisition

An unique blade made specifically made for all chinoike relative, the ancestors who bought this blade had performed a ritual that grants this blade the ability to deny anyone who isn't of chinoike or descendants of the blacksmith, the non-chinoike will then erupt in flames and die a painful death before releasing it. The blade is made of pure Hihīrokane that is very scarce to come across but highly profited to the highest buyer, the blade was imbued with nature energy upon its creation giving off a rather benevolent aura when in the presence of a Sage. The sword is mythical and enchanted with the very ore and magic bestowed by the shamans that mere cuts or stabs from the blade with leave poisonous wounds that'll delay regeneration but can poison a severed limb to the point its impossible to retrieve as it dies and rot, leaving victims to bleed out or die from the corrosive poison in their system.