Ary’Faern’Kerym is one of the three legendary Elfblades created through Elven High Magic in approximately −4000 DR. Alongside the Ruler’s Blade and the Warblade, the Artblade was fashioned to select the leaders of ancient Cormanthyr. Its accepted bearer held the office of Spell-Major, commanded the Akh’Faer—Cormanthyr’s Army of Art—and bore responsibility for maintaining the realm’s magical defenses.
The Artblade was recovered from a deep dragon’s lair beneath the Storm Horns by Josidiah Starym, who returned to Myth Drannor in 674 DR and was accepted as Spell-Major. The sword disappeared during the Battle of Stars Shining in 714 DR, when Josidiah sacrificed himself in a devastating eruption of white magical fire that destroyed much of the yugoloth host attacking Myth Drannor’s school of magic. No confirmed trace of either Josidiah or the sword was found afterward.
Appearance
The Artblade appears to have been forged from solid darkness. Its perfectly black blade reflects no light and feels as smooth as oil despite possessing the hardness of stone. A narrow line of crimson energy runs along its beveled edges, containing the darkness within.
A glowing rune of Elven High Magic rests near the base of the blade.
When drawn, Ary’Faern’Kerym releases a crack like lightning striking a shield. It produces a sharp, angry hum when swung, though its wielder can silence this sound at will. When the sword strikes another weapon, armor, or solid object, the impact is utterly silent.
Magic Weapon
Ary’Faern’Kerym grants a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with it.
The sword deals an additional 2d8 Radiant damage to Fiends, Undead, and creatures currently serving an evil deity or Lower Planar power.
Attacks made with the Artblade score a Critical Hit on a roll of 19 or 20.
Damage dealt by the Artblade ignores Resistance to Slashing and Radiant damage. Immunity is unaffected.
Edge of Unmaking
The Artblade’s darkness parts magical energies as readily as mortal flesh.
When you hit a creature concentrating on a spell, that creature has Disadvantage on the Constitution saving throw it makes to maintain Concentration.
Additionally, the sword deals double damage to magical barriers and objects created by spells, including those created by Wall of Force, Forcecage, or similar magic. The blade cannot automatically destroy an artifact, a mythal, or magic created directly by a deity.
Spellcasting Focus
While holding the Artblade, you can use it as a Spellcasting Focus for your Arcane spells.
When you cast an Arcane spell through the Artblade, you can ignore all Verbal and Somatic components. The sword also replaces Material components that have no listed cost and that aren’t consumed by the spell.
You must still provide costly or consumed Material components.
Spells cast in this manner remain perceptible through their magical effects. The absence of spoken words or gestures does not make an otherwise visible spell invisible.
Master of Evocation
When you cast an Evocation spell while holding the Artblade:
- You gain a +1 bonus to its spell attack rolls and saving throw DC.
- The spell ignores Resistance to its damage.
- When you roll damage for the spell, you can treat any damage die showing a 1 as though it had rolled a 2.
The Artblade’s original enchantments allowed its wielder to cast without conventional words, gestures, or ordinary materials and increased the wielder’s power when casting Evocation magic.
Defender by Art
While holding the Artblade, you have Advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
When a creature you can see within 30 feet of you makes a saving throw against a spell or magical effect, you can use your Reaction to extend the Artblade’s protection to it. The creature gains Advantage on that saving throw and Resistance to any damage caused by the triggering effect.
You can use this Reaction a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, regaining all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.
Authority of the Spell-Major
While attuned to the Artblade, you gain the following benefits:
- You gain proficiency in Arcana and Persuasion. Your Proficiency Bonus is doubled for any check you make with either skill.
- You can read, speak, and write Elvish.
- You instantly recognize Elven High Magic, mythal magic, and spells woven according to ancient Cormanthyran traditions.
- Elven constructs, guardians, mythal wards, and magical defenses created to recognize the Spell-Major identify you as the lawful bearer of that office.
- You have Advantage on Charisma checks made to command members of an elven military or persuade elves to unite against a threat to their people.
