Lore:
Forged where grief bleeds into shadow, Phantom Desolation Claws 731—called Knife-Tears-Make by mourners who barter in laments—were first woven by a smith-enchanter who learned to stitch sorrow into steel and bind it to spirit. He bargained with lupine shades for phantom talons and etched the Accursed Rune of Desolation across a silvered core. The result was not merely a weapon but a siphon of will: claws that rake the body while the blade inside rakes the heart. In battle-songs, these talons are blamed for turning champions into husks who drop their banners in silence, their strength leeched and their courage curdled by remembered losses the steel makes them taste anew.
Description:
A gauntleted set of articulated foreclaws grown from moon-bright silver and Darksteel, each talon sheathing a tear-shaped grief-gem along the ridge. When awakened, translucent spectral hooks unfold beyond the metal, overlapping like shadow on snow. Faint runes glimmer down the cutting edges; a breath of cold clings to the air, and the claws drip wisps of dim, violet vapor that spiral inward rather than out.
Stats:
Tier: 2
Type: Hybrid claw-dagger array (paired)
Damage: 1d6 slashing plus 1d6 necrotic on a successful hit
Grief Anguish: on hit, 30% chance the target suffers emotional anguish (–2 to attack or equivalent offensive checks) for 1 minute
Strength Drain: on hit, target’s Strength is reduced by 2 until a short or long rest (does not stack with itself; a new hit refreshes duration)
Weight: 1.5 pounds (pair)
Durability: 18 item HP (at 0, the magic is suppressed until repaired)
Attunement: yes (sentient beings only; requires a whispered confession of loss over the claws for 1 minute)
Tags:
Spectral, Necrotic, Grief-Bound, Spiritbound, Augmentation, Debilitation, Lupine, Cursed, Predatory, Emotion-Sapping, Shadow, Rare, Soul-Tethered, Offensive, Control, Soulforged, Emotional Weaponry, Dark Artifice, Spirit Resonance, Dual-Wielded, Rune-Etched, Psychological Warfare, Silversteel, Hybrid Weapon, Ethereal Construct
Multiple Passive Magics:
• Phantom Edge: the spectral overlays count as magical; attacks ignore mundane resistances to slashing and can affect incorporeal foes as if partly present.
• Sorrow Scent: creatures within 10 feet that have recently killed or suffered loss count as “wounded will”; against them, the necrotic die may reroll 1s.
• Cold of the Between: while wielded, the bearer gains resistance to ambient chill and ignores nonmagical difficult terrain caused by snow, ash, or funeral incense smoke.
• Quieting Tread: while the claws are sheathed but attuned, footsteps muffle; the bearer gains a minor edge to remain unheard in low wind and indoors (GM adjudication).
• Hunger’s Bond (drawback): after any combat in which the claws dealt necrotic damage, the bearer suffers a faint, lingering thirst for sorrow; the first failed social check involving empathy suffers a –1 penalty until a short rest.
Multiple Active Magics:
• Tear the Will (2/day): as a strike declaration before rolling, channel the rune; on a hit, deal normal damage and impose disadvantageous hesitation (as fear or shock) for 1 round; targets immune to fear instead take an extra 1d4 necrotic.
• Wither the Sinew (1/day): as a bonus action, your next successful hit this turn increases Strength Drain to –4 and reduces the target’s carrying and shove/grapple efficacy for 1 minute.
• Echo of the Howl (1/day, 10-foot radius, lasts 2 rounds): exhale a silent grief-howl; enemies in the radius must steel themselves or suffer –2 to attack and disadvantage to contest grapples with you; on a success they are merely rattled (no penalty).
• Mercy of Ash (reaction, 1/day): when you would drop a foe to 0 HP with these claws, instead siphon their will; the target is left at 1 HP and stunned with despair for 1 round, and you gain temporary vitality equal to the necrotic die result.
Specific Slot:
Weapon (paired claw-daggers; occupy the hands while active; may be worn retracted along a gauntlet when inactive).
Item Hit Points and Magical Disabling:
Phantom Desolation Claws 731 possess 18 item hit points. If the item sustains damage equal to or exceeding these 18 HP from focused attacks directed specifically at the claws (rather than their wielder), its enchantments collapse into dormancy. While dormant, the weapon retains physical integrity but loses all magical and necrotic effects, reverting to nonmagical blades that deal only base slashing damage until restored.
Repairing a Targeted or Disabled Item:
Restoration requires a one-hour ritual in a magically stable environment such as a forge, shrine, or moonlit sanctum. Components include powdered grief-gem, one dram of shadow essence, and silver filings worth 50 gold. Skill checks depend on context: proficient Enchanting (Advanced) or Smithing (Intermediate). Success rebinds the spectral energy and restores full hit points. If only mundane repair tools are available, physical cracks can be mended with a DC 18 Smithing test to restore 1d6 item HP per hour, but the enchantment remains inactive until sorrow energy is renewed through the ritual.
Shops and Commerce of the Phantom Desolation Claws 731 within Saṃsāra
- Necrotic Emporiums – Found in deep undercity vaults or lava-lit forges beneath the volcanic nations. These shops specialize in cursed relics and necrotic armaments guarded by oathbound smiths. Each set is kept sealed within silver-lined obsidian cases and sold only after the buyer survives a test of sorrow.
