| Other Names | Rohann's Revenge |
| Category | Weapon |
| Magical Strength | Artifact |
Pherastu is made from a single piece of ebony mithril. The handle is wrapped in strips of supple black leather. The pommel is removable. A cylindrical compartment is attached to the pommel and slides out when the pommel is turned. Blade length is 12". The sheath is made of black leather.
Long ago... before this world was quite so full of magic and before demons stalked the land so freely, there lived a human mage named Rohann in the distant land of Tal-Athon which lies far to the west... across the sea. As is always the case with mages, the lure of power soon pulled him into greater and greater adventures and he took to adventuring with a band of warriors who had proven themselves. Adventure soon found them and they became involved in a struggle between Tal-Athon’s government and an evil cult which drew its power from Beyond and the denizens therein. Fate soon spun a complex web of lies and deceit which lead the group of adventurers on a quest of heroic proportions
... but that is another story...
Toward the end of the quest, Rohann and several others were led to the city of Myredor in the small kingdom of Andur. While in Myredor, Rohann met Valeitia, the daughter of an Andurian duke, and the two quickly came to love one another. While adventuring through the area, Rohann would visit her often and the two frequently took long walks through the city gardens.
The quest which the group had undertaken was to locate the fabled crystal known as the Sapphire Flame before it fell into the hands of evil and deliver it back to the Kingdom Of Tal-Athon. The quest went well and would soon be completed. Rohann promised Valeitia that he would return as soon as the quest was complete.
Fate had other plans.
In a climactic battle, the group recovered the Crystal and made their way back to the city. As they crested the last hill, the sight that greeted them stopped them in their tracks. The city was being overrun by a horde of monstrosities being led by the cult. The heroes charged down the hill to join battle and did managed to turn the battle around. Rohann’s only concern was for Valeitia and he battled his way to the Duke’s keep. As he burst into the central hall, four monstrous pherastu demons turned to face him, a bloodied Valeitia at their feet, sprawled on the floor. Blind rage fueled him and the very rocks shook such was the fury of magic he unleashed upon the doomed demons. Three pherastu fell, the fourth fled. Rohann ran to Valeitia and held her to him. She stirred weakly in his arms even as her blood stained his robes. He whispered his love to her as she died in his arms.
Rohann buried her in the gardens through which the two had shared so many pleasant walks.
That same day Rohann delivered the crystal and headed for his Wizard’s Guild. There he began work on a weapon of great power. Working for weeks with little sleep he continued like a man possessed. Travelling to a distant and wondrous city, he obtained a supply of Ebony Mithril. Reaching into the spiritual ether of the Universe, he pulled a pherastu demon into reality. Shutting himself up in his workroom, high up in the Guild Tower, he worked alone, not even letting the other wizards in. As he forged the blade, the molten metal poured into the mold like liquid night. Throughout the night he poured his magic into the blade. As was required to focus the magic of a weapon, he stabbed the living demon with the newly made blade and let the dagger feast on the beast’s heart blood. Finally, as the first glimmer of light reddened the east sky, he prayed to many gods, to gods of magic, gods of death.. He prayed for guidance, for power. He prayed for revenge.
As dawn lit the tower, no sound issued forth from the chamber. As the wizard’s and apprentices went about their daily routines, all was quiet in Rohann’s workroom at the top of the tower. The wizard’s began to wonder what had happened. And they began to worry. Not wanting to interrupt the delicate process of magic item creation, they scanned the room with divination spells. Strangely, no divination spells would work. The door was sealed with magic and it took five wizards together to breach the chamber.
As the door swung open, they saw the lab was quiet. Everything looked in place, but somehow the workroom seemed different. As they stepped into the room, they saw hundreds of scrolls and tombs open, beakers full and material components of every kind. Had the spell gone awry? Laying on the table on a long, velvet pillow was a magnificent black dagger. Never before had any of the mages seen its equal. "Pherastu" was etched into the blade. On the floor, lay Rohann, ashen skinned and still... a contented look upon his face, a smile on his lips.
Only the most powerful divination spells will reveal anything about this enchanted blade. Pherastu is magically sharpened, magically strengthened, self-cleaning and self-repairing blade. The blade delivers extreme damage with the lightest graze (cellular disruption). Pherastu was designed for one specific purpose : to destroy pherastu ghakruv. For this purpose, Pherastu was endowed with the following magic - whenever this weapon is used against a pherastu, the blade blazes with power and radiates an aura which causes pain and spasms in the demon. The blade disintegrates flesh as it passes through on a strike. Pherastu is sentient and bound within the blade is the very soul of mage that created it. The blade communicates in varying ways: a tingling sensation when life forms are near, a tug in a direction, independent movement (for instance, to point toward a secret door or leap from its sheath). And finally, Pherastu can speak. This is always a soft, sibilant whisper tinged with sadness. Always in vague fragments and cryptic phrases.
None.
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This page last updated Monday, October 08, 2007. Copyright 1990-2008 David M. Roomes.