Sorrowfall

### Effects

Teleportation, Bloodlust, Telepathy (between sword and wielder), Skill Transference (wielding sword)

**Sorrowfall**, also known as **Winter's Edge, Herald of Errak, Nightroot,** or simply as **The Sword** to members of Queen Adalhard's Caravan, is an ancient cursed magical sword. It is sapient and can communicate with its wielder, and is motivated primarily by hatred for the Arvum and a desire to kill. It is known to affect the mental state of its wielder in a variety of ways, and possesses several magical properties.

## History

The sword claims to predate the Arvum and the gods, though the circumstances of its creation are unknown. It claims to have witnessed the gods stealing their power from an older force, which it believes requires correction.

Over the following centuries, the sword was wielded by several individuals, including Targren, tree-friend of the Chargrin Clan; Salahaz, great priest of Errak; the Queen of Salagahary; and Charachon Zulag of Breen. It participated in several conquests, killing hundreds, but always led to the downfall of its wielder.

During the Siege of Adalhard Manor, the sword found its way into the possession of Amanita of Dark Hollow, a member of (then-Lady) Adalhard's Caravan. Several attempts were made to secure the sword magically, but none worked; the sword then disappeared. Several months later, the sword came into the possession of Garos, another member of the caravan, who was possessed by it and began attacking those around him.

When the sword was taken away from him, he began bleeding life energy. With magical and surgical healing useless, a ritual was attempted to bind his and Amanita's fates in order to halt this effect. During this ritual, he and Amanita were taken to an extradimensional space in which the sword spoke with them, describing its beliefs about the gods and the Arvum. From this point, the sword became bonded to Amanita, leaving the group but granting her the ability to summon it. Unlike other wielders, Amanita appears to have reached an accord with the sword under which it does not significantly affect her mind nor siphon her life energy.

While Amanita was in the Arvum, Sorrowfall proved capable of killing Pale Elves when conventional weapons could not, but expressed fear and commanded Amanita to run upon encountering an unusually large and strong Pale Elf. Upon Amanita's return to the Arvum, it was used to slay the undead Jack Ketch once and for all.

## Abilities

Sorrowfall has displayed several magical properties:

* Feeding on the souls of those it kills, and more gradually on the life energy of the wielder
* Bending the wielder's mind to its will, including making them unwilling to part with the sword.
* Granting the wielder knowledge of how to use it, even if untrained.
* Teleportation, more easily if in shadow but possible in light. It can also confer this ability to its wielder.
* Communication with the wielder through telepathy
* Ability to cut through and destroy Arvum magic and solid Arvum
* Rapid loss of life energy in those separated from the sword after having wielded it
* Magical sustenance of its wielder that can partially replace food and sleep

Not all of these properties are active consistently, and it is likely the sword controls when they apply.

The sword has two inscriptions: one in an unknown language listing its four names, and another in Celestial that says 'control and binding', referring to its abilities. Notably, Arvum Script seems to be derived from Celestial.

## Personality and Beliefs

The sword has a passionate hatred of the Mortuus Arvum, and seeks to destroy all things related to it. It believes the gods (Aea, Errak, and Yu'Yama) stole their power from an older, greater force, damaging the cycle of life and death, and wishes to return power to the older force. Its beliefs about the cycle of life and death being damaged concur with those of other sources, including some Arvum-related cults. The sword also has a general bloodlust, as it feeds on the souls of those it kills.