Soultaker Blade

The Soultaker Blade is a Legendary Divine Talisman crafted by Greymoria.
It is a scimitar enchanted to do extra damage. It can also strike incorporeal targets.
More uniquely, if the scimitar slays a mortal and that mortal's soul joins the ranks of the Restless Dead, the blade will enslave the ghost. It can also enslave existing ghosts if it "destroys" a ghost in combat.
It can only command eight ghosts at a time, so to take on a ninth ghost, the wielder has to set a previous ghost free or else destroy one outright to free up a slot.
If it slays someone who does not become a ghost, it creates a (tier three) zombie under the weapon bearer's control. It can command up to sixty-four zombies.

History

by Eron12 with Hero Forge

Carcelli the Arcane Priestess

"In case anyone lived under a rock and doesn't know how Legendary Divine Talismans work. They are magical items of great power crafted by the Nine, given to the Nine's favorite mortal agents and then taken after the agent died a natural death.
Sometimes, a god or goddess is very stingy with a particularly Talisman remaining unused by mortals for centuries at a time while other times a Talisman is constantly bequeathed to a new series of mortals.

The Soultaker Blade was forged in the middle of the the Second Age and passed down to a near constant stream of men and women into the Second Unmaking, through the Red Era of the the Third Age until about 1500 years ago.
It hasn't been seen since. We do not know why.
The Soultaker Blade was bequeathed most often to great warriors who pleased Greymoria with their purity of belief and ferocity. Some of these warriors were also spell casters (though they were mostly dabblers) and some were not spell casters at all.
It is not like there was ever a shortage of powerful and ruthless warriors dedicated to Greymoria's service. I know the Children don't exactly field large armies of holy warriors, but The Dark Mother only really needs one great warrior per generation to bear the Soultaker.
There are lots of competing theories for why the Blade has not been seen in a very long. Some believe the Soultaker Blade was actually destroyed though I am skeptical because scholars and theologians are not even sure that a Legendary Divine Talisman can be permanently destroyed.
My personal theory is that Wise Greymoria has retired the Soultaker for a time of great need. Now that we are in the Feudal Era, there is less need for a warrior with the Soultaker Blade, while the Dark Mother is seeking sublter means to advance her goals.

by Eron12 with Heroforge

Magnati, independent necromancer

"When it comes to necromancy, words like 'dead' and 'destroyed' are not hard absolutes. Legend suggests that the bearer of the Soultaker Blade got in a fight with one of the surivivng lieutenants of Vladimir the Conqueror, a powerful necromancer not affiliated with Greymoria. The Soultaker was not 'destroyed' but it was left in a pseudo destroyed state that severed the Blade from Greymoria's grip.

Now the goddess can't recall the Blade back to the Aetherial Realm, so in theory the Soultaker Blade will work for anyone who finds it, even if they aren't especially pious towards Greymoria.
A lot of necromancers have sought the Soulttaker Blade to augment their power and status. A lot of Greymoria's Children have sought the Soultaker Blade hoping to win their goddesses favor by 'rescuing' the blade.
I myself have not been actively looking for the Blade, but I am keeping my eyes and ears open for clues just in case."

Item type

Magical

Subtype / Model

Legendary Divine Talismans

Related Condition

zombies

Rarity

unique