As Scutus Matris Belît at the Temple of the Stern and Unalterable Way in Nulbish draws Grimaldi's condemned shade out of the Windswept Depth of Plegethos and back into his suddenly gasping and convulsing body, the rippling black blade of The Sword of Kas telepathically whispers in the risen Jester's innermost ear--that which lies within the head, not on its side--"There, there, my swordsman. That's it. Breathe once more, for all flesh withers as quickly as the flowers in the merciless fires of Liga...
Twice, you have slipped the bonds of the Unseelie Queen of Air and Darkness. You are like a cat living its 9th life, My Reckless Fool. But fear not--I have seen what you lack, now, and I bridged the gap. I was not truly adapting to optimize and synergies your peculiar talents, but rather, I had been trying to unlock a Malvolio-shaped lock using a Grimaldi-shaped key. That was my ... indiscretion ... and I believe you will soon agree ... it has been duly rectified. Very soon, elves, dwarves, and men shall dread you as the Slayer in the Darkness ... The Trepanning Lancet ... The Fatal Fool ... Black Leech of the East ... I have foreseen these honors and more, and a longer span of drawing breath between now and when you go to your Gloom-Shrouded Queen's boudoir for the final time. Grip my hilt, Fool of Nulbish. Slide your grubby hand into my golden basket hilt. See how I have remade myself to augment your fleet-footed style of swordplay and backstabbing ... Your preference for striking from darkness and melting back into it, maneuvering around your hapless prey ... See how avidly we shall open the veins and arteries of those who dare oppose you, now, Grimaldi of House Nyrond. See how I shall blanket you in shadow hereafter, or make your silhouette blurry and indistinct the instant you plunge me nice and deep into mortal flesh and blood! I have taught myself new tricks, My Swordsman -- how to whisk you from gloom to gloom in the final beat of a punctured heart ..."
The Sword of Kas (Major Artifact)
Aura strong conjuration, illusion, necromancy and transmutation; CL 20th; Slot none; Weight 2 lbs.
DESCRIPTION
The Sword of Kas has magically adapted its shape and powers to form a better “partnership” with its current wielder; instead of a longsword, it now takes the form of an intelligent +6 anarchic keen lobotomizing rapier. The jet-black blade is rippled, with a vein of gold running down the center. The hilt is wrapped in red leather flecked with gold. The narrow quillons are of unicorn horn and capped with small, black pearls; the basket surrounding the hilt is formed in the image of a leering, bearded face.
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Devil Sight (Su)
When drawn and held, The Sword of Kas grants the wielder the supernatural ability to see in darkness, including magical darkness such as that produced by deeper darkness.
Fade from Memory (Su)
Three times per day as a swift action after dealing sneak attack damage, the wielder gains the effects of blur for 3 rounds.
Intelligent Weapon (Su)
The Sword of Kas is intelligent (INT 15, WIS 13, CHA 16, Ego 34) and chaotic evil. It has darkvision 60 ft., and can communicate with telepathy and speech (Abyssal, Common, Flan). It grants its wielder a +10 enhancement bonus to Dexterity as long as it is in the wielder’s possession (i.e., held or stowed on the wielder’s person).
Lobotomizing (Su)
This potent and feared ability allows the weapon to pierce the brains of those it strikes.
Upon a roll of natural 20 (followed by a successful roll to confirm the critical hit), the weapon impales the opponent’s head (if it has one) and pierces its brain. Some creatures, such as many aberrations and all oozes, have no heads. Others, such as golems and undead creatures other than vampires, are not affected by the piercing of their brains. Most other creatures, however, die when their heads are impaled.
Nightfall (Su)
Once per day as a swift action, The Sword of Kas can be used to cast deeper darkness, with the effect centered on the sword’s blade.
Opportunist’s Opening (Su)
Whenever the wielder successfully confirms a critical hit or hits a flat-footed target, he may take a 5-foot step as an immediate action. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Vampire’s Feast (Su)
Whenever the weapon deals damage to a living creature (but not a construct or undead), the wielder heals 3 hit points (or gains 3 temporary hit points if undead). Whenever the weapon reduces a living creature to -1 or fewer hit points, it casts heightened death knell (as a 9th level spell) as an immediate action; If the subject fails its saving throw, it dies, and you gain 1d8 temporary hit points and a +2 enhancement bonus to Strength. Additionally, your effective caster level goes up by +1, improving spell effects dependent on caster level. This increase in effective caster level does not grant you access to more spells. These effects last for 10 minutes per HD of the subject creature.
Vein-Seeker (Su)
Once per round when the wielder deals sneak attack damage with Whisper of the Final Vein, she may reroll one sneak attack die and take the higher result.
DESTRUCTION
The host of both The Eye of Vecna and The Hand of Vecna can permanently destroy The Sword of Kas by using a wish to do so. Other unknown or forgotten methods of destroying The Sword of Kas are posited to exist by certain savant sages, who must ultimately concede that they are, at best, simply making more-or-less educated guesses extrapolated from folklore and established arcana, and at worst, wildly speculating and stirring up the muck of misinformation and expedient but sloppy reasoning that could result in some unforeseen catastrophe. Possible methods proposed by the few more reputable and learned savants include:
Bring The Sword of Kas to the Positive Energy Plane and use the implanted Molars of Vecna to consume the blade over the course of 3 minutes (30 full rounds), as the radiant energy of the inner plane blasts both The Sword and the creature attempting to destroy it;
Quench the evil blade’s thirst for blood forevermore by wielding it to pierce the brain or sever the head the vampire-god, Kanchelsis, a.k.a. Mastraacht, whose profane cerebral humors or vile black blood would dissolve the sword entirely;
Various versions of “let a deity sunder it with this or that legendary divine weapon”—e.g., let Fortubo sunder it with his warhammer Golbi, let Kord sunder it with his greatsword Kelmar, let Corellon Larethian sunder it with their longsword Sahandrian, etc; and
The traditionally irrevocable dissolving of the artifact over a period of 24 hours by steeping it in the gastric acids of the Tarrasque, a notoriously difficult claim to disprove, as few have ever survived such an attempt.