Sarrath's Claw
A drabarne who creates one of these powerful weapons is said to be following in the footsteps of Daenna's brother, Sarrath, who is though to have been the first Gypsy to create such an item. Any weapon successfully engraved with the symbol of Sarrath (three curved claws tipped in blood) and empowered through the force of the drabarne's will becomes a weapon capable of doing great harm (aggravated damage) to all beings, including vampires, spirit-dwellers, faeries and werecreatures.
In addition to the immediate damage, the weapon has a chance of inflicting additional wound levels in the five succeeding rounds as small pieces of the claw work their way deeper into the target's body. In each of the five rounds after the claw first hits a creature, the target must make a successful Willpower roll plus Fortitude for vampires (difficulty of the wielder's Willpower) or take an additional aggravated wound.
The magic of Sarrath's Claw on a victim is not cumulative. Further attacks from the claw will do immediate damage to an already affected victim, but not any more additional damage. However, once the effects of the first attack are over (five rounds), a new success with the claw will start the process anew.
The claw will remain effective for a number of attacks equal to five times the number of the drabarne's creation successes. Before its first use, Sarrath's claw must be bonded to a particular Gypsy. This bonding requires the expenditure of one point of Willpower.
Any melee weapon may be so empowered, although bladed weapons are traditional. Such weapons are partiularly dangerous in the hands of a skilled Knife Dancer. They are especially favored by the Tsurara family, whose drabarne are rumored to have achieved new heights of damage with their multi-barbed claws.