• Cost: ~1,800 gold pieces - Spirit Traders’ Markets – Etheric bazaars that manifest at thin places between the living and the dead—coastal fogbanks, dream-tide islands, or cavern echoes. Transactions often mix gold with bound memories or spirit favor. The claws are treated as relics rather than weapons.
• Cost: ~2,400 gold pieces or equivalent in soul-relic barter - Adventurers’ Guild Vault Stores – Legal but tightly restricted guild stores in major cities. Here, the claws are registered artifacts requiring proof of containment discipline or divine oversight. Sold as a “controlled combat implement.”
• Cost: ~1,500 gold pieces - Beastmasters’ Bazaars – Semi-lawful open markets in frontier hubs where combat augmentations are traded. The claws appear disguised as training gear or hunting tools; dealers verify the buyer’s blood attunement first.
• Cost: ~1,300 gold pieces - Black Markets of the Abyssal Quarters – Hidden beneath vast megacities like Vara-Sul or Ironheart Reach. Brokers cloak themselves in shadow contracts; payment accepted in gold, relics, or secrets. Buyers risk attention from necromancer guilds.
• Cost: 2,000 – 3,000 gold pieces - Ethereal Forgemasters’ Houses – High-end sanctums where magitech artisans rebuild spirit-infused weaponry for noble or ecclesiastical patrons. Each sale includes ritual purification and identity binding.
• Cost: ~2,200 gold pieces
In Saṃsāra, the claws are viewed as sorrow-born hybrids—half relic, half curse—thus traded under discretion. Prices fluctuate with the buyer’s reputation, proof of containment rites, and the moon phase during negotiation.
Roleplay in different environments:
DENSE JUNGLE / RAINFOREST
Defense: Use canopy cover and thick undergrowth to vanish between strikes. Slip into vines or hang from low branches; activate the claws only when an enemy closes, then rake and withdraw. The strength-drain turns a pursuer into a stumbling threat — roleplay the slow, visible slackening of a foe’s shoulders and the shocked silence that follows each swipe. Allies use the momentary confusion to push through chokepoints or drag wounded to safety. The user should roleplay muffled footfalls, a cold breath on the neck, and the sensation of shadows clinging to the talons.
Offense: Ambush from above or behind cover, timing the grief-anguish effect to break a leader’s morale mid-salvo. Describe strikes as precise, surgical strikes that leave enemies clutching their chests and faltering; use the Wither the Sinew activation when needing to down larger beasts or armoured hunters. Offensive roleplay emphasizes sudden, predatory motion, whispered taunts that echo the claws’ sorrow, and the prey’s world narrowing as power leaks away.
URBAN ALLEYS / BACKSTREETS
Defense: Hold narrow chokepoints — doorways, alley bends — and force opponents into melee. The claws’ Quieting Tread lets the wielder slip into positions unseen; when cornered, use Echo of the Howl to sap attackers’ confidence while teammates bolster defenses. Roleplay includes the metallic flash of silver in lamplight, the stench of incense and rust, and a sudden hush as opponents hesitate.
Offense: Strike during crowded clashes or market chaos: a quick, public display of grief-anguish can scatter a gang or incite panic. Roleplay theatrical cruelty—an accusing look, a short lament mouthed before a strike—then a swift, decisive rip to sever momentum. Use Tear the Will to force a champion to falter and create openings for allies to press forward.
FLOATING ISLANDS / CLIFF LEDGES
Defense: Use vertical terrain to convert strength-drain into displacement; weaken grapplers or pushers so they cannot shove the wielder off a ledge. Roleplay the claws’ vapor curling over precipices and the feel of wind carving the air; the target’s grip slackens, fingers slipping as their strength ebbs. Positioning and aerial awareness matter more than raw defense—call out anchor points and have allies throw grapples while the foe is vulnerable.
Offense: Combine leap-and-strike maneuvers with Wither the Sinew to make foes easy to topple from perilous perches. Roleplay the sound of metal cutting wind, followed by an almost silent fall and the hiss of necrotic breath. Use Mercy of Ash to incapacitate without sending a valuable target plummeting (sparing an ally or hostage).
ZEPHYR MARKET / FLOATING HUBS
Defense: In the noise and bustle, the claws’ prismatic sorrow and Sorrow Scent make targets stick out; use the item to shield caravans by projecting dread. Roleplay the prismatic runes faintly glowing against lantern smoke and the way crowds part anxiously as necrotic chill radiates outward. Defensively, the wielder can hold a market lane while traders and noncombatants evacuate.
Offense: Create theatrical diversions—activate the claws’ grief howl as merchants scatter, then strike at isolated guards or thieves. Roleplay haggling voices cut short, colorful banners trembling as if reacting to the item’s aura. Use Tear the Will to collapse organized resistance so a small strike team can seize valuable cargo.
CAVES / UNDERGROUND TUNNELS
Defense: In narrow passages the Strength Drain is devastating: reduce the brute force of chargers and siege beasts, then retreat along twisting tunnels. Roleplay the echo of a howl in stone and how stalactites seem to drink the light; enemies stumble, and their armaments clatter. Allies can rig traps where weakened foes are funneled.
Offense: Use darkness to mask approach and let the claws’ incorporeal reach strike ethereal foes. Wither the Sinew cripples gatekeepers before a party breach. Roleplay as a stalking hunter in shadow; smell the damp earth and taste metallic necrosis when foes falter.
