The Dark Fragment - Lethal Joke

Lethal Joke is a cannon/grenade launcher painted in pink and purple with a menacingly-grinning smiley face painted on the side. Originally created as a portable fireworks launcher, its creator, The Great Strombolio, reworked it into the Fragment of Darkness after defeating a crowd of wendigoes that had infiltrated the Circus of Shadows with it. Bathed in the Dark magic of all the harlequin gremlins in the circus and reloaded with laughing gas-filled grenades, Lethal Joke is designed to exploit the wendigoes' weakness to laughter.

Mechanics & Inner Workings

Lethal Joke is designed explicitly to exploit wendigoes' hatred of and weakness to laughter and joy. After seeing how these things helped defeat the wendigoes when he was faced with them back in the Circus of Shadows, Strombolio purposely designed the grenades that went inside of it to contain Laughing Gas, which induces uncontrollable fits of laughter in whomever breathes it in.

History

When he was 15 years old, The Great Strombolio created Lethal Joke while in his trailer. Originally, he designed it for fireworks displays. From the years 2242 to 2243 S. E., Strombolio used it in his shows, wielding it as a handheld missile launcher for colorful fireworks displays.

That all changed on August 12, 2243. Strombolio got on stage to discover that the audience had all been possessed by wendigoes! Through his wit and will, he blasted the wendigoes back and sent them running for the hills.

That's when he met San, Mallow the Maelstrom, and Adamant Ironjaw. San offered him the chance to join them on their quest to defeat the Heart of Darkness, a request Strombolio eagerly took up. He enlisted the help of all the harlequin gremlins in the circus to infuse it with Dark magic. Seeing how laughter drove wendigoes off, he filled it with laughing gas grenades. This is the point where he started calling it Lethal Joke.

Show spoiler

In the events of "Book 3: Darkness," Strombolio helps Jack Thunder and company find it again. Ultimately, one of his employees, Shadow-Paws, finds it and wields it in the team's battle with Nemesis.

Significance

Lethal Joke was one of the six weapons used to defeat the Heart of Darkness back in the War of the Wendigoes. It represents and is imbued with the element of Darkness.

Shadow-Paws carrying Lethal Joke

Class
Handheld Cannon/Grenade Launcher
Associated Element
Darkness
Aura Color
Royal Purple

Item type

Weapon, Ranged

Creation Date

October 13, 2242 S. E.

Current Holder

Shadow-Paws

Creator

The Great Strombolio

Raw materials & Components

Strombolio made Lethal Joke from the scraps of old carnival rides. It is made primarily of wood and metal.

Related Materials

• Laughing Gas