Exordius

Illus. by F. Vohwinkel

Exordius is a vicious longsword with a blade of dull, pitted black metal and a hilt of magically hardened obsidian, set with a large ruby in the pommel. Inscribed into the blade are runes and sigils of evil power, though these seem unusually faded and worn.

Nonlegacy Game Statistics: +1 longsword; Cost 2,315 gp. Omen: When Exordius is wielded in battle, tendrils of pure, white light stream from the blade and the jewel in the pommel. Their radiance is surprisingly soothing to good-aligned creatures. These tendrils grow larger and brighter as the sword’s powers increase. HISTORY

The ancient lich-king Raumos forged Exordius for his chief lieutenant, the death knight Darnag. The blade was a weapon of soul-searing evil. Darnag ultimately used the sword to overthrow Raumos and set up his own kingdom, tales of which are still used to frighten children into good behavior. Darnag himself disappeared a few centuries after overthrowing Raumos. He was never seen again. (DC 15) Darnag was actually vanquished in battle by a young human woman named Eyria, a paladin of Pelor. Eyria is renowned in the history of Pelor’s church for her piety and courage, and though she was slain in battle with the death knight, even in her own destruction she was victorious. Exordius stole her soul and absorbed it, but the sword was unable to destroy her wholesome essence. Eyria’s faith infused the weapon. Darnag was then burned to ash by the touch of his own blade—Eyria’s purity destroyed him. (DC 18; Sanctification of Darkness) After Darnag’s destruction, he and his sword were entombed in a grand mausoleum constructed by his loyal servants, who were unaware of the presence of Eyria’s soul inside Exordius. For centuries, the paladin’s spirit struggled against the evil inherent in the blade. In the quiet darkness of the tomb, Eyria’s spirit was overwhelmed. Unable to purge the unholy magic from Exordius, her soul fell dormant and passed into a deep torpor. (DC 25; Alone in the Gloom) Many centuries after Exordius was interred in Darnag’s tomb, an adventurer named Aedwar (also known as He of the Steely Heart) discovered the tomb and began exploring it. His excavations triggered the tomb’s magical defenses, and Aedwar was cornered by over a dozen guardian demons at the death knight’s sarcophagus. With no other weapon at hand, He of the Steely Heart snatched up Exordius and wielded the evil blade against his fiendish attackers. The strength of Aedwar’s determination, along with the destruction of so many demons, caused Eyria’s spirit to stir into wakefulness once again. With Aedwar’s help, the paladin was able to banish the evil of Exordius’s sinister magic once and for all. (DC 31; Banish the Abyssal Brood) LEGACY RITUALS Three rituals are required to unlock all the abilities of Exordius. Sanctification of Darkness: You must perform a ritual of purification upon an evil magic item (any item that has a spell with the evil descriptor in its creation prerequisites) worth at least 1,500 gp. This ceremony involves bathing the item in holy water and chanting

Exordius stole the soul of a human paladin— prayers to a good-aligned but that soul might yet survive, trapped in the blade deity for 10 minutes. The process destroys the sanctified item. Cost: 3,000 gp. Feat Granted: Least Legacy (Exordius). Alone in the Gloom: You are required to seal yourself in complete and total darkness for 24 hours. Usually, this ritual is performed deep underground. The rite is ruined by even the tiniest bit of light shining through a chink in a window or under a door. Cost: 12,500 gp. Feat Granted: Lesser Legacy (Exordius). Banish the Abyssal Brood: In a single encounter, you alone must slay one or more evil outsiders with

Table 3–18: Exordius

————— Personal Costs —————

Wielder Attack Save Hit Point

Level Penalty Penalty Loss Abilities

5th — — — Soul’s guidance 6th — — 4 Will of two 7th — — — — 8th — –1 — +2 longsword 9th –1 — 2 — 10th — — — Eyria’s piety 11th — — — +3 longsword 12th — — 2 Awakened soul 13th –2 — — Inner strength 1/day 14th — — — Dismissal 1/day 15th — — 2 — 16th — –2 — Soul’s sacrifice 17th — — — +3 holy longsword 18th — –3 2 Mantle of sacred protection 19th — — 2 — 20th — — 2 +5 holy longsword a total Encounter Level of at least 15. Exordius is the only weapon you are allowed, but you can use any spells or innate abilities you possess. Cost: 40,500 gp.

Feat Granted: Greater Legacy (Exordius). WIELDER REQUIREMENTS

Most wielders of Exordius are paladins or militant clerics, but any good-aligned character who meets the requirements and desires more divine power benefits from carrying the sword.

Exordius Wielder Requirements

Base attack bonus +3 Knowledge (religion) 2 ranks Any good alignment Ability to turn undead

LEGACY ITEM ABILITIES

All the following are legacy item abilities of Exordius. Soul’s Guidance (Su): Even though the soul of the paladin Eyria is not fully awakened, her subconscious can subtly guide your hand in battle. Beginning at 5th level, once per day as a standard action, you can grant yourself a +2 luck bonus on attack and damage rolls for 3 minutes, but only while wielding Exordius.

Will of Two (Su): When your psyche is assaulted, Eyria’s formidable willpower bolsters your determination and strength of mind. At 6th level, you gain a +2 sacred bonus on all Will saves.

Eyria’s Piety (Su): Even as the sword draws upon your spiritual energy, it magnifies your ability to turn undead. Starting at 10th level, you turn undead as though you were two levels higher in the class that grants the ability.

Awakened Soul: When you attain 12th level, the soul of the ancient paladin Eyria awakens fully, transforming Exordius into an intelligent item. The blade has an Intelligence score of 10, a Wisdom score of 18, and a Charisma score of 18. It is lawful good. Exordius can communicate audible speech, though it speaks only Common, and it can communicate with you telepathically. It perceives its surroundings within 120 feet with darkvision, blindsense, and hearing. The sword has Eyria’s 10 ranks of Knowledge (religion). Exordius’s Ego score is 13 + its enhancement bonus (a total of 16 at 12th level). If any greater abilities are awakened, the Ego increases to 17 + enhancement bonus. Inner Strength (Sp): At 13th level and higher, once per day as a swift action, you can use cure serious wounds as the spell on yourself when holding, wearing, or wielding Exordius. Caster level 10th. Dismissal (Sp): Beginning at 14th level, once per day when you issue the command word and gesture with the item, you can force a creature to return to its native plane, as the dismissal spell. The base save DC is 16, or 14 + your Charisma modifier, whichever is higher. Add your character level to this number and subtract the target creature’s HD to determine the final save DC. Caster level 10th.

Soul’s Sacrifice (Su): Though Eyria’s soul was the only one to survive being absorbed by the evil of Exordius, she was certainly not the only spirit captured by the blade. The essences of other unfortunate victims reside within the ruby on the sword’s pommel, now little more than nonsentient bits of spiritual energy.