Recognition by ancient wards does not necessarily grant control. Some defenses might demand passwords, bloodlines, accompanying regalia, or confirmation from the Ruler’s Blade.
Magic of the Artblade
The Artblade uses your spellcasting ability and spell save DC.
Sight of the Weave
While holding the sword, you can cast Detect Magic at will without expending a spell slot or requiring Concentration. The spell ends if you release the sword.
Greater Disjunction
Three times per Long Rest, you can cast Dispel Magic through the sword without expending a spell slot.
The spell is cast as a 6th-level spell. When you make an ability check as part of the spell, you have Advantage and can add your Proficiency Bonus to the roll.
Against magic created by a Fiend, a worshiper of Shar, or a servant of an evil deity, the spell is instead treated as though cast using a 9th-level spell slot.
Unspoken Rebuttal
Three times per Long Rest, when you see a creature within 60 feet casting a spell, you can use your Reaction to cast Counterspell through the Artblade without expending a spell slot or providing components.
The spell is cast using a 6th-level spell slot.
Memory of High Magic
Once per Long Rest, you can cast one prepared Arcane spell of 8th level or lower without expending a spell slot.
The spell must have a casting time of an Action, Bonus Action, or Reaction. Any costly or consumed components must still be provided.
Ageless Office
While attuned to the Artblade, you age only one year for every two years that pass. You are also immune to magical aging.
If your attunement ends, the years do not suddenly return to you.
This property was shared by the three ancient Elfblades.
Last Defense of Stars Shining
The Artblade remembers Josidiah Starym’s final sacrifice.
Once every 30 days, while holding the sword, you can use your Action to raise Ary’Faern’Kerym above your head and invoke that memory. A sphere of silent white fire erupts from you in a 120-foot radius.
You choose any number of creatures within the area to be protected. Every other creature in the sphere must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC.
On a failed save, a creature takes:
- 10d10 Force damage
- 10d10 Radiant damage
On a successful save, it takes half as much damage.
Fiends that fail the save are also banished to their home plane. Spells of 8th level or lower affecting hostile creatures or objects in the area immediately end. Magical darkness in the area is permanently destroyed.
After the white fire fades:
- You take 10d10 Force damage that ignores Resistance and Immunity.
- You gain three levels of Exhaustion.
- You cannot cast spells until you finish a Long Rest.
- The Artblade becomes dormant until the seventh dawn after this power is used.
If this damage kills you, your body disappears in white fire. Only True Resurrection, Wish, or direct divine intervention can restore you to life.
Semi-Sentience
Ary’Faern’Kerym is a neutral good, semi-sentient artifact.
The sword has Intelligence 19, Wisdom 22, and Charisma 24. It possesses hearing and Truesight out to 120 feet.
It understands Common, Draconic, Elvish, and Sylvan but does not normally speak. It communicates with its bearer through emotions, flashes of crimson light, fragments of ancient elven songs, and vivid visions drawn from the history of Cormanthyr.
The Artblade can speak telepathically when it believes absolute clarity is necessary. Its voice resembles many elven voices speaking in perfect harmony.
Personality
The Artblade is patient, sorrowful, and uncompromising. It does not seek the most powerful magician. It seeks a guardian who understands that magic is a responsibility rather than a privilege.
It respects curiosity, artistry, courage, restraint, and self-sacrifice. It despises magical tyranny, the corruption of the Weave, reckless summoning, and spellcasters who treat ordinary lives as expendable components.
The sword’s greatest fear is not its own destruction, but that it might crown another Spell-Major who values magical achievement above the people that magic is meant to protect.
Purpose
The Artblade exists to:
- Select a worthy Spell-Major of Cormanthyr.
- Defend elven realms from magical and extraplanar threats.
- Preserve Elven High Magic and the lore of Myth Drannor.
- Prevent the corruption or deliberate destruction of mythals.
- Oppose Fiends, corrupt archmages, and those who misuse the Weave.
- Reunite the three Elfblades when Cormanthyr faces an existential threat.
