As for weapons and artifacts currently on my person or in my possession, it is my intention that they should become property of Lodge, and may they be of good use to the Rippers who follow in my wake.
Mundane.
Let it be noted that guns, fists, blades will not be of great effect on a Romanian-Byzantine vampire per the great lady who slew one in front of us. However they seem to have their usual affect on the other creatures we encountered.
- Hymn-book from the old church at Wigam, Cathedral of St. Mary.
- Cross from the same.
- Tooth taken from of Skinner's ghouls, which appears to be an ordinary skull-tooth.
- Various papers taken from Skinner's home, which are marked with the upright black fist of the Lodge's apparent rival, the Oldham Lodge. Written in code.
- Great skull that resembles that of a mule-deer, taken from Belghast the Deer-Man-God, but doesn't appear to have any residual magical effect.
- Alder-wood. Obtained from the village of Wigam, where folk custom says it will ward off curses and sickness.
- Cold-Iron Spike. This is a railroad spike meant to be the final ceremonial nail in the tracks of the "Lunatic Railway" of Uganda and East Africa. I have used it to great effect to destroy the hell-hound discovered in Tameside, by driving it into the beast's chest.
- Holy Water vials given to us by the priest at the Cathedral of St. Mary. Exact use or effects unknown.
- Infusion pump, taken from a reanimated assembly of corpse-parts at Skinner's laboratory, along with an assortment of miscellaneous surgical equipment. Exact magical properties unknown other than it appeared to give life and, when used in quantity with some mysterious fluid, strength to the dead flesh.
Masks Obtained at the Tameside All Hallow's Eve Festival from a
Curious Man of Possibly Greek Origin. Produced from beneath his Stall;
not for the General Public.
- The seller told the buyer he was like Hercules and the mask would protect him.
Gape-mouthed mask like a Greek Hell, in leather.
- The buyer was told he resembled the handsome fighter Achilles (!)
A curious Venetian-style mask that is half-man, half-devil.
- I know not what the buyer was told.
Other masks of note at the festival:
Belghast (Deer-God of Wigam) - worn by the warlock Hollis
Goblin
Masks of wood- some were cruelly affixed to innocents who then acted as
the real goblins. Actual goblins' masks were shattered but only after
great diffficulty of attempting to tear them off the creatures. I
attempted to retain a piece, but nothing but the finest splinters
remained, and these eventually dissipated. The goblins also cast small
glowing green stones, but I do not know what effect these produced, and
they also disappeared.
- Riding-Crop with concealed cold-iron blade.
While this weapon is now lost to me, it served me well when the rifles failed and our other blades lay broken at the last stand of Rorke's Drift. It readily went through the bone and brain of the walking dead who attacked us, and shattered the charcoal-black bodies of the immolated remnants of men who had burnt to death. I hope to have another made.
- Silvered Blade or Bullets. Appeared to work well on the reanimated corpses cobbled together by Spinner.
- Shashka Cavalry Sabre, Silvered blade.
Below is my c1800 Shashka cavalry sabre, which my father himself took as a war trophy after defeating what he described as a "Russian Lich Lord" at the Charge of the Light Brigade (Death or Glory!) in Crimea. I have recently sent for it from father's London home, and it is good to have such a fine weapon at hand.
The advantages of a shashka over a normal sabre are not to be taken lightly. For it is quite flexible, and it is worn with the sharp curve outward (as opposed to how Europeans wear their sabres with the blade towards the rear). This allows for a rapid draw without having to adjust the wrist. The lack of a hand-guard removes the threat of another duellist's blade tangling in a basket.
Overall the sword measures just under 95cms in the scabbard, just under 94cms out with a blade length just under 79cms. The blade is of fine damascus steel that has been enhanced with layers of pure silver, and gilded with silver as well. Two broad double fullers to each side afford a clean blood-slip, with the upper fuller splitting from a single to triple fuller that terminates 8cms from the tip. The blade has a deep curve, is light, flexible and razor sharp (even at the point, which is a notable quality of Caucasian sabres vs Western ones) and very fine pattern welding is seen throughout the tip, cutting edge and lower fuller.
The silver and Niello work to the hilt and fittings is very well executed and remains in outstanding condition. My father added the 17th Lancers' death's head to the scabbard and also engraved our motto onto the blade. The the reverse of the scabbard fittings show three different large birds with the bright rays of the sun becoming obscured by an eclipse, surrounded by vine motifs with the upper fitting showing Georgian script not yet translated. The hanger straps are adjustable and quickly attach or detach to either the saddle or one's saber-belt.
Note, to facilitate my wearing of the sword in society, I have had the leather covered with a fine shorn beaver-velvet, to give the appearance of a ceremonial weapon. I assure you it is quite deadly, and should work well upon all but the heartiest of foes.
- Vampire (Romanian-Byzantine) coffin shard with dirt samples, properties unknown
- Wooden stake, magical.
While I am not sure of the exact magical properties (I assume it may have to do with the wood itself, or perhaps it was enchanted), this is the heirloom weapon with which the Romanian-Byzantine vampire was instantly slain through the heart with by our heroic lady ally. She has most generously gifted it to our lodge. I carry it on my person, in part, to be inspired by her fearless sacrifice and merciful spirit. However, it seems that perhaps even an ordinary wooden stake may suffice at this task. I would like to add that should one encounter a vampire in its coffin, it may be wise to also carry a hammer or mallet so the weapon may be driven through the casket, further hindering the creature should it attempt to defend itself or change shape.
No comments:
Post a Comment