Cauldron Festival

[Anastasia]

Amaryl does the same, keeping her eyes downcast as she does.

Well met, Lord of Flames.

"Thus as it is and it always will be," The crackle of flames hiss those words out, rising from cracks in the stones, arching into the existing flames like spiderwebs.

Zaaman Rul. Seira Aryn. Amaryl Gaial. Speak.

Kossuth watches, expression unchanging, distant.

[Corwin]

"I came to make a request, Lord of Flames," Seira says in a respectful tone of voice. "I wish to see whether I am a worthy wielder for Razalim. Towards that goal, I thought to consult with Kassim of the Honored Flame about the requirements."

[Anastasia]

To seek Kassim is to seek the mastery of forging. You must undergo a trial for it. Show me a weapon made by your own hand, worthy of your desires to meet with Kassim.

[Corwin]

I could design a weapon with no equal through the aid of magic, where my talents lie, but I doubt this is the point of the trial. Unless I match the skill of a master of the craft reknown across the planes, I cannot talk to Kassim?

[Anastasia]

Amaryl frowns at that, but pauses. Firelord, let me ask something slightly different. Why? Why the trial? You know that we are worthy!

Here Kossuth burns brighter, hotter. The flames ripple across the room, more and more forming, leaking out from the stone, devouring it.

It is not my requirement. It is Kassim's. Know that he is a wizard of great skill, and cares little if you make it with a hammer or magic, so long as it is your own magic. He grows tired of those who seek him, who seek to learn from him because of his name. He seeks to purify those who want to meet him through trial.

[Corwin]

So it doesn't have to be a physical, permanent sword? One made briefly with magic is sufficient, if the skill in making it was high enough?

[Anastasia]

Yes.

Here Zaaman Rul speaks, "Do not fear the challenge, Seira. All in Fire must be purified. It is the true nature of fire to burn away impurities and leave strength."

[Corwin]

In that case, I will design it. A unique sword.

[Anastasia]

Here and now? I would see it.

[Corwin]

There is no library or helpful automata to aid in the process, but Seira is undaunted by that! She summons golden flames in the shape of Dragon's Grace, and as they constantly seek to escape the artificial bounds they have been placed within, she draws upon the fierceness of Fire and the goodness of Creation to give the sword its basic meaning. Then, rather than continuing to constrict the flames, Seira gives them free reign as they coil around her in a whip, contract into a dagger too bright to look at directly, enlarge until they become a greatsword, which blade thins as it curves into a scimitar....

"This is my sword, Fire Lord," Seira announces serenely. "The bane of all that fear Fire, and anti-thesis of Evil, it reflects the ever-changing nature of the flames to become the melee weapon best suited for the wielder with buy a thought. It will always, in any configuration, draw upon that ability to prove its strength, maintaining optimal reach and coverage. Its very touch burns tirelessly, as eternal as the very concept of Goldenfire."

At the start of each round as a free action, the wielder can choose the shape of any melee weapon for the weapon to take. The wielder is always considered proficient with the weapon. The weapon's features draw upon the best advantages available to the wielder (for medium-sized wielders, it would mean having the damage of a greatsword, the critical range of a rapier and critical multiplier of a scythe, the reach of a spiked chain and so on). The weapon is a +5 'sword', +2 to attack/+2+2d6 damage vs Cold-subtype or Evil-subtype creatures (effective bane vs both, ignores resistance and halves damage with immunity). Any wounds dealt with it linger and keep on causing further damage of 2 additional hit points each round. Such wounds do not heal naturally and resist healing spells. They can be negated by a Heal spell or stronger on consecrated ground, and require a DC 30 caster level check.

[Anastasia]

That's pretty awesome. What spell level were you aiming for, just looking for a ballpark real quick.

[Corwin]

Hard to say! I used the lvl4 Frost Blade from the Spell Collection as basis for an elemental blade with decent damage and bane, and then added stuff. The instant mastery and changing form is fairly cheap, but the best qualities of the available weaponry make it pretty neat. Given that it's an effective +7 weapon vs its intended targets, it'd probably be even with Shardread which is lvl11 (it's bane and not dread, but it does have other cool stuff as stated). Then there's the not!Infernal Wound power, which... does actually happen with fire already with existing stuff, except weaker. Probably 12th level? In the end, it's a gimmick, given damage at our level an extra +2 damage per round is no longer crucial, even if you deal like 10 wounds.

[Anastasia]

We'll call it that for now and pretty it up later.

Kossuth examines the blade and nods.

Go.

In an instant you stand outside in Fire. On a single, large, flat black rock amid an ocean of lava. It sizzles and burns, the air thick with volcanic gasses. Far ahead lies a large house, topped with towers with minarets, a polished golden color that does not blacken or melt from the intense heat here.

[Corwin]

Seira is certainly happy that the library spell graces her with eidetic memory! She could recreate the spell later, once she's safely home.

"Still need a name for it," she muses, heading for the house. "It was just a half-formed idea until now, when I was put on the spot like that. Any suggestions? My first thought was Purify Influence Flame, which is... yeah."

[Anastasia]

Amaryl is with you, but Zaaman Rul is not.

"Terrible," Amaryl says, smiling nonetheless as you fly on. The house's door opens as you approach, as if inviting you in. "How about Flaming Glory?"