The Bloody Hand
Character: Grimfist
Type: Heavy spiked club
Description: A hardwood club that's very much larger (and almost as much heavier) on the hitting end, which has several protruding spikes of metal. It is mostly brown of varying shades with streaks of black, while the metal bits are predominantly dull gray with specks of rusty red. It looks very old and very worn out of use.
History: The cult of Yurtrus (which was just one of quite a few found in several orcish societies) was a very small one, not because of any orcish aversion to a god of death and disease but because of its grim rituals. In one of these, the Rites of Succession, the Hand of Yurtrus plays a central role.
The Rites of Succession is a simple ceremony, where the standing head of the cult is about to retire after exactly nine years of service. His chosen successor, usually his protégé, is to beat him to death until he is an unrecognizable mass of blood in the style of sacrificial offerings to Yurtrus.
Grimfist was the next in line before he left the cult, and was in fact its head for a year or so before leaving. He claimed that the cult has "become so obsessed with its rites and ceremonies that it has forgotten the true teachings of Yurtrus--to bring death and destruction to all." He had kept the ceremonial club since then, marking a symbolic and then literal disbanding of the cult.
The club, by means of careful appraisal, is standard orcish fare--or, ar least, was, for it is extremely antiquated in style. It might have been part of a weapons cache of an ancient army, then discovered and used by the founding members of the cult of Yurtrus which Grimfist was a member of.
Meatcleaver
Character: Gnash
Type: Greatsword
Description: A large greatsword in a rustic orcish style. Its metal blade is a stony gray, while its cloth-covered hilt and handle are black. It used to have orcish script running along the blade, perhaps at one time a magic ward or a smith's signatory mark, but now it is eroded away by time and repeated rough use. There are several chips and dents along its two sharp edges, which are kept up to shape despite frequent abuse. It has no scabbard.
History: Meatcleaver was a once-magical sword of a realtively peaceful orc tribe's office champion and defender, forged, reforged, and re-enchanted with every new generation of the tribe. One day, however, a group or roving raiders under Blackarm the Angry tore across the little village with ease, and the champion--despite being unbelievably strong and skilled--fell and his possessions looted. His special sword went to Blackarm, since he always received the lion's share of every raid.
Gnash was the eldest son of Blackarm the Angry. As such, he was to inherit his father's possessions, not the least of which was Meatcleaver and a top position in the orcish gang. That was not an arrangement that could sustain itself, given Gnash's propensity towards forgetfulness and oft-striking stupidity, and not long after Blackarm's death the bandits went on forming their own factions and soon led to the breakup of the band.
Stinger
Character: Skizzmo
Type: Dagger
Description: A simple, slender dagger. Small, thin, and light, it looks more like an over-sized needle than an actual dagger. It is a dull metallic black in its entirety. It is well-maintained.
History: Although Skizzmo has an assortment of knives, daggers, icepicks, and other sharp and pointed implements, Stinger has been with him since the high point of his career as a professional thief-for-hire. He found it in the possessions of an elven wizard, took it, named it Stinger, and found its style and shape just perfect for his needs.
The dagger has no magical properties, despite having been in a wizard's home. It was, however, the family heirloom of the said wizard, though the elf had so little to his name that trying to sell the dagger to rival families was an unprofitable venture.
The Darkroot Staff
Character: Ichthys
Type: Magical staff
Description: A gnarled wooden staff of pure black--indeed, it looks as though it radiates darkness, and might have been magically enchanted to do so. It has a simple blood-red orb at one end, inside of which darkness (lieterally and figuratively) swirls about. The orb held there by twisted, entangling wood, reminiscent of vines. It is as longer than Ichthys is tall.
History: During the chaos of the Second Age, Ichthys--or whatever his name was back then--was a dark elf wizard-for-hire who fought on several sides of the devastating series of wars. His staff has been by his side in all those occasions, both as a focus point of his magical energies and as a whacking stick when things got too close for comfort.
The staff was made purely through magic, from the roots of an ancient tree empowered with--surprise, surprise-the powers ancient forest-spirits. It wasn't exactly the nicest thing he could have done, but considering that the tree was cut down by orcs months later and that he's a mad wizard bent on escaping death, it's really that much of a big deal.
The staff had been broken several times, for many who had faced him in his prime as a lich thought it was his phylactery. He wasn't an idiot, of course, to have his phylactery within easy reach--the true vessel of his undeath is, in fact, several planes away, accessible only to him... as most liches do.
Thymus
Character: Odon
Type: Arming Sword (broken)
Description: A typical arming sword. The hilt has stylized thyme in gold running across the cross-guard while the pommel has a golden liturgical Elven inscription translated to “Given as a reward for a glorious deed/Worn to accomplish more.”
History: Given by the Grandmaster of the Order of the White Rose to Odon after Odon saved the Grandmaster’s life in a battle.
???
Character: Odon
Type: Mace
Description: The mace’s head is attached to an iron shaft. The head itself is fashioned to take on the appearance of a skull, with two rubies set in the eye holes. Red writing of an unknown (at least to Odon) language snakes down the shaft.
History: After Thymus broke in battle, Odon grabbed a mace off of a fallen foe to use. Odon was fighting undead at the time, and the fallen foe was a necromancer, which might explain the mace’s peculiar shape.
Infantryman's Axe
Character: Grothmag Silverhelm
Type: Double-headed axe.
Description: A standard-issue Dorovellian infantryman's axe. With two heads, it is a heavy yet capable weapon, perfect for any Dwarf. Nothing fancy, it is obvious it has seen some use. There is scaring all over the weapon, yet it is still in good condition.
History: Forged in the bowels of the Dorovellian armory, this weapon was issued to Grothmag Silverhelm upon joining the Dorovellian Militia.
Standard-Issue Bow
Character: Norgoth Ironbow
Type: Recurve (not long) bow.
Description: A simple bow, grown in the underground caves of Dorovel. Not a fancy weapon either, but still very practical. In the hands of a skilled archer, very deadly.
History: Made from the branches of the underground trees, this weapon was issued to Norgoth Ironbow upon joining the Dorovellian militia as an archer and scout.
Vengeance
Character: Selot
Type: Two-handed Sword
Description: It is a large sword, some 5 feet long and about 3 inches wide. Heavy, too, but Selot is accustomed to it. It does, however, have a point, and the entire blade is shaped similar to a spear head or arrowhead. Another thing, it is steel on the outside, the cutting portion of the blade, yet in the middle of the blade, it is black. It is like no other metal. Also, some runes on it crafted in a gold-like metal give strength to its owner in times of need.
History: Vengeance has a long history, longer than most people have lived. It is Selot's family's treasure, passed down from father to son. It was made with ordinary steel, and a metal long forgotten. So long forgotten, in fact, noone even knows its name anymore. The runes were engraved many years ago, when its first owner, the person for whom Selot was named, held it. His name was Selot. He was a magnificent soldier and a cunning general, respected by friend and foe alike. Many times, he put himself at the front of an army, the white and black sword in hand. One night, an enemy attempted to steal it, but upon reaching the tent and grasping the sword, it became too heavy to lift, and Selot woke up. Grasping it easily, he revealed to the thief Vengeance was, in a way, alive. It could choose its owner. If someone who it did not choose attempted to wield it, it would be impossible to lift. Now the sword is in Selot's hands, and he will cut his own fate with it.
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