Mindfang

Magic Item Type: Weapon (Dagger)
Rarity: Artifact
Requirements: Attunement
Description: Mindfang is a silver-plated steel dagger, radiating an aura of ancient and arcane power. It is a +2 dagger, blessed with both everbright and blueshine enchantments. This weapon does not rust or tarnish and can emit a blue-white light at the will of its bearer.

Properties:

Sentience: Mindfang is a sentient chaotic evil weapon with an Intelligence of 20, Wisdom of 18, and Charisma of 16. It has hearing and darkvision out to a range of 120 feet. The dagger can communicate telepathically with its attuned wielder and can speak, see, and hear through a neural node of the illithid elder brain Quamm.
Everbright: Mindfang cannot rust or tarnish, remaining pristine even in the presence of effects that would normally cause such damage.
Blueshine: The bearer can cause Mindfang to glow with a fairy fire-like blue-white light, adjusting its intensity from very bright to a dim glow at will.
Elder Brain Connection: Contains a fragment of an elder brain named Quamm, allowing Quamm to see, hear, and speak through it. Quamm can project psionics, cast spells known to it, and even control the bearer to some extent. Quamm has absorbed the knowledge and spells of three human archmages, granting it access to a wide array of spells which it can cast with only verbal components, regaining use of each spell six hours after casting.
Mental Dominion: The chief danger of Mindfang lies in the potential for the wielder to become mind-controlled by Quamm. Those without strong personal psychic defenses or magical protection may find themselves under Quamm's thrall.

Defenses:

Wielders of Mindfang gain no special defenses against the dagger's influence; rather, they are at risk of becoming pawns of Quamm. The elder brain does not seek the destruction of its pawns but remains indifferent to their fate as long as Mindfang remains likely to find a new bearer.

Usage:

Quamm typically observes its new bearer for days, learning their mind and motives before beginning subtle manipulations. It reveals its presence and intentions gradually, often leading the bearer down a path of mental enslavement. Lore: Mindfang is known to be a deadly artifact, capable of controlling the lives of those who wield it, and in some cases, bringing about their swift demise. It was created under the dark influence of Quamm, an elder brain residing in the Underdark beneath the Snowflake Mountains near Tethyr, as a means to extend its reach and influence across the realms.