Description:

An age worn and faded black leather harness worn over the right shoulder securing a short bandolier with four slots straps down the left side of the torso. The smell of long lost ages clings heavily to it and the two very small tarnished silver filigree accented age yellowed bone sheaths. Protruding from the small sheaths are a pair of matching yellowed bone handles well worn by countless hands, the grain and fine cracks in the bone handles filled with dirt and old blackened blood. The handles themselves have no pummel nor guard yet the wear upon them make them very comfortable for matched left and right hands.

Incompatible Attuning Description:

Gripping the handles you feel powerful surge rushing through your hands and into your soul, you feel as though your very history is being viewed and you are being judged on it. The surge rushes back from your very soul and with it you feel some of your vitality being drawn into the handles (you age 1d8+2 years); the vitality taken into the handles you feel it dying and momentarily the smell of long lost ages surges, you know it is gone and nothing can bring it back, not blessing nor wish (age lost by failed attunement cannot be recovered even through a wish spell as the lost vitality has been taken by a god of death). Drawing the handles pulls forth tiny blunted and ineffectual blades.

Compatible Attuning Description: 

Gripping the handles you feel a powerful surge rushing through your hands and into your soul, you feel as though your very history is being viewed and you are being judged on it. A second surge pulses through you and you feel as though an eternity of time passes and with that time a countless number of shadowy figures greet you in your mind with a polite bow and a whispered "We have been waiting and are eager to serve you". Just as it begins to feel like you have lived a complete and full life, one last shadowy figure presents themself to you, their deep hood drawn, completely obscuring their face, while under their left arm is a tome and in their right a quill, their librarian quiet voice whispers quietly but clearly within your mind "We have waited patiently for the next envoy of eternal rest, take us and perform the work of our lord of death until your journey is done", and with a polite angled head dip the figure opens the tome and quickly writes an entry with the quill before you find yourself blinking, not even a second having passed.

You draw the handles forth and as you do so, age blackened and pitted iron begins to apparate beginning from where the handles meet the base of the hand, curving over the hand and attaching to the otherside of the handle forming a bladed cover over the knuckles while simultaneously extending down the back of the forearm extending 6 inches past the elbow ending in serrated and jagged spikes reminiscent of praying mantis claws.

Notes;

• Time's Embrace gets a +1 to attack rolls and is a magical weapon, it does not gain a static positive modifier to damage rolls. Instead every time Time's Embrace lands a hit by the hand of someone Attuned to it the weapon pulses with a wave of passing time that clings to the wielder and weapon emanating a sense of gravity and solemnity that can only be found in ancient places, this sense grows with each successive hit, The next attack that lands deals an additional +1 weapon damage, the damage stacks and has no limit however once an attack misses or the wielder doesn't make an attack within 1 minute, the sense of gravity and solemnity dissipates additionally the damage stacks dissolve, reverting back to its base damage.

• Time's Embrace, counts as a single shortsword for the purposes of attunement, the wielder can draw both handles having both blades available however if the attuned wielder draws only one blade they may only make one attack with Time's Embrace as part of a multi attack action, the single blade can be used again as part of a bonus action attack if the wielder is able to make an additional attack as a bonus action, (eg; attacking with an offhand weapon while dual wielding), this is designed to allow the wielder to be able to throw a thrown weapon like a dagger in the same turn as making an attack with Time's Embrace. If the wielder draws both blades they may make all of their available attacks using Time's Embrace.

• Due to the nature of the blades, it is impossible to throw them because as soon as the handles leave the attuned wielder's hands the blades disapparate leaving only the handles.

• Stowing the blades is as simple as bringing the handles close to the sheaths and willing them to return to their resting place.

• Due to the shape of the weapon blades, the wielder may choose to either deal slashing or piercing damage depending on the way the wielder strikes out.

• If the handles of Time's Embrace are removed from the sheathes and not returned, they will reappear sheathed again in 2 days.

