Chum Bucket

Chum Bucket

Full item description

On first glance this semi-sentient weapon appears to be nothing more than a bucket, light wood with a tin handle, gently warped by exposure to moisture. Inside the bucket are a number of coiled fishing lines with typical barbed hooks on the end; beneath he coiled lines is a small pile of sharp pebbles. The lines can be removed from the bucket with ease, but disappear from hands or packages when unobserved, the pebbles cannot be removed and seem to be stuck to the base wood. More perceptive persons may notice dry blood encrusted on the hooks or hear a faint buzzing, which seems to emanate from the fishing lines; as if they are under pressure.

Should the bucket fall into the hands of a priest or someone sensitive to darkness and malevolent forces they will be immediately uncomfortable holding the bucket, feeling incredible pain and hate flowing through the wood. The bucket seems uncomfortable with their presence as well, vibrating and banging against legs until it is set down. A detailed examination reveals a demon soul residing in the bucket, a fragment of a being of great power.

The bucket tends to be found in pawn shops a long way from the coast or abandoned on harbours near the sea. The bucket will do no harm whilst being examined or held, even after the spirit fragment is discovered the bucket will do nothing aggressive; it is only when a drop of blood is spilt into the bucket or someone attempts to exorcise the demon that the bucket reveals its true power.

NB-Attempting to free the demon, not exorcise or destroy it will be tolerated, provided this aim is shouted very loudly in demonic into the bucket. There could be a reward in it for anyone who tries. Or a trap. Or nothing, up to the GM to decide.

History

Thirty years before the present a demon of immense power and intelligence was banished from the mortal world. It took the life's of eleven priests and left the area of the binding a wasteland. Even so, the exorcism was unable to completely destroy the demon. While the majority of the spirit was cast out, three fragments remained. One of these pieces of tattered energy was blown by the wind to a small fishing village. The gusts carried it along until it landed in an old chum bucket, now filled with lines and interesting pebbles collected by a village child.

When the village was attacked by corsairs the child ran to collect her stones from the bucket. A lone corsair chased her. He taunted her and cut himself lightly with his sword to show the child that it didn't hurt, and that there was nothing to fear. After running the girl through he checked the bucket to see what had been so important to the child. As he did so a drop of his blood fell from the wound into the bucket.

He was never seen again. When his drunken comrades came looking for him they found a bloody mess and a bucket full of chunks of meat, ragged and torn.

A band of adventurers were sent to the village by relatives to retrieve anything of value. Along with baubles and some family heirlooms they returned with this bucket, which they emptied, using the meat as bait for fishing. They dumped it with a pawn broker and went on their way. He's never managed to sell it.

Magical properties/Uses

This item is best used as a weapon of terror, especially when trying to convince opponents to flee or surrender. Should a weapon be swung into a bandit, thief, ninja, etc and blood be on the weapon simply allow a drop to fall into the bucket. Within a second the barely audible buzzing will increase in volume until windows shake and animals flee from the noise.

The fishing lines, five in all will rise slowly from the bucket with shadowy energy coruscating along the lines {imagine a snake rising from its basket in response to a snake charmer}. The lines will then fly towards the enemy whose blood was spilt into the bucket. The hooks will pierce leather armour, chainmail and plate provided enough time and blows are allowed. Should the lines manage to hook the enemy it will lift him/her/it into the air and smash it into the bucket. The bucket will be undamaged by this and the enemy should be stunned.

The lines will then happily set about ripping the enemy into pieces small enough to fit into the bucket. These pieces will then be reputedly dashed along the sharp pebbles until the original foe is small meaty chunks.

The lines have a range of fifty yards, should anyone escape past this distance the lines will wrap around nearby objects and attempt to throw them after the fleeing opponent. Should there be a bladed weapon nearby it will throw this first, then go after anything nearby such as tables, dogs, cakes, etc with the distance it can throw being seventy five yards for any object irrespective of weight.

If the enemy flees indoors the bucket will pull down anything short of a steel door, including stone walls to try and get at its quarry. The bucket will be aware of its enemy even will they are out of sight provided they do not use any magical means of concealment. If the target should make it beyond seventy five yards the buzzing will stop and the bucket will retract the lines, returning to normal.

Should there be the blood of multiple persons in the bucket the bucket will use a line to grab each individual, wrapping around them and then stab them in the back a few times to ensure they bleed out. The bucket will only turn one person into chum and will return to its docile state after doing so. The bucket will only activate once per day, unless the blood spilled belongs to a previous quarry who escaped or a priest. The bucket really hates priests.

Friendly fire is possible and is potentially deadly. The only way to calm the bucket once it has a hold of a friend or fellow PC is to feed it chocolates, cakes or exotic fruits until it calms down. Simply drop them into the bucket and they will seem to dissolve into the wood. If you give enough treats to the bucket its semi-sentience comes to the fore and it can be trained to a certain extent in the same manner one would train a dog. The bucket will always drop everyone/everything to retrieve a stick thrown by a PC.