Category: Weapon

#Lore24 – Entry #80 – Fantasy Month #20 – Staff of Many Bindings

 

From the journal of Angeliqua “Goldeneyes” Cartacustos:

“Yes, that one,” Felaria said after she saw the look I gave her in response to the topic this morning.  She seemed quite amused, too, giving me that sly, smug grin she sometimes wears.  Sometimes I feel she’s got quite a sadistic streak within her, because it seems to me that she takes great pleasure in my humiliation, however infrequently it seems to happen.  Perhaps it’s simply a form of affection in dark elven society?  I’ll have to research that later; women in their societies do tend toward the submissive, and worship of Yurisaya is quite common, after all.  As for myself?  I’m not nearly as enthusiastic to bring up these memories, but if I must, then so be it. 

As the name suggests, the Staff of Many Bindings is an arcanist’s staff which is used for binding the target in various ways, simply or more intricately depending on the will of the caster employing the staff, usually not only restraining the target but also silencing them via some form of gag, perhaps even blindfolding them; these are quite effective against arcanists, priests, and druidic types as one would imagine.  The staves are not especially rare, at least within the Empire, as it is seen as more beneficial to capture targets for interrogation or enslavement than simply destroying them, though I’m sure such arcane creations exist elsewhere within the world.  I would be quite surprised were I to learn that major temples of Yurisaya wouldn’t have at least one, the same with Erisaya’s holy sites.  As I understand it, arcanely gifted bounty hunters also routinely employ these staves to capture their prey, if they are successful enough in their trade to afford one, of course.  Not infallible by any stretch of the imagination, one possessed of quick enough reflexes can avoid the conjuration of the bindings produced by the staves, and those who are particularly dexterous can still work themselves free given enough time to do so, though against your average person, these will prove quite effective in immobilizing them until properly secured.  The bindings themselves are magical conjurations, and while just as sturdy as their mundane counterparts, are just as vulnerable to the same methods of destruction (ropes and straps can be cut, gags can be tugged free, chains can be broken, given proper leverage, etc).

The particular staff Felaria referred to this morning belongs to one Regina Houslin, a noble-born arcanist of no small talent (even if said talents are greatly misfocused in my opinion) who visits the Great Library from time to time.  Mother seems to get along quite well with Lady Houslin, and both seemed to very much enjoy educating me on the nature of these staves.  Quite rigorously and repeatedly.  For an entire week I was used as a test subject for Lady houslin’s staff in the Library’s arcanum workshop as she fine-tuned the staff’s matrix and enhanced its functions beyond the standard version of the staff.  Mother said it was because of my reflexes and agility, but I feel that’s probably not the whole of the matter.  Houslin’s enhanced version of the staff featured an additional effect that she believes will quickly become commonplace, specifically that it instantaneously disrobes the target when the bindings are successfully applied; I’m honestly baffled that this hasn’t been an established feature of the staves since their inception. 

And yes, her experiments were quite successful; I spent much of that week quite naked and writhing on the floor or hopping around the workshop in various states of restraint.  I was also tasked with dressing up in various outfits of steadily increasing complexity and coverage during the tests; wearing layers of insulated, fur-lined winter clothing in the summer here is quite unpleasant.  Thank you very much, Mother; I’m sure the other arcanists visiting that week were quite thankful too.

That’s not all that Lady Houslin added to her personal staff, however.  She was quite specific that I should try the staff on her, and while initially excited for this chance at revenge, I was quickly humiliated once again.  She has placed a very secure enchantment upon the staff that has essentially turned it into a cursed item in anyone’s hands but her own.  Try as I might to bypass this feature, I was unsuccessful, and was subjected multiple times to having myself restrained in random ways by the staff.  Were I not certain the staff is not sentient, I would swear that it took pleasure in my suffering, for it quite often made itself part of my restraint when this feature was triggered.  “For ease of future transport,” as Lady Houslin said.

Mother, if you’re reading this, I’m not delving further into the details; you saw quite enough during Lady Houslin’s visit, and if you require more, perhaps I can recommend some tawdry reading for you instead?

 

#Lore24 – Entry #77 – Fantasy Month #17 – Thundering Dawn

 

From the journal of Angeliqua “Goldeneyes” Cartacustos:

The long lost legendary holy sword, Thundering Dawn, the Searing Light of Lashana, the Scorching Terror of Demons and Undead, has been sought after by holy knights, exorcists, treasure hunters, historians, and many an Emperor for centuries.  The blade itself was forged during the years before the Great Cataclysm and first wielded by Melisande no Synstralia de’Rashnikova herself, founder of the Holy Order of Rashnikova, known for their dedication to the goddess Lashana and their mission to see demons, undead, and other such fiends and supernatural creatures driven from Andyllion. 

Though Rashnikova would survive the Great Cataclysm, her line supposedly still continuing to this day, in fact, in the form of the aptly named Brightblade family, her famous sword would go missing in the centuries following the upheaval of the world, and has remained but a legend since, though many stories of heroic knights, kings and queens, seekers of justice, etc, have been written in which this blade features prominently.  Some theorize that it was stolen by demonkind after its final wielder was slain, hidden away within the Horrid Abyss in order to corrupt its very nature, while others suggest that the blade still remains hidden upon Andyllion, resting within the heart of an ancient evil that will awaken should it ever be removed, while others still would believe that the blade lies safely within the treasures of the Emperor, and the very power of having it so close has been responsible for the continuing prosperity of the Empire.

Thundering Dawn was, or perhaps, is, a bastard sword of exceptional make, forged from the purest mythril supposedly collected from a fallen star sent by Lashana herself by a remarkable combined effort between the master dwarven and kobold smiths of the era.  Thusly forged, the blade was then anointed by the clergy of Lashana through dozens of sanctifying rituals and finally bathed in the “blood of Lashana” to infuse the sword with its legendary power before it was given to Lady Rashnikova as she led the crusade against the demonic incursion. 

Though a weapon of remarkable power against any bearing ill-intent to its wielder, in the hands of a dedicated champion of Lashana, the true power of the sword was brought to bear.  When drawn in the presence of the demons or undead, owing to its namesake, thunder would shake the skies, and the sword’s blade would radiate with the light of the sun, searing such creatures that would be caught within its radiance.  Only the strongest of demons or undead could survive more than a single strike from the blade as its holy energy would spill forth and burn them into ashes, those that were not driven to flee by its powerful aura alone, that is.  Those evil supernatural creatures who were slain by Thundering Dawn were supposedly seared into oblivion, their vile essences burned away permanently by Lashana’s justice. 

Though I certainly would like to believe that Thundering Dawn exists, or once did, I find myself leaning more toward the sword’s supposed power being the stuff of legends.  Perhaps there was a sword with that name, and perhaps it was in fact wielded by Lady Rashnikova, but likely its powers and exploits were greatly exaggerated through time as the stories were told and retold.  Still, I can’t deny that I do enjoy many of the tales involving Thundering Dawn, and were it to be found, I would very much like to lay eyes upon it at least once.