|
|
Tranko Vigrass is a flight dagger crafted of very fine steel with a
hilt of a strong and very rare golden steel alloy. The dagger's hilt is
carved into the shape of a stylized bird of prey -- perhaps an eagle --
wings folded back over its body, blade emerging from the bird's beak. The
eagle's claws hold a deep black pearl which makes up the dagger's pommel.
The blade itself is perpetually sharp and shiny, and bears the words "Tranko
Vigrass" colored fiery red in old ork runic carving down its length.
Key Knowledge: The great ork beastmaster, Umagra, of the ancient kingdom of Cara Fahd, carried this dagger in the days before the Time of Hiding began. She became legendary for her exploits in the region surrounding Death's Sea. Umagra was a fierce follower of Thystonius, and showed her devotion by Naming her dagger after him. The wielder must learn that this blade's Name is Tranko Vigrass.
Effect: The blade does +4 Steps damage. As soon as a thread is
tied to the blade, it begins to feel warm. From then on the blade will
stay slightly warm in all temperature conditions. The blade is highly resistant
to fire. The blade has a Spell Defense of 26 against all fire based attacks.
Key Knowledge: Umagra traveled with her lover, Ikav Spiritwind, an ork weaponsmith. Together they made many journeys, performing numerous missions for the ork kingdom. At the end of one particularly harrowing adventure, Ikav made the dagger for his beloved. He gathered the strange alloy to make the hilt from a magical fountain of fire near Death's Sea, and purchased the pearl from a merchant on the Aras Sea. The wielder must learn who obtained the gold-steel alloy and crafted the beautiful blade.
Effect: The blade may be used to provide the wielder with protection
from fire once per day. The effect is the same as that for a resist fire
spell (+3 Armor rating against fire and fire-based attacks) for a period
of time equal to 6+the dagger's thread rank in minutes.
Effect: The blade's damage increases to +5 Steps.
Key Knowledge: During a trip to one of the more permanent formations on the shores of Death's Sea, Umagra found a wounded firebird chick (see Creatures Of Barsaive, pp. 28-9). She used her abilities to heal the bird and then set it free. During the weeks of convalescence, the bird came to trust Umagra, and she came to care for the bird, which she Named Soulfire. When the time came that Soulfire could return to the skies, Umagra set him free, thinking never to see him again. The wielder must learn the Name of the firebird which Umagra cared for.
Effect: The blade can be thrown to knock an opponent down. If
the attack roll achieves a successful hit at a level of Good or better,
the target struck must make a knockdown test against a difficulty number
equal to 13 + the dagger's thread rank. If the dagger also inflicts a wound,
the normal knockdown difficulty number is added to the dagger's magical
difficulty. When an opponent is knocked down, he feels a sensation of intense,
burning pain, as though the wielder had actually thrown a torch instead
of a dagger. The pain is just a side-effect, however, and does no damage.
Key Knowledge: When Ikav obtained the strange alloy for the hilt, he accidentally angered a fire spirit who lived in the fountain. The spirit demanded materials to replace those which he took, which Ikav did not have. He swore a blood oath to return within a year and a day, but was killed before he could do so by a jealous ork warlord who wanted to have Umagra to himself. Great ork stories are told of the seven days of cruel revenge with which Umagra served the warlord's play for her attention.
Deed: The wielder must go to the firefountain near Death's Sea where Ikav gathered the golden steel and place 1000 gold pieces' worth of gold and an equivalent amount of pure, unworked steel in the fountain, telling the spirit that he is completing the unfinished work of Ikav Spiritwind. The spirit will use its own magical abilities and reveal the dagger's Fire Aura power. The deed is worth 800 Legend Points.
Effect: The wielder may utilize the Fire Aura power of the blade.
For a cost of 2 points of Strain, the blade will turn a deep black. Once
thrown, the blade generates intense heat for one round. As long as the
attack test achieves greater than a poor success, the blade comes at least
within ten feet of its target. All those within ten feet of the blade,
except the wielder, suffer Step 3 damage from the heat of the blade. This
heat damage is in addition to any inflicted by a successful attack test.
Effect: The dagger's damage increases to +6 Steps and the Fire
Aura damage doubles to Step 6. In addition, the weapon's useable distance
increases to ranges of 2-30/31-80/81-150 yards.
