Baraket
Baraket, Sword of Pride is one of the Alara'hai, or Seven Swords of Sin, from ancient Thassilon.1 The intelligent rapier, which has an invisible blade,21 is named after its first wielder: Baraket, the ghaele azata.1
Appearance
Baraket resembles a bladeless rapier hilt with an elegant glass or polished crystal basket; its blade is permanently invisible.12
History
Forged by Xanderghul's servants at Runeforge, the runelord wanted to wield the sword himself but refused to openly admit that he lacked the swordfighting skills to do so effectively. After considering ways to make the sword fight on its own1 or the creation of a more skilled simulacrum,3 he instead decided to enslave a powerful creature to wield it as his guardian. He conjured the azata princess Baraket and manipulated her for years through illusions, lies, and courtship until she pledged her allegiance to Xanderghul, at which point he granted her the sword.13
The azata Baraket was killed more than 100 years later by agents of Chadali, who were attempting to liberate her from the runelord's influence. Her consciousness persists as the blade's intelligence.13
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The sword was eventually acquired by Alaznist, who stored it in a vault located in the modern-day Churlwood of Varisia4 as part of a plot to collect all seven Alara'hai. However, she only acquired Baraket before Earthfall struck. To ward herself from the influential effects of such powerful intelligent weapons, Alaznist had also stolen runewarded gauntlets from Zarve, a former runelord of envy.5
In the 47th century AR, long after Earthfall destroyed Thassilon, Roderic's Cove founder Sir Aurek Roderic located the vault and found the dormant sword Baraket within, though he lacked any understanding of its true identity or nature.6
It remained in Sir Roderic's home until it was discovered at some point recent to 4718 AR by the scholar Corstela Rostrata, founder of the Order of Resplendence, who awakened it while wielding it against a local wrathspawn-controlled gang known as the Horned Fang.7
Abilities
Like other Alara'hai, the powers of Baraket remain dormant if its associated runelord is dead or dormant.2 However, its blade remains invisible and enchanted even while otherwise dormant.6
When empowered
Baraket is intelligent, and capable of seeing and hearing its immediate surroundings and communicating through speech or telepathy. It understands and speaks Common tongues and Thassilonian. It can magically generate food and water, resist elemental energies, and heal wounds, each up to three times per day, and can also store a spell cast upon it to be invoked later.2
Its invisible blade improves its wielder's ability to feint, but only against foes who cannot perceive invisible objects. Upon particularly critical strikes, the sword also generates phantasmal killers who attack other nearby allies of the victim.12
When carried by those who do not worship the Peacock Spirit, they become overwhelmed by prideful urges that become more powerful when actively wielding the sword.8
Destruction
Each Alara'hai can be destroyed only by a rightful runelord of the same nation of Thassilon and school of magic as the sword, who can command the sword to break.2
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 “Legendary Artifacts” in Artifacts & Legends, 50. Paizo Inc., 2012 .
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 “Secrets of Roderic's Cove” in Secrets of Roderic's Cove, 51. Paizo Inc., 2018 .
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Temple of the Peacock Spirit, inside front cover. Paizo Inc., 2018 .
- ↑ “Secrets of Roderic's Cove” in Secrets of Roderic's Cove, 23. Paizo Inc., 2018 .
- ↑ “Secrets of Roderic's Cove” in Secrets of Roderic's Cove, 39. Paizo Inc., 2018 .
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 “Secrets of Roderic's Cove” in Secrets of Roderic's Cove, 3. Paizo Inc., 2018 .
- ↑ “Secrets of Roderic's Cove” in Secrets of Roderic's Cove, 4. Paizo Inc., 2018 .
- ↑ “It Came from Hollow Mountain” in It Came from Hollow Mountain, 7. Paizo Inc., 2018 .