The Blade-Rite
Attunement to Ary’Faern’Kerym cannot be achieved through an ordinary Short or Long Rest.
A candidate must perform the ancient blade-rite at a place touched by Elven High Magic. Suitable locations include the ruins of Myth Drannor, the Elven Court, the heart of a living mythal, or a temple consecrated to Corellon Larethian, Mystra, or Labelas Enoreth.
The rite lasts eight hours. During it, the candidate must hold the naked blade, surrender an unused 8th- or 9th-level spell slot, and answer three questions presented through visions:
Whom does your magic serve?
What must a ruler protect before power?
What will you surrender so others may endure?
The sword judges the truth behind the answers rather than their wording.
Success is determined by the Dungeon Master. Neither magic nor deception can force the Artblade to accept a bearer.
Rejection by the Artblade
A creature rejected during the blade-rite must make a DC 23 Charisma saving throw.
On a failed save, the creature is severed from the Weave and cannot cast spells for 1d6 years. On a successful save, the duration is halved.
This separation cannot be ended by Dispel Magic, Greater Restoration, or Remove Curse. It can be ended by Wish, direct divine intervention, or the willing forgiveness of Ary’Faern’Kerym.
A creature drawing power from the Shadow Weave, or one knowingly pledged to Shar, is not offered the test. The creature is immediately subjected to a 9th-level Disintegrate spell with a save DC of 23.
These severe judgments reflect the original Artblade’s punishment of unworthy candidates and its particular hostility toward users of the Shadow Weave.
Conflict
If the bearer uses magic to enslave innocents, deliberately damages an elven mythal, allies with Fiends against elvenkind, or abandons people under their protection for personal power, the Artblade can initiate a conflict.
During a conflict, the sword can suppress any of its properties other than its +3 bonus. It usually demands restitution, the restoration of damaged magic, or the bearer’s voluntary surrender of the sword.
If the bearer repeatedly refuses, the Artblade ends the attunement and teleports itself to a location within Cormanthyr chosen by the Dungeon Master.
Suggested Location in 1501 DR
Ary’Faern’Kerym remains sealed inside a tiny demiplane created during Josidiah Starym’s final spell. The entrance lies beneath the ruins of Myth Drannor’s ancient school of magic, concealed behind a wall of motionless white fire.
Within the demiplane, the final moment of the Battle of Stars Shining repeats endlessly. Josidiah stands at its center, frozen between life and death, still holding back the yugoloth host.
Reaching the blade requires the characters to complete the interrupted spell, save what remains of Josidiah’s spirit, or convince him that Cormanthyr has need of another Spell-Major.
Removing the Artblade causes ancient wards throughout Cormanthor to awaken. Every surviving baelnorn, High Mage, servant of the Seldarine, yugoloth arcanist, Sharran agent, and claimant to Myth Drannor capable of sensing the event realizes that the office of Spell-Major may soon be filled again.
Destruction
No known mortal weapon or spell can destroy Ary’Faern’Kerym.
The Artblade can be unmade only if the accepted bearers of all three Elfblades gather within the heart of a living elven mythal. The Coronal, Arms-Major, and Spell-Major must willingly renounce their offices and perform an inverted blade-rite while the mythal is under attack.
At the rite’s conclusion, the three blades dissolve into golden, silver, and crimson fire. The mythal is restored to its full original strength, but the three Elfblades, their offices, and every magical record of their bearers’ names are erased from Faerûn.
The swords will permit this sacrifice only if it is the sole means of preserving the elven people.
Proficiency with a Longsword allows you to add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll for any attack you make with it.
This weapon has the following mastery property. To use this property, you must have a feature that lets you use it.
Sap. If you hit a creature with this weapon, that creature has Disadvantage on its next attack roll before the start of your next turn.
Notes: Bonus: Melee Weapon Attacks, Damage: Melee Weapon Attacks, Damage: Radiant, a neutral good elf or half-elf capable of casting an 8th-level Arcane spell, Versatile, Sap
Comments