Key Knowledge: One of Umagra's greatest adventures is still told around ork campfires. The tale of Umagra and Raggedaemon is a favorite among orks in the southern regions of Barsaive. The legend is the tale of Raggedaemon, a fiery beast of a Horror who had been stalking the villages just south of the Twilight Peaks, moving north out of Death's Sea to wreak havoc on the struggling people there. Umagra heard of this Horror's evil deeds and set out to destroy it. Many years had passed since she had last traveled into Death's Sea, but her knowledge of the wilderness there was great. After weeks of searching, she eventually found Raggedaemon's lair. She stepped to the mouth of a great cave surrounded by fire and challenged the beast to face her. Raggedaemon ggladly accepted and they charged toward each other. The battle was bloody and ferocious. Umagra's resistance to fire was enough to help her, but not defend her totally, against the creature's flaming skin and breath. The Beastmaster became weaker and weaker as her wounds bore her down. A particularly vicious strike sent Umagra on her back, and she lay there, ready to die.
The Horror was very near her when she heard a familiar shriek from above. A swift black form barreled into Raggedaemon, sending it rolling across the shifting klenka. Soulfire had returned when it realized Umagra was in danger. The fierce bird, now grown into a strong and powerful adult, raked its claws across the Horror's face, keeping it back long enough for Umagra to recover herself. Then together, the two struck quickly, eventually overcoming the burning Horror. Raggedaemon finally fell, but not before Soulfire took a mortal wound and lay dying in Umagra's arms.
Umagra shed many tears over her fallen friend, and with a blood oath swore that his bravery would never be forgotten. That oath drew the spirit of the firebird into the dagger she held dear and the two merged to create the magical blade it is today. The legends say that only the heat of the Death's Sea will free the spirit of noble Soulfire.
Deed: The wielder must go to the Death's Sea once again. He must find the location of the battle between Umagra and Raggedaemon. There he must throw the dagger into the Sea, calling out a cry for Soulfire's release. The blade will sink beneath the molten waves, and suddenly Soulfire will emerge in full firebird form, its silver sheened feathers reflecting the brilliance of the Death's Sea. The bird will land in front of the wielder and drop the black pearl in its claws into its new master's hands. This deed is worth 2,100 Legend Points.
Effect: The wielder has released the spirit of Soulfire, which will trust and willingly serve its master for as long as he possesses the pearl. Any character who both carries the pearl and has a thread tied to the dagger may command Soulfire. Simply having the pearl deprives others of its use; it does not allow control of the bird.
Tranko Vigrass now has the ability to change from a dagger into the legendary firebird. In order to perform this miraculous feat, the wielder must throw the blade, take 4 points of Strain and make a Willpower test against the dagger's Spell Defense. If successful, the dagger will shapeshift in flight taking Soulfire's form, ready to fight.
Soulfire has all of the abilities of a firebird. At will, he may use his weight to knock opponents down and his color change ability to hide himself, but his heat attack is very limited. Since firebirds do not actually create the heat for their attacks as fire eagles do, Soulfire must have a large source of intense heat to "recharge" himself. There are very few sources for this heat when Soulfire is free from the blade, since he would normally require the temperatures of the Death's Sea to re-energize him. A very large bonfire may produce enough heat if Soulfire were to sit in it for about thirty minutes. Only lava flows of some sort will produce the temperatures required for Soulfire to quickly gather enough energy for his heat attack.
However, certain magics may be employed when Tranko Vigrass is still in its dagger form which will supply heat to the firebird. For example, if Flameweapon is cast upon the dagger, the spell will not have its normal effect. Instead, the magical heat will be absorbed by the blade and stored for use when Soulfire emerges. Exposing the blade to elemental fire will also give Soulfire the heat he requires. The GM should feel free to develop similar means by which the dagger may be recharged.
Regardless of how the power is recharged, the stored heat will only remain with Soulfire for ten rounds before it must be renewed. This means that, unless Soulfire is in the Death's Sea area, if he wishes to regain his heat aura in combat he must revert to dagger form and some magic must be used on the blade before he returns to battle. This heat loss is only applicable while Tranko Vigrass is in Soulfire form.
Soulfire will fight for its master in bird form until recalled or destroyed,
when it will revert to dagger form in the hands of whoever currently possesses
the black pearl, even if this person has no thread attached to the dagger.
If Soulfire ever takes his death rating in damage, he is temporarily banished
and cannot be called forth from the blade for a year and a day.
Also, the golden steel alloy is a highly magical material, available only at the Firefountain in its molten form. Only weaponsmiths of great power will even know of its existence and even they do not know how to create it. When having the blade examined by normal means, characters will learn only that the alloy appears to be gold, but is too strong to be anything but steel...this should cause enough confusion to worry them.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