OPEN PLAINS / DESERTS
Defense: In open ground the item’s stealth perks matter less; instead, use hit-and-run tactics. Drain mounted pursuers’ strength to slow their horses or make them drop reins; describe the sand-stung air and the sudden lightness in an enemy’s arms. Move with mounted allies to exploit paused foes.
Offense: Target skirmish leaders or standard-bearers to break formations at range via rapid charges, then retreat before numbers coalesce. Roleplay the flash of talons in sunlight and the bright red stain of necrotic burn as morale collapses.
BATTLEFIELDS / WAR ZONES
Defense: Anchor a fallback point: cripple shock troops with Strength Drain so they cannot reset charges; use Echo of the Howl to create localized panic that buys time for reinforcements to arrive. Roleplay the sound of steel and the way lines thin as leaders falter, the wielder checking breathing and counting pulses before pressing the advantage.
Offense: Focus on enemy officers or magic-support units; Tear the Will can unfix a battle line and let allies rout or flank. Use Mercy of Ash tactically to capture rather than kill valuable prisoners. Roleplay coordinated command calls and the sudden silence where order used to stand.
SHIPS / NAUTICAL SETTINGS
Defense: In close-quarters on deck, the claws disrupt boarding parties. Use Wither the Sinew to make grapplers drop ropes, or Echo of the Howl to cause sailors to freeze from superstitious dread. Describe the salt-laden spray mixing with the vapor from the claws and the creak of timber as a backdrop. Allies can lash weakened enemies to posts rather than kill them.
Offense: Board enemy vessels at night; the Quieting Tread and phantom overlays permit approaching sentries unseen. Roleplay the damp leather, the salty tang, the muffled thud of boots, then the sudden scream as a leader’s limbs fail.
SACRED GROUNDS / TEMPLES
Defense: Use restraint—the item’s grief magic can offend sanctums; roleplay careful, hushed activations meant to subdue sacrilegious aggressors without desecration. The wielder might use Mercy of Ash to spare a pilgrim or hostage, evoking conflicted reverence in observers. Describe incense, hush, and the sacramental chill that the claws create.
Offense: Rare and consequential—use only under extreme need. Tear the Will directed at profane defenders can end a sacrilege quickly but may provoke divine retribution. Roleplay inner conflict, whispered prayers between strikes, and the heavy knowledge of harm done in holy places.
UNDERWATER / SUBMERGED ENCOUNTERS (if setting permits)
Defense: Use the claws to make grappling predators loosen hold; Strength Drain reduces the ability to pull or hold, potentially saving breath and buoyancy. Roleplay the cold squeeze of water through talon vapors and the slow sinking of an opponent’s limbs as necrotic chill spreads. Allies can exploit crippled grips to surface or retreat.
Offense: Strike gill-clad foes to cause drowning threats; Wither the Sinew increases chances rivals cannot hold breath or swim effectively. Roleplay muffled howls and the sensation of necrosis diffusing through water, with bubbles tasting faintly of metal and ash.
ROLEPLAY TACTICS ACROSS ENVIRONMENTS (GENERAL GUIDELINES)
• Timing and restraint: The item’s most potent uses are surgical—drain a leader, then let allies finish the job. Roleplay measured, economical activations rather than indiscriminate use.
• Psychological theater: Emphasize the emotional and sensory theater—short laments, visual prismatic flares, the cold press of necrotic air—to compound mechanical effects with roleplay impact.
• Team interplay: Coordinate with allies who exploit openings: grapplers, trappers, healers who can stabilize captured foes, or mages who can finish weakened enemies. Roleplay calls and countersigns to avoid friendly harm.
• Moral consequence and tension: The claws carry a cost; roleplay moments of unease in companions, the smell and taste that linger after fights, and the internal pull the weapon exerts on its wielder. Allies may demand oaths, purification, or containment after use.
• Public reaction: In crowds or sacred places, the item’s activation provokes fear, superstition, or legal consequence; roleplay negotiation, bribes, or hurried apologies (spoken by others) as needed.
• Stealth vs spectacle: Use Quieting Tread and Silent approaches when secrecy matters; deploy Echo of the Howl and Mercy of Ash when spectacle or capture is the goal.
These scenes should be narrated with sensory specificity—what the wielder hears, smells, and feels—and with clear tactical beats so the item’s mechanics and dramatic consequences are woven into play.
Perception of Activation:
User’s Perspective:
When the Phantom Desolation Claws 731 awaken, a pulse of cold grief courses through the avatar’s forearms and chest, as though every breath becomes edged with memory. The claws unfold with a hiss like drawn breath between sobs. Vision sharpens until edges glow faintly silver-blue, while colors dull toward twilight tones. The Mind’s Eye perceives trails of despair curling from living beings—thin gray filaments of vitality trembling in the air. Each heartbeat seems slower, heavier, as necrotic energy and sorrow coalesce into awareness. The weight of loss hums against the bones of the hand, and faint whispers murmur in forgotten tongues, repeating the names of those the avatar once mourned. The air grows denser, every movement both burden and release.
