Desolation

Wow, are we ever getting behind on our #Swordtember posts. Never fear! We’ve got lots of sharp, pointy goodness incoming for you. Here’s the next installment!

Desolation

Weapon (greatsword), legendary

Desolation did not always have that name. Once it was a force for good, wielded by Drosena, archangel and right hand of Onja, goddess of blessings. The sword was a gift from Onja; it is said that another, lesser angel sacrificed itself as part of the sword’s forging, giving it its distinctive shape. Drosena carried Desolation in countless battles between her mistress and the demonic hordes of Ekmir, Lord of Lies. 

Ekmir, aware of the archangel’s prowess and powerless against it, sought another way to bane his foe: whispered urgings. He breathed envy into Drosena’s heart, falsehoods designed to drive a wedge between Drosena and Onja.

It came to pass that in a fit of whispering madness Drosena drove Desolation through Onja, murdering the goddess, whose power flowed into the archangel, elevating her and empowering her to become goddess of revenge, jealousy, and murder. 

Needless to say, Ekmir was delighted.

You have a +2 bonus to hit and damage rolls you make with this magic weapon. In addition, the sword ignores physical armor, passing through it as though it didn’t exist. Creatures can only add their Dexterity bonus to their AC against it.

The angel which yet dwells within the sword exists in agony, tormented by the evil committed with it, and periodically lashes out against the injustice. Whenever you score a with it against a good-aligned creature or a creature that was no threat to you, the sword deals 3d8 psychic damage to you. This damage can’t be avoided in any way. Additionally, your hit point maximum is reduced by this amount until you seek out a good-aligned cleric of a good-aligned deity and atone for your misdeed sufficiently that that worthy agrees to cast a greater restoration spell on you.

art by Colin Foss, used under license