DarkBringer
Description
Created using 2nd edition D&D rules This blade has been wielded by evil beings for as long as is remembered. It drops in and out of history probably as its wielders drop in and out of the material plane. It is indeed an evil blade with a motive of its own. The blade exists to cause torment and chaos. If its wielder has an intelligence of 14 or less, the blade will hold sway over them and influence them darkly. They will be unknowingly bent to the blade's will and will be driven by the blade to gather evil beings of lesser intelligence and to wreak havoc on any less powerful. Usually this wrath starts with small villages or outlying ranches and works its way into the larger central city or castle of a kingdom as the horde gathers strength and number.
The DarkBringer is finely crafted of what appears to be black obsidian with strange demonic golden runes up the blade. The hilt is also of gold and the pommel of the sword is in the shape of a skull with crimson ruby eyes that glow when the sword is happy.
It is a +2 (+4 vs. Good-aligned beings) intelligent bastard sword. It has an intelligence of 16 and an ego of 17. It can communicate via telepathy with any being carrying it.
The sword constantly casts gloom centered upon itself as per the mage spell. It also has the ability to cast Darkness 15' radius three times per day. The sword will aslo cast charm person twice per day as if cast by a 3rd level mage. The sword uses this ability to help its wielder gather evil forces. The charmed person will be charmed as though the wielder cast the spell, although the sword does the targeting and casting, usually unknown to the wielder. The sword can also Gate in 2-5 Dretches once per day. The Dretches will be under te control of the sword. The spell abilities of the sword are of the sword and cannot be commanded unless the sword agrees.
Any creature struck by the DarkBringer must save vs. wands or be stricken blind.
The DarkBringer has an immunity to any spell below 4th level and grants its wielder the same benefit.
Origin
The DarkBringer is currently broken and therefor has limited power. The greater part of the sword, hilt and broken blade, functions as a +1 shortsowrd for damage, but is wielded as a longsword. It casts gloom continuously, still influences its wielder, and has the blinding effect, but has none of the other abilites until reattached with the shard. The hilt is currently in the hands of Krade Maltux, an anti-paladin. The DarkBringer now knows of its smaller half's location and is directing Krade to it. Once the two pieces of the DarkBringer are within 50 yards of eachother, the sword can communicate with the holder of the shard as well.
The shard was found by the Nigelites in a tomb beneath the tower of Marckall Coplonra.
I think the DarkBringer was taken from the Nigelites by a fiendish gnoll and his band of gnollish archers in a night ambush attack.
Interlude
The gnolls who filched the blade from the Nigelites wandered into the plains of Ur where their fiendish leader, partially of demonic blood, dominated a small tribe of ogres. The surly crew of gnolls and ogres raided a goblin trade caravan before turning it’s lustful greedy eyes toward the wealth and elegance of Orisis. The beasts were headstrong and even the cover of darkness and their poison-tipped arrows were not enough to wholly overcome the small contingent of sabre and spear wielding guards defending the low sandy walls. They were nearly eradicated when black-clad warriors drifted from the shadowy alleys within the walls, led by a hulking black man, and aided the guards in fending off the monstrous assault.
In Osiris, the blade was taken by one of the black-clad rogues working with Damus the Dark to aid the guards. Damus, had his motives for aiding the lawmen. The rogue who claimed the blade swiftly exited the city with his loot and sailed far west upon a pirate vessel where he spurred a mutiny and overtook the leadership of the vessel. Having no knowledge of seafare he soon led the vessel to attack a merchant vessel south of the city of Talathese, where his ship was hastily chased far from port and into the small islands to the southwest by the incredible Talathesian navy. Lacking supplies and in constant turmoil on the vessel, the pirates moored and went into an island from which they saw some smoke of establishment. When attempting to overtake some of the lizard men of the island to rob them of provisions, the pirates were enchanted by the robed wizards of the Black Ether.