Observer’s Perspective:
To outsiders, the claws ignite without flame—an implosion of luminescent shadow. Faint prismatic vapor wreathes the user’s hands, drawn inward instead of expanding outward. The claws shimmer between tangible metal and incorporeal silhouette, leaving streaks of faint violet mist when swung. Observers feel a chill even from several paces away, hear a low resonance like a deep-throated animal growl blended with human weeping, and smell iron and rain on cold stone. The wielder’s eyes may briefly mirror the gem-glow of violet and silver, and light within several feet bends slightly toward them. The entire space seems quieter, as if the air itself holds its breath.
Extra-Sensory Perceptions:
• Echo Sense: The wielder perceives lingering emotional imprints in nearby beings—anger, sorrow, fear—as subtle changes in air pressure and temperature.
• Spectral Sight: Faint outlines of spirits and memories drift in peripheral vision, particularly those linked by grief or unfinished vows.
• Entropy Awareness: The user senses the slow unraveling of vitality, recognizing decay and weakness as rhythmic pulses beneath the skin of reality.
• Sorrow Resonance: A psychic undertone harmonizes with the wielder’s own emotions; the stronger their regret, the stronger the weapon’s responsiveness.
• Temporal Dilation: For an instant, time feels suspended—a stretched moment of perfect awareness between strike and consequence.
Positives:
• Heightened perception and reflex, aided by the Mind’s Eye awareness of nearby life forces.
• Deepened empathy and intuition regarding fear or despair in others, allowing strategic anticipation.
• Spectral senses enable awareness of incorporeal or concealed entities.
• Strikes feel precise, guided by an instinctual link to the flow of sorrow and strength.
• Psychological focus sharpened—noise and distraction fade beneath calm intensity.
Negatives:
• Emotional saturation—exposure to grief-laden echoes may cloud judgment and induce melancholy or apathy.
• Prolonged use risks psychic dependency; the claws’ whispering voices may linger after deactivation, eroding willpower.
• Bright light or consecrated auras cause sensory backlash: temporary blindness, ringing ears, or dizziness.
• Companions nearby may feel waves of unease or recall painful memories, breeding mistrust.
• Physical toll manifests as numb extremities, chills, and the faint illusion of blood dripping upward from one’s own hands.
When fully active, the wielder experiences a paradoxical stillness—power without joy, precision born of pain. The claws become both instrument and mirror, amplifying the wielder’s sorrow while offering mastery through acceptance of it.
Recipe Title: Rite of the Mourning Howl — Fusion of Grief and Phantom
Items Merged:
• Phantom Claws — spectral necrotic augmentation gifted by lupine spirits.
• Enchanted Grief-Infused Dagger — sorrow-bound silver blade bearing the Accursed Rune of Desolation.
These two sorrow-charged items are joined through a rite that welds emotional anguish with spectral essence, creating the Phantom Desolation Claws 731 — a hybrid weapon that channels both grief and necrotic predation.
Additional Materials Needed:
• Silversteel Alloy (2 ingots): blend of purified silver and tempered darksteel, forming the physical anchor of the merged weapon.
• Sorrowstone Core (1 gem): refined from the original dagger’s gem, re-etched with concentric runes of reflection and regret.
• Wraith’s Breath (1 vial): condensed exhalation of a bound spirit; binds necrotic energy to physical form.
• Essence of Spectral Lupine (1 vial): sustains the ethereal claws and carries the strength-drain inheritance.
• Tears of the Forgiven (3 drops): alchemical distillate collected during a lunar eclipse; tempers corruption to prevent self-consumption.
• Ash of the First Howl (1 pinch): sacred remnant from an ancient pyre where a spectral wolf’s body was released; used to awaken the hybrid spirit.
• Moonlit Binding Thread (1 spool): spider-silk soaked in lunar dew, required to stitch the physical and ethereal elements together.
Tools Required:
• Spirit-Bound Forge: a magically anchored forge heated by steam and sorrow-flame (blue fire from soul-ash and water essence).
• Runesmith’s Hammer and Engraving Chisel: carved from meteoric iron to channel both physical and ethereal resonance.
• Spiritweaver’s Needle: for sewing spectral and corporeal materials with Moonlit Thread.
• Soul-Lens Crucible: used to merge volatile spiritual liquids (Wraith’s Breath and Essence of Spectral Lupine) without dissipation.
• Aether-Tuned Tongs: stabilize incorporeal alloys during tempering.
Skill Requirements:
• Smithing — Expert: to handle Silversteel and maintain correct temperature between physical and ethereal states.
• Enchanting — Advanced: to weave necrotic and emotional runes into unified harmony without backlash.
• Necromancy — Proficient: for channeling spectral essence and binding it safely to a physical vessel.
• Runecrafting — Intermediate: to inscribe the merged pattern of Desolation and Howl.
• Empathy — Innate or Trained: required during attunement; the crafter must willingly recall personal grief to stabilize the fusion.
