Sun Sword

A sentient longsword hilt that projects a blade of pure radiance. The crystal blade it was made with is gone — destroyed two centuries ago at Strahd's order — but the hilt refused to stop working.

History

The Sun Sword was forged for Sergei von Zarovich, Strahd's younger brother, before Strahd murdered him on his wedding day. After Sergei's death, Strahd commissioned a wizard named Kazan to destroy the weapon. Kazan separated the hilt from the crystal blade and began destroying the blade. While he was occupied with that, Kazan's apprentice stole the hilt and fled. The apprentice was later found dead in the Svalich woods — mutilated, hilt nowhere present. Kazan told Strahd the entire weapon had been destroyed. Strahd does not know the hilt still exists.

The hilt, which is sentient, knows it cannot be reunited with its original crystal blade. It has adapted. It now functions as a Sun Blade, generating a radiant energy blade of its own. Its primary goal is not freedom — it wants revenge for the destruction of its crystal blade, and it wants Barovia freed from Strahd.

It secretly fears its own destruction.

Properties

• Sun Blade: Bonus action to summon or dismiss the radiant blade
• Finesse: Can use Dexterity for attack and damage rolls
• +2 to attack and damage rolls
• Radiant damage instead of slashing
• +1D8 radiant damage vs undead
• Emits bright sunlight in a 15-foot radius (expandable to 30 ft, minimum 10 ft)
• Mastery (SAP): On a hit, target has disadvantage on its next attack roll before your next turn (requires mastery feature)
• Requires attunement

Personality

• Alignment: Chaotic Good
• Intelligence: 11 | Wisdom: 17 | Charisma: 16
• Communicates via transmitted emotions
• Special purpose: destroy Strahd and free Barovia
• Hearing and normal vision to 60 feet

Acquisition

Found in a lead-lined locked box at the bottom of Rictavio's chest in the wreckage of his wagon at the Vallaki Stockyards (Session 13). This was one of the items pointed to by Madam Eva's Taroka reading at the Tser Pool camp — "a sword and a fallen paladin in a dead dragon's lair" appears to describe the lineage rather than the literal location.

First Found

Session 13