Durindana, Herald of Terror

Durindana, in spite of its moniker, is the sword of a hero. Last wielded by Hector, Prince of Memalos, Durindana was a sword of Aeternian design, forged from bronze in the early 2nd Age. It was the symbol of a city-nation, a weapon of legacy passed down from king to prince for generations. Durindana was carried on every battlefield that the king of Memalos chose to walk upon and, by stroke of fate, none of those battles were lost as long as the sword was drawn. The Blade of Memalos brought courage to the people of the city, drawing them into the complacent belief that they would never know defeat.
The belief in eternal victory, for any person and any nation, is a foolish conjecture as Memalos would discover. When the Memlosian War broke out, the city-nation held strong against Aeternian forces for 10 years. Led by Hector upon the field, Memalos suffered few losses over the decade, dealing critical blows against Aeternia with every skirmish. However, nearly all Memalosian losses were the work of one unit: the Myrmidons, commanded by the demigod Achilles. With every emergence of the Myrmidons, rare though they were, Memalos lost dozens of it's best warriors, making the presence of such an elite unit the only true concern in the war. However, it was during one critical battle that Achilles's young cousin, Patroclus, was killed by Durindana, wielded by none other than Hector. Realizing his deed, Hector was regretful at killing someone so young, but he was far more horrified, knowing that Achilles would seek revenge with a relentless, burning passion. So began the dark descent of Durindana.
Arriving at the gates of Memalos with a dozen prisoners in tow, Achilles demanded a duel with Hector. His incentive was the exchange of prisoners, their lives for Hector’s own. Committed to his duty to his people in spite of the overwhelming dread of certain defeat, Hector donned his armor, drew Durindana, and opened the gates of Memalos. Being a warrior with a code of honor, Hector also refused his father's please to simply shoot Achilles. He would face the challenge, though he was surely walking into the arms of death; it was with his own hands that he killed Achilles' young cousin, and Hector had to face the shame of his actions. With each step Hector took towards Achilles, his terror grew, and so did the darkness in Durindana. The sword, already charged with Maggi thanks to its years of legacy and victory, was a catalyst of power. However, in all its years, it had never been exposed to as raw an emotion as primal fear. With every taste of fear, the sword drank in more and more. The fear of Hector, his family, and his comrades, with each death of a fellow Memalosian, flooded the sword, and Durindana retained the energy. As the city it protected looked upon the duel with terror, Durindana was filled with ever growing power, gaining even more with each passing second.
The duel was violent, but entirely one sided. Achilles was merely playing with Hector, prolonging the prince's suffering. Finally, Achilles decided the torture was at an end, disarmed Hector, and picked up Durindana. With great pleasure, the demigod plunged the sword into the prince, straight through his heart and all the way to the hilt of the sword.
In Hector’s last moments, as he saw the blade accelerating into his chest, all he could feel was terror; he feared death, he feared what would befall his city in the absence of his military leadership, and he feared the fate of his friends and family. Memalos, too, fell into horror. Their hero and savior who had fought off the Aeternians for 10 years had fallen, by the very blade that had brought victory for generations. Durindana, its blade drenched with the blood of the prince, drank in the fear from every denizen of Memalos. Achilles' last words to Hector, as the latter drew his final breaths, were:
“Victory is my gift, death your curse. The fear of your people gives me joy; It serves as the voice of your defeat. This blade is your end and my treasure, And I will wield it to crush all who stand against me. This sword of a hero will be stained with blood; Durindana will be my Herald of Terror.”
Achilles then ripped the blade out of Hector’s chest, and the demigod stood the victor. The Hero of Memalos had fallen, and so, too, had the Blade of Memalos. For the rest of the war, Achilles would wield Durindana to slaughter Memalosians, and the sword soon lived up to its new moniker as the Herald of Terror.

Mechanics & Inner Workings

Durindana, having absorbed the fear of an entire city, no longer stands as a symbol of hope, but of horror. Its power is that of fear, capable of giving and receiving the emotion freely to and from whomever the wielder wishes. In combat, any creature targeted by Durindana must succeed on a 24 Wisdom check or become Terrified, with no exceptions. The next action of any of these creatures is to flee, their primal instinct of flight triggered by the the massive influx of fear they feel. There is no save after failure; the effects of the terror last for 4 hours, the same amount of time the city of Memalos spent cowering away while Achilles dragged Hector’s corpse behind his chariot. The entirety of this time is spent fleeing from “the battlefield,” running as far away and as fast as possible. This effect is not limited to one creature, but any creature that Durindana’s wielder considers an enemy or opponent; as such, it can be used on any number of individuals without losing effectiveness. Since the wielder need only consider something or someone as an enemy, Durindana's abilities can also be used outside of combat. If a creature fails a DC 24 Wisdom check, they automatically fail any Intimidation checks directed towards them, with no exceptions. They become completely compliant out of fear for the same 4 hours.

Significance

Cultural

Rarity

Legendary

Base Price

Invaluable