Obsidian Fang

Shard of a Dead God
Deep beneath the streets of Grizburg, in the twisted catacombs known as the Whispering Depths, lay an artifact of tremendous dark power - the Obsidian Fang, a crystalline shard of Zothra-Khaar's divine essence. This relic, born from the death of an Eeirendelios during the First Black Fire War, contained not just power but a fragment of the Dead God's consciousness, a whisper of divine will trapped in crystalline form.
The Fang's origins trace back to Zothra-Khaar's final moments, when the divine offspring of fire and earth fell in battle. As the god's form shattered, this particular fragment absorbed an unusual concentration of his essence, becoming something more than mere divine residue. Its surface, black as night yet seeming to swallow even darkness itself, ripples with patterns that suggest movement just below its crystalline surface.
For centuries, various cults and power-seekers attempted to claim the Fang, but its location in the Whispering Depths remained secure. The catacombs themselves seemed to protect it, with walls that shifted and reformed, traps that reset themselves, and guardians both living and undead that patrolled its chambers. The very air in the chambers surrounding the Fang was charged with dark energy, causing those who lingered too long to experience visions of Zothra-Khaar's final battle.
The artifact's power manifests in several ways. It can bend reality around its wielder, corrupt and transform magical energies, and even grant its user insights into the nature of divine power itself. However, these abilities come at a cost - the Fang constantly whispers to its possessor, sharing fragments of Zothra-Khaar's thoughts and memories, slowly attempting to influence them toward its own inscrutable purposes.
When Sythara learned of the Fang's existence through ancient texts stolen from Nepos, she recognized it as the perfect tool for her vengeance. Its ability to corrupt magical defenses and transform mystical energies would allow her to turn Nepos's own power against itself. More importantly, its divine nature meant it could overcome the ancient wards that protected the city-state.
The quest to retrieve the Fang fell to Slazgar, whose knowledge of Grizburg's underworld and magical training from Sythara made him uniquely qualified for the task. His mechanical eye, gifted to him by Sythara, proved crucial in navigating the Whispering Depths, allowing him to perceive magical traps and barriers that would have spelled doom for other adventurers.
During Slazgar's expedition into the depths, the Fang's influence began to manifest even before he reached it. Those in his party experienced increasingly vivid hallucinations, seeing glimpses of ancient battles and hearing fragments of divine proclamations. The artifact's power seemed to reach out, testing potential wielders, seeking one who could survive its touch.
When Slazgar finally claimed the Fang, it recognized in him something kindred - a being transformed by power and devotion. The whispers of Zothra-Khaar grew stronger, offering visions of possible futures and promises of greater power. Yet Slazgar's loyalty to Sythara proved stronger than even the Dead God's influence, allowing him to resist its more corrupting effects.
The journey back to the surface was marked by constant attempts by various factions to claim the Fang. The Bloodclaw Warband, the Eyes of Tezra, and even agents from Nepos itself sought to wrest the artifact from Slazgar's possession. Each attempt failed, as the combination of Slazgar's cunning and the Fang's power proved insurmountable.
In Sythara's hands, the Obsidian Fang found its true purpose. She understood its nature in a way few others could, recognizing that its power lay not just in its divine origin but in its potential for transformation. Under her guidance, the Fang became a tool of revenge and reformation, its power used to reshape not just Nepos but the very nature of magical authority in the region.
The ritual that unleashed the Fang's full power required elements from both Sythara and Slazgar - her blood, tainted by Years of exposure to Nepos's toxic magic, and essence from his mechanical eye, a symbol of their shared history of pain and transformation. This combination proved key to controlling the artifact's power without being consumed by it.
Today, the Obsidian Fang remains a central element of Sythara and Slazgar's power in Nepos. Its presence in the highest tower of their dark palace serves as both symbol and tool of their authority. The artifact continues to whisper its ancient knowledge, sharing secrets of divine power with those it deems worthy, while its very presence serves as a reminder that even gods can fall, and their power can be claimed by those bold enough to seize it.
The legacy of the Obsidian Fang extends beyond its role in Nepos's conquest. It stands as proof that divine power can be harnessed by mortal hands, that the barriers between gods and mortals are not as absolute as once believed. In the hands of Sythara and Slazgar, it has become something new - no longer just a shard of a Dead God, but a symbol of how power, properly understood and controlled, can reshape reality itself.

Item type

Weapon, Other