Crafting Steps:
- Preparation of the Workspace:
Dim the forge and ignite the sorrow-flame until it burns a deep cerulean hue. Place the Soul-Lens Crucible at the center, and trace a mourning circle in silver dust around it. The circle’s geometry must reflect both balance and loss — three inward spirals and a single outward curve. - Purification of Source Items:
Lay the Enchanted Grief-Infused Dagger flat across an anvil of black basalt. Chant the Rune of Reflection while dripping the Tears of the Forgiven along its edge; this purges excessive despair, ensuring it merges without consuming the smith’s soul. The Phantom Claws are then suspended above the forge, washed in Wraith’s Breath until their spectral glow steadies to a muted blue-violet. - Alloying of the Core Frame:
Melt the two ingots of Silversteel Alloy in the Spirit-Bound Forge using the Aether-Tuned Tongs. As they liquefy, stir with the Runesmith’s Chisel, humming the Dirge of Joining to keep temperature between soul-state and metal-state equilibrium. Pour into a half-moon mold that matches the hand and forearm dimensions of the intended bearer. - Soul Infusion and Rune Etching:
Once the alloy cools to ember-warmth, carve the Accursed Rune of Desolation down the centerline, followed by the Howl Glyph from the Phantom Claws. Overlay them until the runes’ curves form an interlocking spiral-fang motif. Using the Spiritweaver’s Needle, sew Moonlit Binding Thread through each groove while whispering a confession of loss. This binds grief’s memory to spirit’s hunger. - Merging of Essences:
In the Soul-Lens Crucible, slowly pour the Essence of Spectral Lupine into the Wraith’s Breath, adding a single drop of the smith’s own blood to anchor the fusion. Stir counterclockwise nine times, clockwise once, until vapor condenses into a shimmering fog. Draw this vapor through the Sorrowstone Core using a focused will check or ritual breath — the gem will hum when saturated. - Integration of Weapon Forms:
Heat the claws in the forge until the spectral glow oscillates, then press the Sorrowstone-infused dagger blade into their core frame. As they merge, the physical blade disintegrates into etched runes across the claw surfaces. Hammer gently three times with the Runesmith’s Hammer; each strike must echo the cadence of a heartbeat followed by silence. - Invocation of the Howl:
Sprinkle the Ash of the First Howl over the assembly while reciting the Binding Verse:
“Where sorrow finds fang, let shadow find song; where strength is taken, let silence belong.”
This calls forth the hybrid spirit—the Mourning Howl—that animates the completed claws. - Final Tempering and Quenching:
Submerge the weapon in a basin of distilled moonwater mixed with one final drop of the smith’s tears. The hiss produced signifies the sealing of dual energies—grief and phantom power. When the steam clears, the claws gleam with faint violet undertones and emit a low, steady heartbeat-like vibration. - Attunement Test:
The crafter must don the claws and allow them to draw a single memory of loss. If the claws glow softly rather than flare, the bond is complete. Should they scream or leak shadow vapor uncontrollably, the ritual failed—the emotions were too volatile, and the item must be cooled under moonlight for three nights before reattempting.
Result:
The Phantom Desolation Claws 731 emerge as a unified Tier 2 hybrid weapon—half dagger, half spirit talon—embodying the sorrow of the lost and the hunger of the spectral. The fusion ensures that every strike is both physical and emotional, binding despair and power into a single, unending lament.
Knife-Tears-Make and Wolf Who Forgot to Die
Long ago-before-the-before, when the clouds still remembered their names and the rivers sang backwards, there was a smith who was not a smith but a sorrow with hands. They call him No-Joy-Hammerer in broken texts, or sometimes The One Who Tempered Shadows with Breath. He lived under a hill where no birds flew, for the sound of his forge frightened the sky. The tale says he made tools from emotions, not metals—spades of guilt, chains of jealousy, and a single dagger carved from grief itself.
He made this dagger on the night when three moons wept. He took silver from the river’s bones and wrote on it the Rune-That-Devours-Hope. Into the hilt he pressed a stone that once cried; into the edge he poured his last love’s sigh. When it was done, the dagger sang—low and lonely—so that flowers above the hill wilted, and ghosts came to listen. He named it Knife-Tears-Make, for every drop it drew made the wielder remember why they should never have fought.
Many years later—though “years” in that age meant something else—there came a wolf that was not born but mourned into being. The wolf had died too many times to stay buried. Its spirit forgot which world was its home, and so it prowled between. The wind did not carry its scent, the snow did not take its prints. This wolf sought something to make it feel alive again, but nothing filled the hollow between its ribs.
The wolf came to the hill of No-Joy-Hammerer and found the dagger lying in ash. It took the blade in its teeth, and the blade whispered: “We are same. You kill to remember. I cut to forget.” The wolf howled, and the sound cracked the hill open. The dagger melted into the howl, and the howl melted into the wolf. In that joining was born a new weapon—neither knife nor claw, but both: grief given shape and shadow given reason.
For seven nights the wolf ran through every realm. Where it ran, the air froze. Where it killed, the dead did not bleed—they sighed and vanished. On the eighth night it met a child with no fear, for she had not yet learned sorrow. She reached out to touch the glowing claws. The wolf hesitated; the blade-within-its-soul trembled, for it tasted innocence and did not know how to cut it.
The wolf turned its own claws inward and howled one last time. The howl was so loud it became silence, and in that silence the claws fell to the ground—still humming, still mourning, still waiting. The child grew into a keeper, and her line guarded the claws, saying they hold both mercy and destruction.
Scholars who found fragments of this tale argue over the translation of the final verse, which reads differently on every shard. The most common rendering says:
“When sorrow wears a shape, it hunts until it finds a heart that forgives it.”
Moral of the Story: Power born of grief seeks peace, not victory. To wield sorrow as strength is to remember that mercy cuts deepest when it ends the need to strike at all.