• Casting Identify or Detect Magic on any or all parts of the handles or the harness including the permanently affixed bone sheathes reveals them all to be the same item.

• On a natural 20 attack roll, Time's Embrace deals an additional 2d6 weapon damage after critical hit damage is calculated.

• Messenger of the End: Once the attuned wielder is a combined level 6 rogue or monk, a heavily cloaked and hooded figure appears within the ethereal plane and will approach anyone reduced to zero hp by Time's Embrace, attempting to convince them to let go of life and move on to whatever exists beyond their mortal existence. The creature automatically fails 1 death saving throw and any death saving throw made by the creature is made at disadvantage, if the creature recovers, the one failed death saving throw persists for 1 week and the creature will be paranoid that "Death's Gaze is upon me" and "The Avatar of Beyond hunts my soul". This paranoia stalks both their sleeping and awake states and they will feel the need to tell anyone that will listen.

• Starting the Hourglass: Once the attuned wielder is a combined level 10 rogue or monk, the wielder as an action can call upon the power of the past wielders of Time's Embrace, by doing so, the wielder raises their arms and in flexing a 2nd set of arms apparate as a ragged and worn sleeveless hooded coat apparates into existence, hood partially obscuring the wielders face.  In doing this the 2nd pair of arms are able to draw weapons as they appear or are able to perform other tasks as intended by the wielder, they also gain the effect of the Haste Spell for 30 seconds which does not require concentration to maintain, however it may be dispelled or ended early by other magical means. When this effect is ended the attuned wielder is stunned for 1 round.

• Running the Hourglass: Once the attuned wielder is a combined level 14 rogue or monk; when the above effect ends for any reason but before the stunned effect comes into play, the wielder of Time's Embrace can call upon more power. Doing so the sleeveless coat darkens the air slightly around the wielder, while the hooded face becomes completely obscured by shadow with a slight glinting of silver where the wielders eyes are, lastly a 3rd set of arms apparate also able to draw weapons or perform actions as the wielder intends. The wielder gains the effect of the haste spell. This stacks with the previous haste effect, granting 2 hasted actions, +4 AC and the wielder's speed is tripled. This lasts for another 30 seconds which does not require concentration to maintain, however it may be dispelled or ended early by other magical means. When this effect is ended the attuned wielder is stunned for 2 round.

• Empty Hourglass: Once the attuned wielder is a combined level 18 rogue or monk; when the above effect ends for any reason but before the stunned effect comes into play, the wielder of Time's Embrace can call a final burst of power. Doing so the sleeveless coat appears even more ragged and worn showing tattered hems and holes torn as the apparated coat itself begins to succumb to the the effects of time, It also gives off a continual pulsing wave of slightly darkened air that spreads out to 200ft around the wielder that smells of dusty tomes and long stale crypts. The silvery eyes growing into a somehow tarnished mithral death mask completely covering the wielder's face. The within the 200ft radius of darkened air a darkly cloaked figure with hood completely drawn appears within the area for every living creature within the radius of the darkened air who immediately attempts to convince the creatures within to give up their mortal existence, as such every affected creature has disadvantage on their death saving throws. The wielder also gains a final pair of arms granting one final hasted action taking it to 3 and extra +2 AC to a total of +6AC and their speed is taken to 4 times their base movement speed. This lasts for 12 seconds and does not require concentration to maintain and it cannot be dispelled or ended early by other magical means. When this effect is ended the attuned wielder is stunned for 3 rounds and in addition also fails 1 death saving throw which will remain failed for 1 week and in addition the affected wielder will also have disadvantage on death saving throws until the week is ended, This ability cannot be used again for 2 weeks 

 

Proficiency with a Shortsword allows you to add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll for any attack you make with it.

Notes: Bonus: Melee Attacks, Bonus: Magic, Weapon Property: Finesse, By a Rogue or Monk of Lawful Neutral, Neutral or Chaotic Neutral Alignment, Damage, Combat, Finesse, Light, Vex