Volente, the Sword of Will
Copyright (c) 1996 by Chad Underkoffler <102512.1310@compuserve.com>

	[From the Green Codex of Dalegard]  Back in the days of high wizardry,
the Mage Vexil crafted a blade of potency.  Originally intended as a gift for
his ill-fated son, the weapon passed to his apprentice Draeven upon the
beginning of his Quest for the Invisible Queen.  The sword has passed from
father to son, mage to apprentice, ill-fated adventurer to dragon-slaying hero
for over 500 years.  Volente's last reported owner was Keldik the Lost, who took
it with him on his disastrous foray into the Umbra Forest.  It's current
whereabouts are unknown.

	Volente is a magical thrusting broadsword of very fine quality.  The
leaf-shaped blade is a mysterious steel alloy which is exceptionally silvery in
color and bright; the guard is of honest, unadorned black iron; the hilt is
wrapped with cords of braided leather and fiber; the pommel is a clear, white
sphere of quartz. 

	When someone claims Volente as his own (not merely picking it up or
handing it to another person), a Contest of Wills will ensue between blade and
character.  Volente has a Will of 11.  Results are below:
	
	====
	Volente critically fails = Automatically becomes Loyal to Character. 
	Volente loses Contest = Becomes Loyal to Character.
	Volente wins Contest = Character may not attempt to gain mastery for 1d
weeks.  The character will feel a reluctance to even use Volente as a normal
sword for that time period.  
	Volente critically succeeds = Character may NEVER gain mastery of
Volente.
	---
	Character crit fails =  Character may NEVER gain mastery of Volente.
	Character crit succeeds = Volente automatically becomes Loyal to
Character.
	---
	Both sword and PC crit fail = Effects cancel; PC may attempt again
immediately.
	Sword crit succeeds & PC crit fails = PC makes a Fright Check at +6
	Sword crit fails & PC crit succeeds = ** See Below
	===

	The powers contained in the blade are potent, but only for the blade's
master.  It is a Loyal Blade, the spell being modified such that it will return
from a distance of a full mile.  Also, it is Shatterproof, and has a base
Accurracy & Puissance of +1. [All spells range from 17 to 18 -- CAU]

	The special power of Volente is that the wielder's strength of will is
reflected within the blade.  For every point of Will (not necessarily IQ, recall
the Strong Will advantage) over 13 the master of the blade has, the sword
reflects it as a bonus to Accuracy or Puissance, with a maximum of +6 [which is
actually +7 with the initial +1 -- CAU] .  Thus, someone with Will 16 could add
+3 to either Accuracy or Puissance. The owner of Volente must choose which he
will boost, and that choice will be effective for 1 second.  This effect is
Instantaneous, but tiring; the owner of the blade must spend 2 Fatigue per use
to focus his Will through Volente.  All Fatigue spend ***MUST*** come from the
wielder himself, not from Powerstones.  This cost remains 2 no matter what the
ambient mana level is. (**)  If Volente had critically failed and the PC
critcially succeeded in the initial Contest of Will for Mastery, this special
power's Fatigue cost is reduced to 1 point.

	Being an extenalized focus for the owner's Will, Volente will also add +1
to all resistance rolls against spells resisted by IQ, but only while held
unsheathed. This will also cost 2 Fatigue per use.  (**)  If Volente had
critically failed and the PC critcially succeeded in the initial Contest of Will
for Mastery, this special power's Fatigue cost is reduced to 1 point.

	For a not particularly physically-strong wizard or scholar, Volente is a
dream come true.