A Magical Dagger

by Paul J. Beel

This new dagger I created originated from playing the solo journaling game Artefact. Basically instead of playing an adventurer, the perspective switches to you becoming a single magical item. You describe how it came to be and you are supposed to describe how it may change hands throughout its life and what happens to it. You are the magical item.

I found the game great fun and I could have played much longer and included much more detail. The game urges you to write in the first person, but I changed it a bit. I wrote a short story about the item and I placed it in the world of Greyhawk. I chose to stop where I was and let an adventurer take it from here.

I highly recommend you check this game out. It is written by Jack Harrison and you can find it over on his itch.io. Here is the link: https://mouseholepress.itch.io/artefact

Without further delay here is my little story about a magical dagger.

Seeker - Dagger +2, Longtooth

Created by the ancient gnome wizard, Silverspark.

Orston Silverspark normally known by his last name, Silverspark, was once a powerful gnome wizard living in the Loft Hills. He survived the constant battles of the area in which he saw many of his fellow gnomes perish. Escaping the orcs of Loftwood, he finally settled in a small tower in the hills near the settlement of Ratikhill. During his final days he traveled to the Rakers to meet with a master smith named Gryder Gazzoon of the dwarven clan Brokenstone to forge a dagger worthy of enchantment.

This dagger was forged of iron mined by the mountain dwarves of the Rakers. The pommel holds a hardened blue stone, which is attached to a blackened leather hilt with light brown cross stiches. The thick iron crossguard molds down over the bottom of the blade. The blade is a dagger-ground blade with a sharp tapered edge on both sides. Arcane etchings flavor the middle of the blade which seems to add to the magical quality giving it character.

Silverspark then takes the dagger back to his tower to perform the magical enchantments. Once completed, he gave it the name “Seeker”.

Traits

1. Detects invisible creatures or objects

2. When wielded by a gnome or halfling, the weapon lengthens and deals damage as a +2 short sword when striking. Despite this, it remains as light and easy to handle with the same swiftness as a normal dagger.

3. The weapon is capable of piercing wood or stone as if they were softer material. The dagger will always cause maximum damage against stone-based monsters similar to stone golems for example. It is only a dagger +2 for any other race besides gnomes or halflings.

4. It is a sentient dagger that hums quietly when revealing invisible creatures and hidden objects to its wielder. It can also communicate telepathically to it’s keeper.

The wizard intended for it to be wielded by a small humanoid, believing that in such hands it could truly make a difference.

While traveling toward Ratikhill, Silverspark grew weakened by the magic he had used to awaken the dagger. Eventually, he collapsed and passed away from the combined strain of age and exhaustion. Seeker now awaits its new owner.