The Carrion Claw
Only a single Champion will She send to roam at once, and never will the Temple deny Her chosen. The Champion shall be the maw of the Fate Weaver; Her messenger and devour-er in equal measure. The holiest of priests, the darkest shadow among the rookeries, and the mightiest of clerics will answer to the Champion and their appointed Disciple.
A Champion may be named in any age and from any place; we will know this most sacred servant by the weapon She bestows them:A pitch-dark blade that is curved back near the point, made of an unknown metal never seen elsewhere with the head of Her Eye upon its pommel.While the Champion lives, none shall wield this blade but them or their Disciple. When the Champion's work is done, She shall will it return to her side until it returns to tighten what She weaves once more.
The Carrion Claw is the most sacred of holy weapons belonging to the Raven Queen. It is a sleek, black, double-edged dagger that is mostly straight with a curve near the end into a tapered point. It is primarily a slashing-style dagger but can easily be used to puncture instead. The handle is rounded to allow its wielder to choose whether the blade's curve faces forward or backward during combat, for both sides of the blade are sharpened. The pommel is a stylized raven's head made of a material and style unique to the Champion wielding it.
Mechanics & Inner Workings
The weapon by itself is a formidable one in the hands of a skilled assassin, monk, or knife-fighter. Very few, even among the Raven Queen's global Temple, know the truth of its enchantment. Though simple, they are profound and of a nature that would be deeply disturbing to the majority of Yvard. The Carrion Claw's ability to strip away and bestow life essence is something extremely rare and mostly unheard of in a world where necromancy doesn't exist.
Godly Maintenance
The weapon is enchanted to never need sharpened and never rust. It has never been known to crack, chip, or have a blade edge fold.
Feed Upon the Fated Dead
When the Carrion Claw strikes, it bestows a measure of endurance and vitality onto the Champion. It cannot keep them alive indefinitely and does nothing to heal injuries or prevent death if the Champion is seriously wounded or dying. When the weapon damages an enemy and places them closer to the grave, the invisible essence of their life is stripped away in pieces and transferred to form an imperceptible armor which dissipates harm that should have befallen the Champion. This formless armor has some arcane cap upon its strength and can only do so much, but this unique blessing from the Raven Queen herself has kept many Champions standing at the end of conflicts where other would be killed.
(In terms of 5th Edition gameplay mechanics, this weapon grants temporary HP on every hit which can stack up to a certain amount slightly higher than normal temporary HP mechanics allow).
Godly Maintenance
The weapon is enchanted to never need sharpened and never rust. It has never been known to crack, chip, or have a blade edge fold.
Feed Upon the Fated Dead
When the Carrion Claw strikes, it bestows a measure of endurance and vitality onto the Champion. It cannot keep them alive indefinitely and does nothing to heal injuries or prevent death if the Champion is seriously wounded or dying. When the weapon damages an enemy and places them closer to the grave, the invisible essence of their life is stripped away in pieces and transferred to form an imperceptible armor which dissipates harm that should have befallen the Champion. This formless armor has some arcane cap upon its strength and can only do so much, but this unique blessing from the Raven Queen herself has kept many Champions standing at the end of conflicts where other would be killed.
(In terms of 5th Edition gameplay mechanics, this weapon grants temporary HP on every hit which can stack up to a certain amount slightly higher than normal temporary HP mechanics allow).
Significance
According to The Temple of the Raven Queen's teachings, this weapon was crafted by their goddess and she bestows it only to those she declares her Champion. This weapon is a subtle badge used to identify the Raven Queen's chosen Champion among her clergy across the world.
The Champion of the Raven Queen is tasked with enforcing Fate. Where others, be they mortals or immortals, would seek to subvert it, especially their death, the Champion is called. If the cosmic tapestry of a life has not been yet altered, the Champion's task is to be a harbinger on behalf of their goddess to discourage further attempts. If one has defied Fate this weapon shall seal their doom, often from shadows.
Champions are not expected to wield this weapon and no others; whatever weapon types they are most skilled with are generally what they prefer to use in general situations or warfare, but they must carry this weapon upon them. Any lives that must be taken as part of the Raven Queen's enforcement of cosmic order are stipulated to be killed with this blade. Official doctrine states that, even when not pursuing heretics of Fate, a Champion only ever kills someone when they are Fated to die regardless of if the Carrion Claw is used or not.
The Champion of the Raven Queen is tasked with enforcing Fate. Where others, be they mortals or immortals, would seek to subvert it, especially their death, the Champion is called. If the cosmic tapestry of a life has not been yet altered, the Champion's task is to be a harbinger on behalf of their goddess to discourage further attempts. If one has defied Fate this weapon shall seal their doom, often from shadows.
