The Alchemist’s Final Gift

Recently, tales have begun to circulate about the deceased alchemist named Ludwig. Some of the more informed sources claim that Ludwig had an intense fascination with time. While many of his studies had a noble intent, rumors ascribe a more eldritch plot to his final work: time control. He strove to navigate it, to create a device that could bend the fabric of reality. Some even claim that he succeeded, but he could find no other way to power this device than blood.

The alchemist Ludvig was a reclusive elvish soul, sharing his studies and successes with few. His housekeeper claimed that his family was a long line of elvish merchants, and that each generation was crazier than the last. Ludwig’s experiments ranged from bows that would ignite their own arrows, to toys that would walk on their own. Ludwig was never much of a merchant and would have his assistant, Rogi, carry out any transactions, commonly between them and Elvish armies.

Ludvig’s laboratory was located on a small, unmapped island north of Faroth, warded by enchantments and bitter weather alike. Many poor fools have ventured out to try and claim his many wondrous and horrifying inventions, but those that returned were gibbering vegetables, incapable of proper communication, suggesting that what they found was far beyond their feeble minds.

Meta Stuff:

The Gift of Time: Great-sword – Requires Attunement

You have an additional +2 to attack and damage rolls made with this weapon. In addition, on your turn, as a bonus action, you can stab your hand with the needle on the pommel of the sword, to power the device. This grants you an additional action, and deals damage to you equal to 1 + the number of times this ability has been used by the currently wielder.

This damage can be “reset” by draining the sword of all residual blood, requiring the sword to be submersed in at least 100 gold pieces worth of oil, and then incinerating all biotic material from the sword, inside and out. This process takes an hour if it is performed in a proper laboratory, or three hours if performed without one. This ritual revokes the attuned from the sword, and requires them to attune it again. In addition, this ritual must be performed before the sword can be attuned to by a new wielder.