Censer of Mal'Mennoth

Full Item Description
The Censer of Mal'Mennoth is an imposing sight, a short stave of tarnished silver, carven with dread sigils overlaying a once-delicate filigree. A chain of rust-splotched steel hangs from one end of that tarnished stick, suspending a battered globe of vented steel, stained red with blood.

When lit, a foul-smelling smoke roils from the vents of the globe, black as the void.

History

The promised time was now! Soon, all the world would tremble before the might of their demon lord, Mal'Mennoth! With His dreadful name strangling its way forth from their throats, the cultists threw off their disguise, descending upon the city and its sleeping guardians. In pairs and groups, the guardsmen fell beneath their dark magics and blood-splotched ritual knives, and their leader ascended the steps of the temple of the weak gods.

And there, joined he in battle with the one who preached the words of weakness, of slavery to the hated, burning Light. And wresting the man's sacred censer from him, the cultist struck the priest down with his own holy tool, the blood spattering greedily over the polished surface of the censer.

And he took up his sacrificial knife, and he carved out the heart of the priest, and placed it in the censer, to burn it for his Lord. And his Lord was pleased.

Descending the steps of the temple, the cult leader rejoined the fray, using the censer as his weapon. The acrid black smoke filled the air with it's charnal fragrance, seeming to stain the world with shadow wherever it passed..

Later, he would perform the rituals to make it a proper tool of Mal'Mennoth, but for now, for now he had a job to do, and a people to destroy. He would look forwards to the torture of the women and children...

Magic/Cursed Properties

The Censer is sanctified for Mal'Mennoth, the Demonic Lord of Shadows, Blindness, and Benightedness, and like all ‘blessed' artifacts, its powers may not be used against his will.

Even unwielded, the Censer of Mal'Mennoth radiates its demonic shadow, plunging the area around it into a dread twilight, even as a torch may cast its light during the night. Those inside the shadows will see them as a living thing, and should they fall under the magic, may even begin to believe that there are unknown and terrible things within the shadows.

If the heart of a human or self-aware demihuman is placed into the censer and lit, a black, oily smoke will begin to boil forth from it. Those who breathe the smoke and are not otherwise protected from it will be stricken blind. Extended contact with the smoke will cause a kind of deep seated confusion, rendering the victim incapable of deciding on courses of action, for he cannot comprehend any of the results that action may have. In addition, the smoke acts as a toxic gas, burning the lungs and eyes of any exposed to it. In time, with healthy sunlight and air, these effects will pass, but the combination of pain and confusion have been known to deal permanent scarring to the psyche.

Finally, the censer may be used in battle as per a chain mace or flail. In this case, it functions as a weapon of light enchantment, though, peculiarly, any flesh it strikes is permanently stained completely and perfectly black.