Blades of Thanatos
Description: This ritual creates an enchanted dagger of bone that transfers the vitality of a target injured by the blade, to the wielder. Thus, through the arcane principles of sympathy and contagion, the necromancer can transfer some of an opponent’s life-force through a wound made by the dagger; the blood used to create the dagger acts as a route for the stolen life-force which is drawn into the wielder’s body. The bone blade can only transmit so much vitality, so when the enchantment is exhausted, the blade of enervation disintegrates.
Origin: Benesj the Black
Ingredients: A bone long and thick enough to shape into a dagger; in preparation for the casting, the bone must completely free of dead flesh, old blood and debris. In the process of creation, the caster expends three blood points to enchant the blade.
Casting: The ritual begins with a mantra muttered in Greek, meant to put the caster into a light hypnotic state while the caster sharpens the bone on a tombstone or sarcophagus. When the caster has entered the hypnotic state and the blade is sharp enough, he stabs himself in the navel; in the process he takes at least one level of lethal damage and expends a bit of his blood to that region, thus coating the dagger as he heals his wound. This process must be repeated through three consecutive castings; by the end of the third casting, the enchantment is complete and the blade is ready to be used.
System: Intelligence + Rituals = difficulty five (5). Successes equate to the number health levels that can be stolen from a wounded opponent. The blade must score flesh, armor completely neutralizes the efficacy of the blades; all damage done by the blades is considered lethal. The casting of this ritual takes a total of thirty (30) minutes. In order to transfer vitality, the dagger must remain in the caster’s hand. These blades can be made for allies, but they must sit through the ritual, take the damage and expend the necessary blood.
Reference: The ‘Blades of Thanatos’ are based on my Path of Enervation; the power inherent in the blades enchantment is identical to the level three (3) path power, ‘A Touch of Stolen Life’.
