Runescourge

The Blade of Lord Foltrec

(Legacy Content)

By my right as ruler of this land, I dub thee - Lord Foltrec - my Hand-Knight. May you serve this land and its people dutifully and honorably. Now go, Mage-Hunter, and cull those most reckless fools who spite my teachings.

— Great Hero Ysrai, during the knighting of Lord Foltrec

The blade known as Runescourge was the personal weapon of Lord Foltrec, the right-Hand-Knight of Lady Ysrai during the Alorean First Era. He crafted the blade with the assistance of a highly talented Alorean smith. He used his unique anti-magic spells and techniques during this creation process, resulting in the blade's unique mage-bane properties and strange material appearance.

Since Lord Foltrec's retirement towards the end of the Heroic Golden Age, Runescourge had been sealed away as the core of the Runescourge Golem before it too was sealed in an anti-magic tomb in southern Ysrailore, near the town that is now New Southward.

Mechanics & Inner Workings

Runescourge's magical components are fueled by a core of blue Fortum Maijurium, made visible through the glass-like blade. Nine individual runes mark the inside of the blade in total, eight on either side of the core and one at the tip. The blade has a number of abilities, comprised of which are the following:

• Siphon Magic
• Dispel Magic
• Counterspell
• Reflect Magic
• Anti-Magic Shell
• Launch Bolt
• Spell Conduit

Siphon Magic: Runescourge inherently possesses the ability to store magical potential, igniting the runes along its blade as it does so. When a spell or effect cast by someone hostile is dispelled or countered by the blade's other abilities, the magical potential of that spell or effect is siphoned into the blade. The number of runes that ignite because of this is equal to the power of that specific spell or effect. Ignited runes can then be used to power the blade's other effects, though if they are not used, they are lost at a rate of one per hour. When all nine of the blade's runes are ignited, the weapon cannot siphon any further magic until the runes are extinguished either through the passage of time or through expending the runes' potential through one of the blade's other abilities. Spells that possess power in excess to the amount of unlit runes charge all remaining runes, but the excess power fades into the world without effect.

Dispel Magic: Runescourge's anti-magic properties can manifest as an attempt to dispel any ongoing magical effects, as per a casting of a Dispel Magic spell. The number of times the blade can do this are limited to thrice per day, but effects that are dispelled by this ability are siphoned into the blade's runes (see Siphon Magic above). The amount of times the blade can use this ability are separate from its ability to use Counterspell.

Counterspell: Runescourge's anti-magic properties can manifest as an attempt to counter a spell that is being cast. This functions as a normal casting of a Dispel Magic (or Counterspell) spell, though it requires the wielder to be ready to react to the opponent's casting. The number of times the blade can do this are limited to thrice per day, but spells that are countered by this ability are siphoned into the blade's runes (see Siphon Magic above). The amount of times the blade can use this ability are separate from its ability to use Dispel Magic. The wielder of Runescourge cannot attempt to both counter and Reflect the same spell.

Reflect Magic: Runescourge's anti-magic properties can manifest as an attempt to reflect a spell cast on them by an opponent onto a creature of their choice. This functions similarly to the blade's Counterspell ability, but if the spell is countered, it is instead reflected onto another creature as if it was originally cast on that creature. This ability requires the wielder to be ready to react to such a casting. However, reflect magic specifically affects spells that only target the wielder, but not area of effects, illusions, and other spells that affect more than one creature. If a spell is reflected in this manner, the creature that it is reflected on must be within the spell's range of the wielder, as if the spell was cast from the wielder's space. If a spell is reflected by this ability, none of the blade's runes are ignited. The wielder can use this ability in place of a Dispel Magic or Counterspell, though the attempt still consumes a daily usage of that respective ability.

Anti-Magic Shell: Runescourge's anti-magic properties can manifest as a bubble of magic cancelling around the wielder. To perform this, the wielder must thrust the blade into the ground with the intent to activate this ability, which comes in two forms: Lesser and Greater. Both versions of this ability have an diameter of thirty feet (9 m). The wielder of Runescourge can use both versions of this ability only once per day.

Lesser Shell: This form lasts for eight hours, and negates spells of power that are of a lesser power (3rd level and lower) that originate from outside the area, and prevents creatures other than those the wielder designates from entering or leaving the field. In addition, any attempts by mortal means to view the contents of the area, or the area immediately surrounding the field of effect, are blocked. Creatures outside the field see the field as a localized cloud of fog.

Greater Shell: This form lasts for one minute, and negates spells of any and all levels of power - with some exceptions - from entering or being cast from within the area. This includes spells cast before and after the appearance of the shell. Thusly, the wielder can use this ability to create a pathway through a magic barrier, such as a wall of force or prismatic wall, which would normally not be possible with a similar spell. Exceptions to this ability are typically of the highest degrees of mortal power, such as abilities that alter the fabric of reality.

Launch Bolt: When at least one of the blade's runes is ignited, the wielder of Runescourge can use that stored energy to project a damaging bolt of raw magical energy up to a maximum of medium spellcasting range. This attack does require the wielder to aim the bolt, much like an arrow or ray from an offensive spell, though the damage this bolt does can vary. How much damage this attack does depends on the amount of runes consumed to fire the bolt. The wielder can choose how many runes they wish to expend when they fire the bolt, but it does not need to be all at once. Note: A wielder with the ability to channel spells through their weapon can perform a similar strike with this ability.

Spell Conduit: The final ability that Runescourge confers to its wielder is the ability to channel the magical potential siphoned to the runes of the blade into their own spellcasting. As such, when the wielder casts a spell, they can choose to power that spell with the potential stored in the runes instead of with their own magical potential. To do so, the wielder must expend a number of runes equal to the level of power of the spell they wish to cast. By doing this, the spell is cast as though the wielder had cast it normally, but none of their Maijurous will be used. The wielder can use this ability to cast any spell they know, or any spell they have prepared that day depending on their mystical capabilities.

Item type

Weapon, Melee

Current Location

The Ysrailorean Landmass

Weight

1.6 lbs (0.73 kg)

Dimensions

Total: 50" (127 cm) long, 10" (25cm) wide, 0.6" (1.5 cm) thick, Blade: 42" (106 cm) long, 1.3" (3.3 cm) wide, 0.2" (0.5 cm) thick.

Base Price

N/a

Raw materials & Components

Runescourge was constructed almost entirely of strange composite material known as Veluvium-glass, which gives it its translucent, deep-blue coloration. In addition to this, the material was formed around a large shard-like core of blue Maijurium, which serves to power the blade's anti-magic properties. Finally, reliefs in the metal all along the upper and lower faces of the crossguard are filled with pure gold, and depict waves of magic emanating from the handle, likely in reference to Lord Foltrec and his astonishing magical capabilities.