Shocksword
The shocksword is a unique, lightning-infused magical artifact created to act as an inexhaustible weapon for shockstriking magic.
Creation and Design
The first shocksword was crafted in Ilyrion by the devout artificer Ramul at the request of Trey (Tarathiel), who wanted a weapon that was sharper and more practical for combat than the Tree Ring Staff.
The sword is long and rapier-thin, making it incredibly lightweight and easy to wield with one hand. Its handle is crafted from darkprime elm and features a mysterious glyph resembling a "T" with a small circle at the bottom. Through his magitech expertise, Ramul was able to replicate the unique mechanism of the Tree Ring Staff, giving the shocksword an infinite, undepleting supply of darkprime elm. Because the creation and possession of darkprime wood is strictly outlawed on the Valaraldan continent of Esara, the sword is a highly illegal weapon.
Functionality
When a properly Aligned mage channels their Will into the handle, the blade is engulfed in crackling blue lightning. The weapon can be used in close-quarters melee combat to deliver devastating electrical shocks directly into an opponent's body. Additionally, it can be used to project massive spheres or beams of concentrated shockstriking energy across long distances to obliterate targets or even topple massive trees.
Because the weapon relies on darkprime magic (the Creator Aspect), drawing too deeply from it can expose the wielder to the intoxicating, dark euphoria of the magic, as well as the corrupting mental influence of the dark Twin, Nelenor.
Notable Uses
- Trey's Awakening: When Trey first tests the blade, he is briefly overwhelmed by Nelenor's influence reaching out through the darkprime wood. Later, during a battle at the Palace of Memory, Trey uses the shocksword to fight the rylak Talon. Pushed to the brink, the sword helps trigger the return of Trey's ancient kenjutsu sword-fighting memories, allowing him to pierce Talon's foot with electricity.
- Breaking the Soulbind: When Trey is possessed by Cariel's soulbind, his friend Lashel steals the shocksword and drives it straight through Trey's back and out his chest. Lashel theorized that the severe trauma and magical shock would sever the soulbind. Trey manages to survive the fatal blow by instantly using prime birch to heal himself, breaking Cariel's control in the process.
- Lorelei's Weapon: Trey later gives a shocksword to Lorelei. She uses the weapon to unleash massive, concentric waves of shockstriking magic to obliterate an attacking squadron of shadowmages. During the final conflicts, she uses the shocksword to duel Orym in the Muir Woods, managing to slash his chest and pump raw electricity into his body before using the blade to blast down giant sequoia trees.