Wirikidor | ||
Trade: Sword | ||
Associated with: Valder the Innkeeper, Fendel the Great | ||
Animated Object | ||
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Wirikidor was originally a standard issue sword from the Ethsharatic army; of ugly but serviceable workmanship, with a bow grip, straight blade, and without any frills or ornamentation. It's also a powerful magic item enchanted by Fendel the Great for Valder of Kardoret in 4996 YS. Wirikdor means "Mankiller" (translated by Fendel as "slayer of warriors") in an unspecified and mostly forgotten ancient language. Wirikidor has numerous enchantments, including at least two 8th Order spells; Ellran's Immortal Animation and a flawed version of the Spell of True Ownership, it's also got three separate blessings, the Spell of Perpetual Sharpness, and a few other little charms and cantrips. Fendel stated that at least one spell is of his own devising, he did not specify which, though there are suggestions that it is one of the blessings.
The spells cast on Wirikidor interact in a unique way that produces some startling results. Every time the sword is drawn it must kill a man--a human, adult male past the age of puberty--before it can be sheathed again. While the wielder can choose which of several men to attack, the sword will actively seek to strike out at a target when drawn. Against that single foe, the sword is virtually unbeatable; fighting for its owner with a speed and skill that no mortal can hope to match. However, once the sword has killed a single foe it ceases to function until sheathed and re-drawn. The deteriorating version of the Spell of True Ownership employed in the creation of the spell places a limit on the number of times it can be used by a given wielder; the original owner, Valder, is able to draw and use the sword roughly one hundred times, after which it will turn on him and kill him. Each succeeding owner will be able to use the weapon one less time (99 for the second, 98 for the third,) until eventually some luckless soul will draw the sword and have it turn on him immediately.
Thanks to the inclusion of Ellran's Immortal Animation the entire linked set of spells are almost impossible to dispel and the sword itself is practically indestructible. The unique variant of the Spell of True Ownership means that the owner's life is bound up in the sword; consequently, the only things which can kill him are Wirikidor itself or Wirikidor's destruction. Thus, the sword confers immortality on the wearer up to the point where it turns on him and kills him. By keeping the sword sheathed, the wielder can in theory live forever. However, the sword does not prevent injury, maiming, or old age, making this immortality considerably less of a blessing than it might first appear.
If the Spell of True Ownership on Wirikidor had been done properly, with a gold ring, then there would be no limit on how many times the sword could be used. This means there would be no need for it to ever kill its owner and consequently there would be no way for it to make anyone immortal. The only reason Valder is immortal is that Wirikidor has to kill him; if that’s removed, then the sword’s owner can die by any means, at any time.[1]