Heart's Edge

Heart's Edge

(Magic item)

Aura (1E)

Strong abjuration and transmutation

Caster Level (1E)

20th

Type

Major artifact;
Weapon (sword)

Slot (1E)

Weapon

Affiliation

Iomedae

Source: Hell Comes to Westcrown, pg(s). 56

The Heart's Edge is a dawnsilver longsword and magical artifact once wielded by the mortal Iomedae against the shapeshifters of Kantaria prior to her ascension to divinity. Its creation led to the formation of the Glorious Reclamation in 4715 AR, an event that destabilized Cheliax.

History

The sword was recovered by the Hellknight Order of the Godclaw after centuries of being lost and becoming forgotten. Its recovery inspired the formation fo the Iomedean Glorious Reclamation, which overran Citadel Dinyar in 4715 AR and reclaimed it. It was then wielded by Lord Marshal Alexeara Cansellarion, the Reclamation's founder and leader, until their defeat in 4716 AR.

The Glorious Reclamation's actions destabilized House Thrune's diabolic rule of Cheliax, leading to Queen Abrogail Thrune II enacting martial law across the nation. This decision directly led to the Kintargan Rebellion and contributed to the success of the Vidric Revolution.

After Cheliax, House Thrune, and the church of Asmodeus defeated the Glorious Reclamation, Queen Abrogail Thrune II of Cheliax claimed Heart's Edge and offered it to the Iomedean church in Egorian, but then immediately ordered the deaths of its worshipers as traitors after entrapping them in the gift's legal terms. The queen killed some of them herself with the sword and also executed Iomedean protestors of her actions. As of 4720 AR, Queen Abrogail II kept the Heart's Edge at her throne still coated with its victims' dried blood.

Abilities

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Heart's Edge is a magical mithral longsword that becomes empowered with holiness in the hands of an Iomedaean paladin, and is especially deadly when wielded against shapechanging creatures. When wielded by a goodly being, the wielder can use Heart's Edge to compel an evil being to reflect on and grieve its evil acts, and can create a globe of searing holy light by holding the sword overhead.

Construction

Heart's Edge is one of several Iomedean swords, along with Radiance and Serithtial, suspected to have been forged by Iomedae at the Inheritor's Forge in the heights of Arazlant Mox in the Kortos Mounts.

Destruction

To destroy the Heart's Edge, an Iomedaean paladin must use it to defeat Iomedae's herald, who must offer the paladin their unconditional surrender. The paladin must then slay the herald, which shatters the sword.

Heart's Bane

The sword can be corrupted by performing a perverse mirroring of the eleven Acts of Iomedae:

1. Feed eleven Iomedaean clerics to a massive creature capable of swallowing them whole, then wield Heart's Edge and be swallowed as well to kill any survivors.
2. Secretly replace the rulers of Senghor with hags and witches, grant them Heart's Edge, and ensure the secret remains kept for a full month.
3. Resurrect Segruchen the Iron Gargoyle by recovering both his remains from Barrowood and his soul from Xoveron.
4. Convince Arazni to imbue Heart's Edge with a regiment of wraiths.
5. Have Erum-Hel bless Heart's Edge.
6. Compel a member of the Whispering Way to repair a nearly imperceptible flaw in the sword where it was broken by Tar-Baphon.
7. Pin an Iomedaean paladin to the wall of a church dedicated to a deity of torture or suffering, such as Zon-Kuthon.
8. Locate the graveknight armor of the Black Prince and compel one of his living descendants to wear it.
9. Awaken the vampire Basilov and have him bless and enchant Heart's Edge.
10. Befriend, and then betray and publicly execute, at least eleven faceless stalkers in Kantaria using Heart's Edge.
11. Slay a pure-hearted aspirant of the Test of the Starstone with Heart's Edge and cast their corpse into the pit surrounding the Starstone Cathedral.

Doing so twists the blade's nature to evil, darkens its hilt and pommel, and transforms it into Heart's Bane. It empowers an antipaladin who wields it with unholy power, compel goodly creatures to be overcome with grief by their misdeeds, and produce a cloud of unholy fire when held overhead. The corrupted blade can be shattered and permanently destroyed only if Iomedae's herald wields it to deliver a killing blow to an unwilling and helpless Iomedaean paladin.

References

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