DM-Nastics 2.0 #002 - Look Who's Talking Now

1. A vicious-looking Macahuitl (if you're not familiar, picture a cricket bat edged with obsidian shards; Aztec weapon) made from a dark wood and set with triangular blades of mithral. The flat of the wooden stock is carved with motifs of fire and a lizard with a long, serpentine body. The mithral blades are fixed with jungle rubber and dinosaur sinew. From the pommel hangs a charm made of a dinosaur fang and colorful feathers. In its native, ancient, long-dead tongue, it is called Great-Tree-Burning


2. It is capable of wreathing itself in fire (+1d6 fire damage), while also granting resistance to fire. It can also replicate the effects of a Burning Hands spell. It reaches out psychically to demoralize the enemy and embolden the wielder, causing enemies to become frightened if they fail a WIS save and granting +1 to saves and attack rolls for whoever holds it. Finally, it hates demons and has its critical threat range increased by one when striking them.

3. Not much is known about this specific weapon, because its history is so ancient and there was little (if any) peaceful contact between the ancient volcano-worshiping Fire Lizard civilization and the humanoid races. In fact, while the Fire Lizards as an organized force are LONG gone, their ancient works have a tainted reputation. The Fire Lizard race once set out on a burning crusade to destroy the humanoid races and burn them in sacrifice to their horned god. Most see their style of weaponry as barbaric and crude, though that suits some.

4. Chaotic good, INT 12. What nobody in the modern day knows (but a few expert scholars suspect) is that the violent and sadistic "horned god" was not the original incarnation of Fire-Lizard faith. Their worship tended more towards elemental forces and nature, with the prime divinity represented as a great lizard living in the heart of the earth. Unfortunately, their divine imagery was co-opted by Mephistopheles himself. He used his mastery of hellfire to subtly influence and corrupt their faith, eventually turning them loose on the world as a bloodthirsty (or should I say fire-thirsty?) horde. Great-Tree-Burning predates the infernal deception, and represents one of the last existing testaments to the Fire-Lizard spirit as it once was.

5. More than anything, Great-Tree-Burning wants its people to be remembered as they were, not as what they became. This is no easy task, because Fire-Lizards still skulk about the ruins of their empire as animalistic savages, taking captives to burn alive in crude horned effigies. Though Great-Tree can only speak Ignan, it can also transmit feelings, and it tries to guide its owner to glory in battle.

6. It is very much in control of its powers. Though it will function purely practically, it does have a sense for showmanship and ceremony. After all, in its glory days it served not only in battle but in sacred War Dances and Fire Dances. When its owner makes weapon flourishes and tricks, it will flare dramatically.

7. It will try VERY hard to encourage exploration of Fire-Lizard ruins. It wants to preserve artifacts from before the fall, and destroy those tainted by the Lord of Hellfire.

1. What is the item?

Remurax.

2. Quick backstory!

Ok, so I'm doing this first to sort of explain what's going on here because it would be rather confusing if I didn't.
Long, long ago there was an ancient Demon Lord named Remurax. He was the commander of a great army, and he spread chaos and destruction throughout the abyss, killing and enslaving all who opposed him. However, the more death and destruction he spread, the more paranoid he became about his own death. It gnawed away at him. He needed a solution. He needed to defeat it. He thought about it for years, until finally forming a plan. He created a magical sword, which he named after himself. Whoever attuned to this sword would be sucked into it, and be trapped inside it indefinitely. The catch is, the next person to touch the sword would transform into whoever was then trapped inside it. Remurax attuned to it, was absorbed, and waited. Sure enough, after a little while the sword was picked up by a curious, unsuspecting quasit, who instantly was possessed by Remurax and was transformed into the Demon Lord. Remurax, seeing that his plan had worked, resumed his reign of chaos and terror, keeping the secret of his sword to himself, knowing that if ever he died, it would only be a matter of time before someone would try and loot his sword, and, inadvertently, bring him back to life. Basically the sword is an immortal Balor Demon.

2. What powers does it possess?

Limited Telepathy

Remurax can communicate with its wielder telepathically as long as the wielder is touching it, and has hearing and Darkvision out to 120 ft. The sword can speak Common as well as Infernal.

Fire Aspect
As a bonus action, you can cause the sword to burst into flames, causing it to deal an additional 3d8 fire damage to any target it hits with a melee attack. Additionally, the sword has twelve charges. You can consume these charges to cast spells from the sword, causing bonus havoc.
    Scorching Ray - 3 charges
    Fireball - 4 charges
    Wall of Fire - 6 charges
Remurax regains 1d10+2 charges daily at dawn.

Possession
When you first touch this weapon, you must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw, or be transformed into the Demon Lord Remurax. Every time you succeed this saving throw, Remurax learns a little more about you, and the Saving throw's DC increases by however many points you beat it by. Once you succeed the saving throw, Remurax is unable to possess you or otherwise charm you until you put the sword down and pick it up again, at which point you must re-roll the saving throw. If the Demon Lord Remurax (in his physical, non-sword form) is reduced to zero hit points, his soul is re-absorbed into the sword and you must make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw. On a success, you drop to zero hit points and are stable. On a failure, you die. Sorry.

3. What is known about it from legend and lore?

Remurax is the name of a great Balor Demon. Little to nothing is known about him by most people, but educated scholars know that Remurax was an ancient Demon Lord whose primary goal was immortality. Not just plain old "never being able to die" immortality, but an immortality that would enable him die again and again with no ill effects. It is unknown if he ever achieved his goal, as the most recent historical records of him are very old at best. He is commonly depicted wearing simple armor, wearing a spiked golden crown, and holding a flaming greatsword, which many texts say he named after himself. The sword is commonly described as "Magical, with incendiary properties," but they say nothing about its true nature. No one currently knows the location of the weapon, and many scholars consider it either destroyed or lost.

4. What alignment and intelligence level does the intellect have?

Remurax's Alignment is Chaotic Evil, and, being a Balor Demon, has an Intelligence of 20.

5. What goals, if any, does the item have?

Remurax seeks to conquer the material plane, enslave its inhabitants, and above all, live forever. If its wielder initially succeeds the wisdom saving throw, it will attempt to fulfill its goals by telepathically telling its wielder to do very specific (usually grand and malicious) things which are part of Remurax's plan to conquer the world. It will also sometimes try to trick its wielder to put it down and pick it back up again, so that they must re-roll the Wisdom saving throw.

6. How much control does the intelligence have of the item’s powers?

When the sword is being wielded by Remurax himself, the sword ceases to be sentient, and acts as a normal (albeit extremely powerful) wondrous item. However, when the sword is being welded by anyone other than Remurax, it will function normally, unless the wielder attempts to use the sword's powers to disobey or otherwise hinder Remurax's plans, in which case the sword will refuse to function properly, and will sometimes activate its powers without being asked at very inoppurtune times, such as shooting a fireball at the bridge the party is trying to cross, or firing a scorching ray at the wielder's allies, etc.

7. What quirks does the intelligence have?

Remurax always speaks to its wielder as if you are its servant, and expects you act as such. It grows very angry when its wielder disobeys its commands, but it always acts and speaks calmly, as if nothing is wrong. It takes a rather heinous offense to make Remurax show any signs of anger. Remurax cannot be destroyed by normal, and even most magical means, so most threats to destroy it don't faze it at all. The only thing Remurax fears is being abandoned where no one can find him, as that would essentially kill him.

(Btw, Remurax can only be destroyed if someone casts feeblemind on it. If Remurax fails the INT save, the sword then must be thrown into the river styx, at which point the mind of Remurax becomes so shattered that the sword he is bound to shatters as well, destroying them both.)