The long sword Ruinblade has a +3 bonus on all attack and damage rolls. It appears as a slim length of flawless white steel. A thin sheen of what could be oil is always visible upon its surface, accreting most heavily in the following, circular runes finely etched into the length of the blade. Apart from its other enchantments, Ruinblade never clangs, chatters, rings, or resounds even when struck hard against another object or weapon.
If Ruinblade is struck against an inanimate object of up to 700 lbs., the object falls into total ruin, becoming mere dust within 1 round. The power to ruin can be used once per week, and magical items receive a save on the Item Saving Throw Table vs. disintegration. This power functions only on discrete objects, never on living tissue or energy fields; however, this powerful blade also has the ability to ruinously affect living beings.
When Ruinblade became the phylactery for the arch-shadow Moghadam's essence, the long sword gained the ability to drain one life energy level with each successful attack against a living being. In the event of the destruction of Moghadam's physical body, the arch-shadow's essence inhabits the blade, even if body and blade are separated. If a new wielder begins to use Ruinblade against living targets, the blade continues to drain one energy level with each successful attack; however, the energy levels drained are cumulatively stored by Moghadam. When a total of 20 life energy levels are drained, Moghadam's essence is sufficiently empowered to leave the blade and attempt to take control of the wielder's body in an attack similar to the magic jar spell. If the living wielder makes a successful save vs. spell, Moghadam's essence falls back into the blade defeated; to attempt another bid at possession, Moghadam must accumulate another 20 life energy levels. If the wielder fails the save, Moghadam commandeers the wielder's body, and the wielder's spirit is discorporated and consumed completely. (Raise dead and resurrection spells are ineffective.) In time, the new body comes to look like the previous incarnation of Moghadam's original withered form. In the event that Moghadam's new body is destroyed, his essence again flees into his phylactery, Ruinblade, there to wait again for sufficient energy to inhabit yet another body. Only the final destruction of Ruinblade (a successful Crushing Blow delivered by any arifact-level magical item that saves against disintegration itself could do the trick) ends this grisly cycle.