Suggested conversions to other systems:
Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)
Name: Phantom Desolation Claws 731
Type: Mythos Artifact (Hybrid Weapon – Spectral & Physical)
Skill Requirement: Cthulhu Mythos 15%, Occult 20%, or Fighting (Brawl) 50%+
Damage: 1D6 Slashing + 1D6 Necrotic (ignores non-magical armor)
Special Effects:
• Strength Drain: On a successful attack, the target must succeed on a Hard CON roll or lose 1D3 STR for one hour (minimum 1).
• Emotional Anguish: On a hit, 30% chance the target suffers a wave of despair, imposing a penalty die on all actions for 1D4 rounds.
• Wielder’s Toll: Each activation (combat or ritual use) costs 1 SAN; if SAN loss reaches 5+ in one encounter, the wielder hears the “Mourning Howl” and risks temporary insanity.
• Spectral Channel: The claws can strike incorporeal entities; doing so inflicts half damage to physical foes and full damage to spectral ones.
Charges: 1D6+1 uses per day; expending all charges triggers a temporary 1D4 POW loss as the claws drain the user’s vitality.
Mythos Effect: Those who bear the claws for over a week begin to dream of a silver wolf calling them by their lost name; prolonged possession (months) may alter their personality toward fatalistic detachment.
Suggested Balance Note: Comparable to Mythos-tier artifacts; dangerous to both wielder and world. Ideal for grim, high-corruption campaigns.
Blades in the Dark
Name: Mourning Howl Talons
Item Type: Fine Arcane Weapon (Paired)
Tier: 3
Effect: When you attack with the Mourning Howl Talons, you may channel despair instead of brute force. Declare the use of the talons’ necrotic resonance: your strike inflicts Level 3 Harm – Drained of Strength unless resisted with Resolve. On failure, the victim’s effect level decreases by one for the remainder of the scene.
Special Ability – The Sorrow Pulse: Once per score, you can release a silent wave of grief. Enemies within near range must resist with Resolve or be Overwhelmed with Despair (Level 2 Harm). Allies feel an echo, taking +1 Stress unless they have a Trauma related to loss.
Drawback: Every use adds +1 Heat if witnesses are present; rumor of the talons’ haunting sound spreads like wildfire.
Attunement: Requires Attune roll to maintain the spectral binding. On a failure, take 2 Stress as sorrow seeps into your soul.
Special Upgrade: If carried by a Whisper, you gain potency against ghosts and entities tied to regret or unfinished vows.
Balance Considerations: Offers both crowd control and single-target devastation, balanced by high Stress cost and Heat exposure.
Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)
Name: Phantom Desolation Claws 731
Item Type: Wondrous Weapon (Rare, Requires Attunement)
Weapon Type: Dual Claws (light, finesse, magical)
Damage: 1D6 Slashing + 1D6 Necrotic
Properties: Finesse, Light, Magical
Special Abilities:
• Strength Drain: On a hit, the target must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the target’s Strength is reduced by 2 until a short or long rest. This effect cannot reduce Strength below 1.
• Emotional Anguish: Once per turn, when you hit a creature, you may force it to make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, it has disadvantage on attack rolls until the end of its next turn.
• Echo of the Howl (1/Day): As an action, emit a silent necrotic pulse. All hostile creatures within 10 ft. must succeed on a DC 15 Charisma saving throw or become Frightened until the end of their next turn.
• Mercy of Ash (1/Day): When you would reduce a creature to 0 HP, you may leave it at 1 HP and gain temporary hit points equal to 1D6 + your proficiency bonus.
Attunement: By a creature that has experienced deep loss or guilt (DM adjudication).
Curse (Optional Rule): Each dawn, roll a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, you gain disadvantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks for 24 hours, as the claws’ sorrow taints your demeanor.
Rarity: Rare (Tier 2 Artifact-Grade)
Suggested Balance Note: Functions between +1 and +2 weapon power but balanced by curse and limited area effects; optimized for martial or hybrid spellcasters with thematic resonance.
Knave
Name: Grieffang Talons
Item Type: Weapon (Claws, Magical)
Damage: 1D6 Slashing + 1D6 Necrotic
Effect:
• On a successful hit, the target must make a WIL save or lose 2 STR temporarily until they rest.
• Once per encounter, you may trigger Tear the Will: all creatures within 10 feet must make a WIL save or act last in the next round, overwhelmed by sorrow.
• You gain +2 to all stealth or intimidation rolls made immediately after striking a foe whose STR has been drained.
Drawback: After every combat in which the claws drain strength, make a WIL save. On a failure, lose 1 HP permanently as grief etches itself into your soul.
Encumbrance: 1 slot (pair)
Special Rule: Against incorporeal or emotional entities, add +1D4 to damage rolls (the claws strike both body and memory).
Suggested Balance Note: Equivalent to a mid-tier magical weapon; high risk of long-term cost balances powerful debuff and area control effects.
Fate (Core System)
Name: Phantom Desolation Claws 731 — “Tears That Bite”
Aspect: “Sorrow Forged Into Fang”
Type: Magical Artifact (Weapon Aspect, Emotionally Reactive)
Permission: Must have access to the Arcane, Haunted, or Avenger archetype, or a suitable narrative reason to bear grief-infused weaponry.