Champions are not expected to wield this weapon and no others; whatever weapon types they are most skilled with are generally what they prefer to use in general situations or warfare, but they must carry this weapon upon them. Any lives that must be taken as part of the Raven Queen's enforcement of cosmic order are stipulated to be killed with this blade. Official doctrine states that, even when not pursuing heretics of Fate, a Champion only ever kills someone when they are Fated to die regardless of if the Carrion Claw is used or not.
Item type
Weapon, Melee
Current Holder
Rarity
This is a unique holy item.
Weight
.75 lbs
Dimensions
14" total length. 4.5" handle, 9.5" blade (first 6.5" are straight, final 3" curve and taper to a sharp point). Blade is 1" wide until tapering to curved point.
Base Price
Priceless
Raw materials & Components
The Blade
The base metal used to construct this weapon is unknown to every blacksmith and artificer who is known to have examined it throughout the ages. It is believed to be a material native to the Raven Queen's domain and is incredibly light while resilient enough to withstand immensely heavy blows without cracking or losing its edge. The perpetual sharpness and sturdiness of the blade is believed to be bolstered with magics that are not understood upon the Material Plane.
The Handle
The weapon's smooth, rounded handle is made from a different bu similarly dark-colored material as the blade. It retains the qualities of being resilient and lightweight, but has been described inconsistently by past Champions. some say the handle feels akin to wood, other to polished stone, and some to bone; nevertheless, whichever they compare the handle to they always say it's just barely different enough to not seem truly made from that material. Like the blade, the handle is believed to be a substance gathered or produced among the Raven Queen's domain.
The Pommel
The Carrion Claw's pommel is something unique to the Champion wielding it. The material need not be the same between Champions, nor need it be different. The only constant feature of the weapon's pommel is that it bears the likeness of a raven's head. The style used to show this, or whether the design is carved or etched, is as variable as the material used. Precious gems, wood, bone, metal, and resin have been noted in past incarnations of the weapon.
The current Champion was noted in Arif and Dolorn to have a pommel of Forelian whale ivory which was caved to shape and detailed with fine scrimshaw.
It is said that a Champion doesn't choose their pommel. Instead, the Raven Queen bestows the weapon without it and later provides one in a way that is reflective of the Champion's life or values.
The base metal used to construct this weapon is unknown to every blacksmith and artificer who is known to have examined it throughout the ages. It is believed to be a material native to the Raven Queen's domain and is incredibly light while resilient enough to withstand immensely heavy blows without cracking or losing its edge. The perpetual sharpness and sturdiness of the blade is believed to be bolstered with magics that are not understood upon the Material Plane.
The Handle
The weapon's smooth, rounded handle is made from a different bu similarly dark-colored material as the blade. It retains the qualities of being resilient and lightweight, but has been described inconsistently by past Champions. some say the handle feels akin to wood, other to polished stone, and some to bone; nevertheless, whichever they compare the handle to they always say it's just barely different enough to not seem truly made from that material. Like the blade, the handle is believed to be a substance gathered or produced among the Raven Queen's domain.
The Pommel
The Carrion Claw's pommel is something unique to the Champion wielding it. The material need not be the same between Champions, nor need it be different. The only constant feature of the weapon's pommel is that it bears the likeness of a raven's head. The style used to show this, or whether the design is carved or etched, is as variable as the material used. Precious gems, wood, bone, metal, and resin have been noted in past incarnations of the weapon.
The current Champion was noted in Arif and Dolorn to have a pommel of Forelian whale ivory which was caved to shape and detailed with fine scrimshaw.
It is said that a Champion doesn't choose their pommel. Instead, the Raven Queen bestows the weapon without it and later provides one in a way that is reflective of the Champion's life or values.
Tools
No tools have ever been known as needed with this weapon. It needs no whetstone. To towel it free of water or blood is more of a penitent act than preventative maintenance, for it has never been known to rust. Even attaching a pommel, for the weapon is given to a new Champion without one, is as simple as touching the two pieces together. From there they are interlocked until the Champion's work is done.
Some very old, very hard-to-find records state that at some point in the past a Champion was captured by a now-extinct cult of mages who tried to disassemble the Carrion Claw with mundane and arcane means. If said record is to be believed, no magic or mundane means could separate the blade, handle, or pommel from each other. Not even an antimagic field.
Some very old, very hard-to-find records state that at some point in the past a Champion was captured by a now-extinct cult of mages who tried to disassemble the Carrion Claw with mundane and arcane means. If said record is to be believed, no magic or mundane means could separate the blade, handle, or pommel from each other. Not even an antimagic field.
Comments