The Jovian Blade

Full Item Description
The Jovian Blade is a two foot sword of pure steel inlaid along both sides with carved amythest runes, and is allways warm to the touch.

History

Alaric and his tribe once lived in peace upon an island that was sacred to the great god Jove and mostly consisted of a great volcano. They treated it with great respect, offering regular prayers and incense to it and lowering down the bodies of their dead into it's fiery mouth after their funeral rites. There was a vein of amethyst upon their island-not a huge amount, but enough for the island to prosper and for the islanders to afford little luxuries to improve their lives.

At his coronation he was given a magical sword, the Jovian Blade, that had been handed down from monarch to monarch through the centuries. It was a blade of steel, two feet long, with beautifully carved amethyst inlaid within it that was said by the priests to be a gift from Jove Himself. A few years later a great ten masted ship, bristling with cannons and catapults and other weapons of destruction, dropped anchor in the bay.

It was a ship of the De Madden Company from Banhoesea, and the King sent his Chancellor to ask what they wanted and to say that he would be happy to offer help if they wanted to trade or if they needed to careen their ship and rid it of seaweed and barnicles. The Chancellor was shocked when he returned. The ship had been sent not to trade but to take over their island, as it had been trading in amythest, and threatened to pound their town to dust with it's weaponry if they refused. They had three days to get into their fishing boats and the three ships that they owned and leave, or risk being exterminated like vermin.

After several hours of debate, the islanders decided that they had to give in. They only had knives and spears and a few old suits of armour, whilst the ten master was more then capable of destroying every building on the island and then sending their well armed crew and marines ashore to kill the survivors. The people wept and wailed as they took what they could and prepared to set sail into Acqua's stormy seas as unwanted refugees, and the marines and most of the crew of the ten master occupied their homes.

That night Alaric prayed long and hard to Jove, raised the sword and prayed for the volcano to erupt, which it did. Pyroclastic flows rumbled down the mountian, burning many of the Company men alive, and great streams of lava followed. The survivors got to their ship, but sparks blown on the wind set fire to the sails and masts and then the hull and the great ten master burnt to the sea line and sank. Those who avoided the flames boiled alive when the lava reached the sea and heated the area where they were swimming, having leapt from their ship.

The people cheered and clapped as they watched their oppressers die, but Alaric dropped to the deck, steam pouring from his mouth. The magic of the Jovian Blade had claimed the man who invoked it. They had no choice but to give him a sea burial. Afterwards they found homes on other islands as they knew the Company would send another ship. There was no attempt to seek revenge as the Company assumed it was just bad luck that made the volcano erupt when it did.

Since then the sword has been used only in defense or in a justified case of revenge when the wrong done is great. And it's wielder has more then once been able to call on fire to aid him or her.

Magic/Cursed Properties
The Jovian Blade cannot create fire as such, but to an extent it can use existing fire to help the user. Fires in fireplaces suddenly become jets of flame and scorch the opponent, or the opponents torch blows back into his face. Hot geysers erupt if the opponent is standing on top of them.

The holder, whilst he or she may get very cold indeed, will never get frostbite in the coldest of weather, and fire spells cast against the holder will rebound on the mage. The blade harms water elementials greatly.

Having said that, whilst not cursed as such the Blade has it's disadvantages. First, over a period of a week, someone in close contact with it will get a hotter and hotter temper until he or she is likely to cause a fight over the smallest thing, even with friends or important nobles.If the Blade is left alone for a week the owner's temper will go back to normal.

Secondly, if it is left unsheathed amongst flammable items, it will set them aflame after an hour. This can be useful if a fire is needed, but is downright dangerous to life and limb in an inn.

Thirdly, any massive use (like making a volcano erupt) will kill the user by internal burning, and if the weapon is used without due cause, the magic may backfire and scorch the user.

Fourthly, it is no use against fire elementials at all and will only strengthen them.

Lastly, the weapon will not harm a genuine priest of the god,Jove, that it is dedicated to and will twist out of the user's hands rather then harm him.If the user still holds on the hilt will become too hot to hold.

It cannot be destroyed by fire unless it is thrown into lava.

Plot Hooks

Fetch the engines-The Blade has been stored badly by the PCs and has set alight the inn where they stayed the night.
The PC's awake in chokeing smoke and near-zero visibility.
If they escape that they must face flames, heat and if they escapt that, the possibilty of being hunted as arsonists by the king's men and/or a trial for their lives in the local court. (Be careful in this game if you decide to LARP.)

Raze to the Ground-A crazy Jovian Priest has decided that the city is sinful and must be destroyed by volcanic eruption.The PCs must stop him before he slaughters everyone.

Conflict Resolution-An NPC has been acting strangly and the PCs are promised a reward if they can calm him or her down.

OOC-I got the idea from the Steel Cathexis.
http://www.strolen.com/content.php?node=683