Effect:
• When attacking with the Phantom Desolation Claws, you may spend 1 Fate Point to invoke the Aspect Sorrow Forged Into Fang, granting +2 to Fight or Provoke rolls that represent channeling despair, hatred, or loss.
• On a successful attack, you may create the temporary Scene Aspect Drained of Strength or Overwhelmed with Grief on the target. You may invoke this Aspect once for free before it fades.
• Once per scene, the wielder may use Echo of the Howl by spending 2 Fate Points—creating a Zone-wide Aspect Paralyzing Despair that applies a -2 penalty to all enemy overcome or attack actions until it is removed.
• If the wielder fails three consecutive rolls using the weapon’s Aspect, the GM may compel the Claws’ sorrow to backlash—inflicting a Moderate Consequence such as “Haunted by the Wolf’s Cry” or “Numb to Hope.”
Balance Note: Functions as a potent but self-endangering magical artifact. The Claws reward thematic roleplay tied to grief and vengeance but risk psychological deterioration over extended use.
Numenera / Cypher System
Name: Phantom Desolation Claws 731
Level: 7 Artifact
Form: Pair of hybrid necrotic claws with integrated spectral runes glowing violet-gray.
Effect: The claws deal 7 points of damage per successful attack (Slashing + Necrotic).
• Strength Drain: On a hit, the target must make a Might defense roll (Difficulty 6). On a failure, the target’s Might Pool is reduced by 4 until they rest or are healed.
• Grief Pulse (1/day): Expend 2 Intellect points to release a wave of necrotic energy in Immediate range. All living creatures in the area must succeed on a Level 6 Intellect defense roll or lose 2 points from their Intellect Pool (emotional collapse).
• Echo Vision (passive): While active, the wielder perceives emotional echoes—faint spectral impressions of recent death or despair—granting +2 to Intellect-based perception or investigation tasks involving sorrow, trauma, or spiritual residue.
Depletion: 1 in 1D10 (roll after each use of Grief Pulse or successful Strength Drain).
Drawback: Each day of active use, the wielder must succeed at an Intellect defense roll (Difficulty 4) or suffer 1 Intellect damage due to psychic grief feedback.
Balance Note: Strong artifact with thematic limitations—ideal for grief-bound warriors, necrotic adepts, or seekers of forbidden empathy.
Pathfinder (2nd Edition)
Name: Phantom Desolation Claws 731
Item Level: 10
Price: 1,250 gp
Usage: Worn, Hands; Bulk L
Traits: Magical, Necrotic, Emotion, Cursed, Agile, Finesse, Dual-Wield
Damage: 1D6 Slashing + 1D6 Negative Energy
Activation: [Two Actions] (Command, Concentrate)
Effects:
• Strength Drain: On a hit, the target must attempt a DC 22 Fortitude save. On a failure, it takes a -2 status penalty to Strength-based checks and attacks for 1 minute. On a critical failure, the penalty increases to -4.
• Grief Anguish: Once per round, on a critical hit, the target becomes frightened 2 and stupefied 1 for 1 round as despair overwhelms them.
• Echo of the Howl (1/day): Emit a spectral wave in a 15-foot emanation. All enemies must make a DC 22 Will save. Failure: Frightened 2; Critical Failure: Frightened 3 and Stunned 1.
• Curse of the Mourning Fang: Each day the claws are used to kill, the wielder must succeed at a DC 20 Will save or become drained 1 until they atone through meditation or a ritual of sorrow.
Craft Requirements: Silversteel alloy, Essence of Spectral Lupine, Sorrowstone core, Runic forging (expert in Crafting, master in Necromancy).
Balance Note: Classified as a rare cursed weapon of Tier 2 strength; highly effective against living and incorporeal foes but inflicts fatigue on overuse.
Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition)
Name: Phantom Desolation Claws 731
Type: Magical Artifact (Melee Weapon)
Damage: Strength + D6 (Slashing) + 2D6 Necrotic Damage
Special Abilities:
• Strength Drain: On a successful hit, the target must make a Vigor roll (-2). On a failure, the target gains one level of Fatigue for 1 hour.
• Echo of the Howl (1/day): As an action, release a wave of despair in a Medium Burst Template. All living creatures must make a Spirit roll (-2) or become Shaken. Those already Shaken become Distracted and Vulnerable for 1 round.
• Mercy of Ash (1/day): When you would kill a creature, you may choose instead to absorb its essence. You gain +2 Toughness for 3 rounds, but must make a Spirit roll (-2) or suffer a level of Fatigue from emotional feedback.
Curse: Every combat in which the claws drain strength, make a Spirit roll (-2). On a failure, you take 1 Wound that cannot be healed until you spend an hour performing a sorrow rite.
Edge Requirement: Arcane Background (Magic or Miracles) or GM-approved tragic origin.
Rarity: Legendary (Tier 2 Artifact Equivalent)
Notes: The claws grant potent crowd control and self-healing options at the cost of mounting psychic damage and fatigue—fitting for grim necromantic or grief-driven characters.
Shadowrun (6th Edition)
Name: Phantom Desolation Claws 731
Type: Melee Weapon / Foci (Force 3–5)
Accuracy: 6
Damage: (STR/2 + 3)P, AP –2, plus special
Availability: 18F
Cost: 25,000¥ (per bonded set)
Effect: These hybrid spectral claws are both physical and astral conduits. They can damage both corporeal and astral entities, functioning as Weapon Foci for bonded users.
