The Arms of the Betrayers are ancient and powerful sentient weapons created by eight of the Betrayer Gods before the Calamity. Each artifact was created using the bound lifeforce of a greater fiend and was given to a champion of Ghor Dranas. The weapons became scattered across Wildemount after the Calamity, and many have never been found since.[2]
Similar to the Vestiges of Divergence, the Arms of the Betrayers grow in power with their wielder,[3] and the fiend bound within desires to be used in battle, all the while offering advice and wisdom. An Arm begins in a dormant state offering only a fraction of its abilities. As the wielder becomes more powerful, so too does the Arm, unlocking the powers of its awakened state. Once the full powers of the Arm are brought to the fore, it reaches its exalted state. Whenever the wielder of one of the Arms of the Betrayers dies, however, the weapon disappears and reappears somewhere else, seeking to be wielded by someone more worthy.[2]
The power of the Arms of the Betrayers has inspired cults to worship them in their own right, and they are capable of granting powers to their worshipers as a lesser idol.[2]
Known Arms[]
Eight of the Betrayer Gods each created one of the known Arms of the Betrayers.[2] Vecna does not have an Arm associated with him, as he was not a god when the Arms were created.
- Blade of Broken Mirrors: A stone dagger created by Tharizdun, containing a glabrezu named Ragazuu.
- Grovelthrash: An obsidian warhammer created by Torog, containing an ultraloth named Ciria.
- Lash of Shadows: A five-snake-headed whip created by Zehir, containing a marilith named Sizlifeth.
- Mace of the Black Crown: A ruby mace created by Asmodeus, containing an erinyes named Xartaza.
- Ruin's Wake: An ivory spear created by Gruumsh, containing a balor named Yarrowish.
- Silken Spite: A rapier made of spider silk created by Lolth, containing a yochlol named Sinnafex.
- The Bloody End: An adamantine morningstar created by Bane, containing a pit fiend named Izeelzee.
- Will of the Talon: A war pick created by Tiamat, containing a bone devil named Ashtyrlon.
Destroying an Arm[]
As with all true artifacts, the Arms of the Betrayers are impervious to most means of destruction. Each of the Arms has a unique but unknown method of destruction. When one of the Arms of the Betrayers is destroyed, the fiend bound within the weapon returns to its home plane.[4] The Explorer's Guide to Wildemount provides a table of suggested ideas for a DM to use to determine how one of the Arms of the Betrayers might be destroyed within a campaign:[5]
- Bathed in the ichor of an archdevil or demon lord.
- A ritual performed by a coven of twelve night hags performed on the plane of Gehenna.
- Melted in the forgotten forge in Xhorhas where the Arm was made.
- Destroyed by the breath of an ancient red dragon.
- Devoured by Uk'otoa.
- Thrust into a Luxon beacon, destroying the Arm and the beacon alike.
- Destroyed by a blow from another Arm of the Betrayers.
- Burning the remains of the first champion to wield the weapon.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 31.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, pp. 30–31.
- ↑ See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 274.
- ↑ See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, pp. 274–275.
- ↑ See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 275.
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