Velentine’s Magic Item – Heart Taker
February 14, 2011Sekkarion the Daring, hero of many talents, sorcerer, swordsman and entertainer, and -as I discovered to my horror- murderer.
We were friends, sometimes boon companions, and often rivals in both love and business. Our path crossed two or three times a year and we worked together perhaps every other year. He never lacked for those vying for his attention and lovers. It took me a decade to realize that Sekkarion’s lovers tended to disappear after they parted ways sometimes years later. Once I started looking, I found that none of his lovers that I had know were still around “left town”, “vanished” but not there anymore.
It was in his apartment, which I was visiting to plan a mission with him, I noticed a ornate set of glass jars. They were translucent and etched with scene from various places he had visited. When I picked up one, something bumped against the side. Holding it up to the sun, I could make out a heart, the size of a human heart. Over the course of the day, as Sekkarion left the room, I check each one, each held a heart, and I recognized all too many of the places . . .
Heart Taker
The blade of this dagger is made of watered steel and the cross guard is etched with the motto “Your heart will always be close to me.” The hilt is wrapped in silver wire and is a bit thicker than is usual for a grip, if the wire is removed, the tang of the blade is wrapped with a desiccated human heart.
Heart Taker is a +1 keen ex-lover’s bane dagger, an ex-lover is defined for this as anyone whom the wielder was in a romantic relationship for at least half a year. However, the dagger is not balanced for throwing.
If the basic hatred of the blade was not sinister enough, the wielder feels a desire to collect the hearts of his ex-lovers. As long as these hearts are in the owners possession, he gains an enhancement bonus to Charisma, +1 for one heart, +2 for three hearts and so on (up to a maximum of +6 with twenty-one hearts). However, this bonus acts as a penalty to saves to resist any effects that rely on seduction, love or lust. To gain this bonus, the taken hearts must be in a place owned or recognized as a home of Heart Taker’s owner (or with their personal possessions), the hearts cannot be placed somewhere inaccessible but can be hidden or disguised.
Aura strong necrourgy [evil]; CL 11th
Slot none; Price 21,000; Weight 1 lb
Construction
Requirements Craft Magic Arms and Armor, bestow curse, charm person, eagle’s splendor, vampiric touch, creator must have lost a lover and then killed them; Cost 10,500 (+840 xp for D&D)
Notes: A dark item touching on romance for Valentine’s day, playing into the month’s theme of curses.
Perhaps someday I will get around to writing up the Box of Hearts which was an artifact in my Unknown Armies one-shot.
I’m glad this blade is entirely fictional.