• Strength Drain: When you successfully hit a living target, you may spend 1 Edge to force a Willpower + Body (3) test. On failure, the target loses 2 points of Strength and suffers –2 to all physical tests for 1 minute.
• Desolation Pulse (1/day): Expend 2 Edge to release a silent necrotic shockwave (10m radius). All targets resist with Willpower + Intuition (4); on failure, they suffer –3 dice on all tests for 3 Combat Turns.
• Dual-Natured Resonance: The wielder may strike Astral entities with no penalty. On the astral plane, damage counts as (Charisma + Force)S.
• Drawback: Each use of Desolation Pulse requires a Drain Resistance Test (Willpower + Charisma vs DV 5). Failure deals 2 boxes of Stun.
Foci Rating / Drain: 3–5; Bonding Cost: 6 Karma per Force.
Balance Note: Weapon-grade foci tuned for physical adepts or awakened assassins—highly illegal, difficult to conceal, and spiritually taxing.
Starfinder (2nd Edition)
Name: Phantom Desolation Claws 731
Item Level: 9
Price: 9,000 credits
Type: Hybrid Melee Weapon (Operative Melee, Technomagic)
Bulk: L
Damage: 1d6 Slashing + 1d6 Necrotic
Critical: Wound (Target must succeed at a Fortitude save DC 21 or become Weakened 2 for 1 round.)
Traits: Operative, Magical, Hybrid, Unholy, Emotion, Light
Special Abilities:
• Strength Drain: On a hit, the target must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 21) or take a –2 penalty to Strength-based checks for 1 minute.
• Echo of the Howl (1/day): As a 2-action activation, emit a wave of despair in a 10-foot emanation. All enemies must succeed at a Will save (DC 21) or be shaken and slowed 1 for one round.
• Mercy Feedback: When the claws kill a target, you may gain temporary hit points equal to 1d6 + your key ability modifier, but you become off-target for one round.
Usage: Held; Bulk L; Hands 2
Power Source: Hybrid (Necrotic Resonator Core; 10 charges; 1 per attack or effect)
Special Drawback: Extended exposure to the claws’ energy induces emotional drain. After every combat in which Desolation Pulse is used, attempt a Will save (DC 18) or take a –1 penalty to Will saves for 1 hour.
Balance Note: Balanced between Advanced Melee and magic-hybrid tiers; rewards high-risk, close-combat necrotic specialists.
Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)
Name: Phantom Desolation Claws 731
Type: Melee Weapon (Experimental / Ancient Tech)
Damage: 2D6+3
Traits: Armour Penetration (–2), Dual-Natured (affects incorporeal life forms)
Weight: 1 kg
TL: 15 (Ancient Xeno-Artifact)
Availability: 12+ (Relic, Illegal in most jurisdictions)
Effect:
• Strength Drain: On a successful hit, the target must make an Endurance check (DM –2). On failure, they lose 1D3 Strength temporarily.
• Despair Field (1/day): Once per day, the wielder may project a 6-meter radius aura of psychic grief. All living beings within must make an Intellect check (DM –2) or suffer –1 DM to all actions for 1D6 rounds.
• Echo Bond: The claws resonate with the wielder’s emotional state. If used to kill a sentient creature, roll 2D6: on 10+, the wielder gains +1 DM to their next attack; on 6 or less, the wielder suffers –1 DM to all checks for the remainder of the encounter.
• Drawback: Each use requires a Difficult (10+) Electronics (Sensors) or Psionics check to maintain the claws’ psychic containment. Failure results in 1D6 END loss as necrotic backlash.
Cost: 45,000 Cr (black market or recovered ruin)
Legality Class: 4 (Severely Restricted)
Balance Note: Equivalent to high-tech relic-tier melee weapons; strong but risky to wield, emphasizing Traveller’s tone of powerful-yet-unstable ancient technology.
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)
Name: Phantom Desolation Claws 731
Type: Melee Weapon (Magical Artifact)
Rarity: Very Rare (Chaos / Necromantic Origin)
Encumbrance: 0
Availability: –40 (Forbidden by Imperial Decree)
Damage: SB + 5 (Slashing)
Qualities: Magical, Armour Piercing, Fast, Necrotic, Cursed
Special Rules:
• Strength Drain: On a successful hit, the victim must make a Challenging (+0) Endurance Test. On a failure, they lose 10% of their Strength characteristic (rounded up) for 1D10 Rounds.
• Despair Howl (1/day): As a Free Action after striking, the wielder may release the howl of the spectral wolf within the claws. All enemies within 15 yards must make a Challenging (+0) Willpower Test or suffer a –20 penalty to all Tests for 1 Round.
• Backlash of Mourning: After using Despair Howl, the wielder must make a Willpower Test or gain one Corruption Point. On a Critical Failure, they suffer the Fatigued condition and gain Weeping Wounds (minor bleeding for 1D10 minutes).
• Corruption Aura: Detectable by witch hunters or priests of Sigmar within 30 yards; those who hold the claws for more than 24 hours risk mutation (roll on Minor Mutation table).
Value: 1,200 GC (Unfenced; 3,000 GC on Chaos Market)
Balance Note: Artifact-level relic. Devastating in melee but nearly guarantees moral or spiritual corruption over prolonged use.