Runequest Thursday #123 - Starion, Doomsword of Humakt!

Here is a recent magical weapon and relic that made a guest appearance in my Brightwater campaign.

How it came to appear in the newly consecrated temple of Humakt at Deathbridge is as much a mystery as how an Orlanthi was chosen to wield it. Yet when the Brightwaters visited the Deathbridge Temple to coordinate the assault on the Lunar Stronghold of Anchor Home with the local Runesword, Aelen du Morragonne, the sword flew to the hand of Zoe Brightblade, former mercenary and now a devotee of Orlanth, as if it had been separated from a favored friend.

With such an obvious show of favor from the enigmatic sword, that had resisted the touch of all but two others in its centuries of existence, Aelen could hardly argue against its choice. Instead, he joined the expediition against Anchor Home, intent upon destroying the vampire that his sept of Death cultists had followed form Esrolia to the Clanking Ruin, and that he knew to be lairing in the Imperial base.

Sure enough, the mission was blessed by Humakt. The vampire was taking the air on the tower top when the raid was launched in the hour before dawn. Aelen ran to his duty, a cry to his grim god for aid against a potent foe who had known over seven centuries of hellish unlife. His second blow struck true and severed the fiend's head from her shoulders. And yet her half-soul persisted, rising as mist, seeking to escape to its grave-earth to reform.

But Zoe and the Doomsword, charged forward a moment later, piercing the creature through its semi-solid heart, and sent the thing fully to Hell.

Starion - The Doomsword, Thriceborne, Relic of House du Morragonne

History:

This blade has been in the du Morragonne family for nearly six centuries. In that time, the blade has been borne precisely twice. The first time, when Starionna du Morragonne was assassinated by a Vivamort vampire as she lay, heavily pregnant with her firstborn. Of course, as a dutiful and devoted Humakti, Starionna could not be resurrected. Yet at the moment of her death, the Humakti Runesword thought only of the soul of her unborn son, not yet dedicated to the god of Death, not safe from corruption by the undead fiend. Her plea to Humakt, backed by every iota of her will and supported by long years of faithful service, was heard. Though Humakt could not claim the child as one of his own, he bound the soul of the infant, into Starionna’s sword.

The soul of the blade, who thinks of itself as Starion, refused any hand thereafter. The touch of other du Morragonne scions passed through the sword as it were made of air. And thus, the blade that came to be called the Doomsword, lay for five centuries on the breast of Starionna’s corpse in the family crypt, surrounded by the remains of generations of du Morragonne Humatki.

Thus matters might have been forever, had the crypt remained sacrosanct. The second bearer of the Doomsword was Illiara du Morragonne, a young Humakti novice whose duty it was to care for the bodies of the honored dead. When the family temple was attacked, ghouls burst from the deep ways into the crypt. Illiara, unable to flee, reached for the untouchable sword, a desperate plea for salvation in her mind..

The plea was heard. Starion allowed himself to be borne, and Illiara died in the crypt, surrounded by a horde of dismembered ghouls who were to have been the shock wave in the attack on the temple above. Her sacrifice allowed the knights of Du Morragonne to withstand the assault, saving the relics of ten centuries of service to Humakt from desecration. Illiara was interred in the crypt next to Starionna, the doomsowrd still in her grasp.

Since the death of Illiara four generations ago, Starion has waited upon Humakt’s bidding, the right wielder, or the right task.

Powers of the Doomsword:

Starion has no vocabulary and cannot speak or directly communicate with its wielder or anyone else.

The soul of the Doomsword, is quite innocent, but knows truth and valor unerringly. Occasionally a wielder might gain glimpses of emotion, often raw and powerful, possibly related to some task Starion wishes to pursue. Whether the Doomsword will allow itself to be used in other endeavors is unknown.

The Doomsword is a longsword of archaic Esrolian design, broad-bladed, seemingly heavy, yet surprisingly responsive in melee. Its hilt and blade are utterly unmarked by the passage of centuries, and give the impression of being newly forged. The blade is incredibly sharp, but will never wound a worshipper of Humakt.

Starion has INT 6, POW 30, and will accept no enchantments, temporary or permanent, nor any wielder he does not choose himself. To all other hands, the sword is immaterial and cannot be coerced or convinced to become otherwise. It is possible that a powerful individual might bind Starion, but such an act would earn the eternal hatred of the Du Morragonne and the contempt of Humakt himself.

In both instances that Starion has been borne, the wielder has been a du Morragonne woman.

Armor Points 20,  Hit Points 20, ENC 1

Damage 1d12+7, +30% to hit

Permanent Enchantments:

• Bladesharp 6
• If rolled damage penetrates the AP of the target, Starion will do the rolled damage, or enough to reduce the HP in the rolled location to -1, whichever is greater.

Myth and Legend:

A rumor persists that whomever Starion chooses as its wielder, will die upon finishing the task at hand. Whether this is true or not is unknown, and frankly would not dissuade many Humakti from taking up the Doomblader should the opportunity arise.