They spent 10 years sending for specimens to experiment on, collecting an example of every known creature to walk Creation. With each creature, they sorcerously extracted knowledge of its anatomy, along with strengths and weaknesses it posessed. While they collected such information, they were also hard at work forging the great blade from the purest orichalcum they could find. Each season, they would leave the weapon to imprint the gathered knowledge upon the structure of the blade, and then leave it in a pure, focused beam of sunlight to sear the knowledge within the blade. As the collection of imprints grew, so too did the size of the blade to compensate, forging ever larger weapons until finally it settled on the form of an immense grand-daiklave.
Finally, with the imprint of mankind imprinted as the final catalyst for the blade, it was seared one final time by the light and considered complete. With the magnificent daiklave finished, they gifted it to the Solar warrior who requested it, satisfied with their creation. However, a few days later, the Solar warrior returned in anger. Casting the blade upon the ground in front of the sorcerer-smiths, he proclaimed the weapon an embarrassment. He claimed it would resist his commands, and when he did manage to strike a blow, it wept like a child.
Baffled by this turn of events, the seven took up the blade and studied it. The grand-daiklave had indeed received the imprints of every creature in Creation, and truly knew how to slay them best. However, it knew them all so well, that it had grown to love all life in Creation. Understanding this, the sorcerer-smiths understood that it would require a bond of understanding and respect to overcome this flaw in their design. And so, the blade they dubbed Blossom of Sorrow was granted to an older, but seasoned Solar general called The Lion, who had a history of compassion and resisted combat when diplomacy was possible.
The Lion and Blossom forged a bond of respect that made the pair inseparable, the blade slaying foes when necessary, and the exalt allowing the blade to weep and express its pain at its sad duty. Blossom of Sorrow stood by The Lion until the day he was slain by his subordinates during the Usurpation. Shocked by the pain of its master’s death, Blossom of Sorrow let out a loud and piercing cry that echoed for 100 miles in every direction. It was the last sound his murderers would ever hear.
Blossom of Sorrow is an Orichalcum Grand-Daiklave, almost as wide as a man’s shoulders and 7 feet in length. Its surface appears polished almost to a dim mirror, but occasionally images of various creatures from across Creation appear briefly in its reflection. Every lethal blow dealt by the blade causes a mournful cry to emit from the blade which is ageless and sexless. Blossom of Sorrow has 3 hearthstone sockets along its length.
A Solar who attunes to Blossom of Sorrow, awakens the blade. An awakened Blossom of Sorrow holds an unbreakable Defining Intimacy of love for all living things in Creation, which cannot be eroded or changed and prevents the blade from being used to harm any life. However, should the exalt wielding the weapon form a positive Intimacy towards Blossom of Sorrow, it will immediately reciprocate with one of its own, which lasts as long as the exalt wields Blossom with respect, cleans it after each battle, and does not use it carelessly.
If Blossom holds a positive Intimacy towards the exalt, it will suppress its Intimacy of love for life and may be used to kill. Blossom intentionally aims for the most vital parts of the anatomy of living creatures as it was designed to do, ignoring 1 point of Defense on Decisive attacks. However, each blow that deals health damage to a living denizen of Creation causes Blossom of Sorrow to weep and wail, mourning the necessity of her duty. This is an audible cry which causes a -2 penalty to sound-based stealth. This penalty rises to -4 for killing blows against individuals or blows that reduce a battlegroup a point of size.
Cost: 4m (+1wp) Mins: Essence 1
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Withering-Only
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: None
Through the growing bond between warrior and weapon, a greater level of finesse and technique is unveiled. When this evocation is activated, Blossom of Sorrow gains even more precise aiming at the expense of enhancing her Intimacy. Heartache Efflorescence enhances a Withering attack burning away extra initiative equal to the threshold successes on the attack roll. This extra initiative can be gained by the exalt if they spend 1 willpower with the activation of the evocation.
Use of this evocation causes Blossom of Sorrow to weep as on Decisive attacks causing the same penalties. Heartache Efflorescence may be used once per combat per target unless reset by dealing Decisive damage to the same target.
Cost: 5m 1wp Mins: Essence 2
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Heartache Efflorescence
The pain of regret is routine for Blossom of Sorrow, but stings no less in each new instance. The exalt bonded to this blade cannot help but share in this anguish. Once per combat, when Blossom of Sorrow deals decisive damage to a foe that puts them into at least their Incapacitated health level, the exalt may activate Perennial Mourning immediately upon resetting to base initiative. The exalt forms an Intimacy of regret for the pain they caused to their foe and gains initiative equal to the intensity of the Intimacy they choose to accept (2 for Minor, 3 for Major, 4 for Defining). This intimacy lasts for a number of weeks equal to its intensity.
Cost: -- Mins: Essence 3
Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: Perennial Mourning
The love the blade holds for its wielder is a unique bond that does not merely break when it ends, it explodes. This evocation activates automatically when the exalt is driven to their Incapacitated health level. Blossom of Sorrow automatically screams a cry of pain so horrible and piercing, it leaves a lasting impression upon those nearby.
To all foes up to Medium range that hold lethal intent towards the exalt, the shriek annihilates their ear drums, deafening their foes as a crippling effect that cannot be healed without the aid of magic, and even then not for at least a week.
Additionally, all foes who hear the sounds may reflexively roll (Wits + Integrity) at a difficulty (3 + Exalt’s Essence) to resist gaining an immediate Intimacy of regret towards the death of the exalt. This Intimacy forms at the Minor intensity, but is raised by 1 level of intensity for every 2 points they fail to meet the difficulty by on their roll. The Intimacy of regret lasts for 1 story.