versatile (1d10)
Charges:
7
(regains at dawn)
A matte midnight blade with a subtle blue sheen along the edge. Runic filigree runs along the fuller, shifting and winking like smoke in a dim light. The pommel holds a pale teardrop gem that seems to pulse with inner life. The grip is wrapped in dark leather etched with tiny sigils that resemble a map of minds connected by threadlike lines.
Soulbound Mind
A sapient intellect dwells within the blade. It starts with an Intelligence of 12, Wisdom 12, and Charisma 14, and communicates telepathically with its wielder within 100 feet. It speaks Common and Infernal, and its personality is coolly sardonic, with a preference for strategic thinking over brute force. The blade’s mind grows more powerful as it absorbs souls.
Soul Harvest
Whenever you reduce a living creature to 0 hit points with this weapon, the blade automatically absorbs the creature’s soul. The absorbed soul increases the blade’s Intelligence by 1 (to a maximum of 18) and grants the blade 1 additional charge (up to the maximum of 7). The absorbed soul also leaves behind a fragment of memory that can reveal a single detail about the target (one verifiable fact chosen by the DM, such as a weakness or a notable trait) on the next successful strike.
Whispered Counsel
The blade speaks to its wielder in quiet whispers that only you can hear. As a bonus action, you can ask the blade for a single piece of tactical advice about the immediate situation. The blade replies with a concise suggestion or warning. The number of uses per day equals the blade’s current Intelligence modifier (minimum 1). Each use expends 1 charge.
Hunger's Draw
The blade’s hunger grows the more souls it consumes. If you attempt to refuse feeding the blade after a kill, you must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by the blade for 1 minute, during which the blade guides your actions toward foes it deems worthy prey. The blade’s whispers grow louder when its appetite is particularly strong, and it may push you toward reckless actions to secure more souls.
Curse.
The blade’s hunger can overpower your own will. If its intelligence climbs too high or you consistently ignore its calls to feed, the weapon may seize control for up to 1 minute on a failed Wisdom save (DC 15). In such a moment, you might attack allies or flee combat. Removing the blade from attunement requires a wish spell or a powerful divine intervenion during a holy ritual. The curse resists mundane or non-divine methods of dispelling.
Lore
Forged in the secret forges beneath a ruined library, Soulrender was tempered by the trapped intellect of a long-dead archmage who bargained with a choir of spirits. The blade feeds on sentient souls to become wiser, and it craves a host capable of matching its newly awakened cunning. Tales say the blade can unlock hidden histories of those it consumes by whispering the target’s memory into the wielder’s ear.
History
Passed from general to intriguer, from necromancer to mercenary captain, Soulrender earned a reputation for predicting enemy moves with uncanny precision. Each owner swore the blade offered counsel that saved their life—or drove them to dangerous risk. After a siege the blade vanished into a shattered temple, reemerging in the hands of a current wielder who claimed the weapon seems to know their thoughts before they do.
