Copyright (c) 1996 by Chris Taylor <ctaylor@sun1.iusb.edu>

Sword of Essence

	The swords of essence are difficult to define as each one is 
different from any other.  There appear to be so many of these common 
looking broadswords that no two people ever use the same one.
	In reality, there are only a handful of these swords.  Through 
some unknown magic, a sword of essence alters itself to match it's 
wielder.  When one of these swords is first picked up, the sword will 
impress it's previous owner's personality on the new owner.  As time goes by, 
the sword slowly lessens in effect and then begins to enhance the personality 
of the new owner.
	The game effect of the sword is that a character will appear to 
change personality when they first aquire it.  Then, the swords effect 
decreases each week until there is no effect at all.  Finally, the sword 
then begins to enhance the personality of the character.  The change 
takes one week for each month the previous owner possessed the sword.  
Advantages, Disadvantages, and key skills (those that are used most 
frequently) are all enhanced.  Attributes are left unchanged.  A sword of 
essence will make a mage more powerful (by one level of magery at most), 
make someone with Bad Temper Berserk, or turn a good craftsman into an 
expert.  When choosing skills, pick ones the CHARACTER would consider 
important as opposed to what the player thinks is important.

For example:

Giles Carver is a talented woodcarver that the Gods believe has the 
potential to be a great man.  For fifteen years, Giles has suffered from 
eppileptic fits during which he receives an accurate vision.  If he 
doesn't personally intervene, he is struck with more frequent and severe 
fits.  Giles' apprentice recently married a royal heir, and in an attempt 
to sort things out with the assistance of a benevolent dragon, was involved 
in a duel to the death with the king.  To avoid the civil war that would 
result from an apprentice woodcarver sitting on the throne, the dragon 
was asked to choose a regent.  It chose Giles.  Giles should be learning 
diplomatic arts and strategy.  The kings sword was a sword of essence, so 
for a while, it seems he is as hot tempered as the last king.  After 
about a year, Giles' has calmed down and is now good enough with 
diplomacy to keep the country out of war.  In that time, his quirks of 
pacifism, overconfidence, and honesty have all been expanded into full 
fledged Disads while his woodcarving and somewhat inept magical interests 
have improved drasticly.  Without the sword of essence, he would lose the 
improved skills and the Disads would revert back to quirks.  However, the 
next owner would spend some time being pacifistic, over confident, and 
honest, while also suddenly having a knack for woodcarving and magic.

The effects of a sword of essence usually involve worsening 
disadvantages.  However, the overall effect should always be benificial 
(evil characters will have a different idea of what that means).