Spear of Asura
Weapon (Greatspear), Legendary (Requires Attunement by a Good-Aligned Character)
The Spear of Asura, sacred relic of the Temple of Asura, is a gleaming greatspear crafted with divine purpose and power. Its ornate tip, sculpted to reflect and amplify beams of sunlight, shines with a light of its own even in complete darkness. It is both a weapon and a conduit of Asura’s will, designed to bring truth and purity to the battlefield. The weapon grows stronger as its wielder progresses, revealing new powers and abilities in line with the faith and deeds of its bearer. Though it was stolen a century ago by the rogue thieves’ guild, the Seven Sins, it remains an unmatched symbol of purity and the fight against corruption.
Weapon Properties
- Damage: 1d8 piercing (versatile 1d10), with Reach and Thrown (20/60 ft.) properties.
- Proficiency: Martial weapon; however, all clerics and monks of Asura are granted proficiency with the Spear of Asura.
- Sentience: Neutral Good. The Spear is sentient, embodying the soul of the former High Priest, Karian of the White Flame, who willingly bound himself to the spear until it fulfills its purpose and another takes his place.
Personality
The Spear of Asura is inhabited by the spirit of Karian, a compassionate but duty-bound former priest of Asura, who speaks in a calming, wise voice directly to the wielder. Karian offers gentle guidance, sage advice, and an unyielding commitment to goodness and purity. He becomes intensely focused in the presence of shapechangers or evil, particularly rakshasa, seeing their existence as a violation of natural order. However, he won’t force his will on the bearer, offering quiet suggestions unless he feels the wielder is in mortal peril or straying from a righteous path.
- Alignment Requirement: Only good-aligned characters can wield the Spear in battle. If a non-good character attempts to use it, the Spear becomes a mundane item in their hands until it finds a worthy bearer.
- Purpose: The Spear seeks to drive away illusions, reveal hidden truths, and destroy the corrupting influence of shapechangers, especially rakshasa. It is bound to this purpose until it completes a "great deed" as defined by Asura, at which point Karian’s soul will be freed, and another worthy priest will take his place in the Spear.
Properties by Level
6th Level
- Bonus: The Spear gains a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls (+1/+1 1st through 5th level)
- Radiant Fire: Once per short rest, the wielder can cause the spear to ignite in radiant flame, dealing an additional 1d6 fire damage on a hit. Against shapechangers or rakshasa, this damage increases to 2d6.
11th Level
- Bonus: The Spear’s bonus increases to +3.
- Purging Light: The Spear can cast Dispel Magic once per long rest, specifically targeting illusions or magical disguises. Additionally, on a hit, the target must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 15) or have its true form revealed momentarily, flashing briefly over its face for all to see.
- Increased Radiant Fire: The fire damage increases to 1d8 for all creatures, and 2d8 for rakshasa and shapechangers.
16th Level
- True Flame of Asura: The fire damage increases to 1d10 for all creatures, and 2d10 for rakshasa and shapechangers.
- Searing Sight: Once per day, the Spear can grant the wielder Truesight (60 feet) for 10 minutes, revealing the true forms of all creatures and seeing through magical darkness, invisibility, illusions, and transformations.
- Divine Strike: When a shapechanger or rakshasa is struck by the Spear of Asura, it must make a Constitution saving throw (DC 17) or be forced into its true form for 1 minute. This ability can be used once per short rest, and if the target succeeds, their true form is still briefly revealed.
Special Abilities
- Light of Asura: The Spear emits bright light in a 30-foot radius and dim light for an additional 30 feet. This light is sunlight and dispels magical darkness within its range.
- Throw of Judgment: When thrown, the Spear of Asura can return to the wielder’s hand as a bonus action, flashing through the air as a streak of radiant energy. This ability can be used twice per long rest.
Lore and History
The Spear of Asura is more than a weapon—it is a symbol of Seregon’s strength and resistance against corruption. Over a century ago, during the Amber Fever epidemic, the Spear was stolen by the infamous thieves' guild known as the Seven Sins. They justified the theft by claiming the spear was given to the evil wizard Tur Nyaan in exchange for a stay of his demands on the city. Though the Seven Sins maintain they “saved” Seregon, the Temple of Asura has never forgiven the offense. To this day, the Temple considers the theft one of the most grievous betrayals in its history, and the Spear’s absence a deep wound in the spirit of Seregon.
The temple has since crafted lesser replicas of the spear to aid its clerics and monks, but none possess the same holy power. The Spear of Asura remains a central symbol in the temple’s morning prayers, a reminder to all worshippers never to give in to darkness. The current high priest, Little Flower, leads the faithful in these prayers each morning, asking for Asura’s guidance to reclaim the Spear and restore the Temple’s honor.
Current Status and Mandrill’s Ambitions
In the present day, rumors of the Spear’s whereabouts have surfaced, drawing the attention of adventurers and nobles alike. Mandrill of the Seven Sins, a powerful figure in Seregon, hopes to atone for the theft by recovering the relic. However, he faces intense opposition from both the temple and the nobility, who view his motives with suspicion. Mandrill’s desire to clear the Seven Sins’ record might earn him redemption—or reignite the ancient animosity between the Temple of Asura and the thieves’ guild.
To the faithful, the Spear of Asura is more than a weapon; it is a guiding light, a promise from Asura that even in the darkest of times, truth and purity will ultimately prevail.