Arena:Ebony Blade

Artifact: Ebony Blade (lore page)
Shares Appearance With	Ebony Katana
Statistics
Damage	3-16
Damage	3-16		{{{health}}}
Weight	6 kg
Enchantment
Transfer Health: 100 points from target to caster for 10 rounds per level, release 1 point per round Transfer Fatigue: 100 points from target to caster for 10 rounds per level, release 1 point per round Silence: 100% chance for 1 round per level
Map Dungeon Province
Morrowind
Can be used by the following classes
Archer, Assassin, Barbarian, Battlemage, Knight, Monk, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, Spellsword, Warrior

Ebony Blade

"The Ebony Blade, sometimes called the Vampire or the Leech, resembles an ebony katana, but its power is very dark indeed. Every time the Ebony Blade strikes an opponent, part of the damage inflicted flows into the wielder as raw power. The Blade itself may not be any more evil than those who have used it, but at some point in its long existence, a charm was cast on it so it would not remain with one bladesman. The wizard who cast this charm sought to save the souls of any too infatuated by the Blade, and perhaps he was right..."
— Codex Scientia

The Ebony Blade is an ebony katana artifact that can be obtained by taking part in its artifact quest.

The Ebony Blade's potent single-target ranged enchantment is capable of restoring a hefty chunk of both your own health and fatigue while also dealing significant damage to its victim, and with a bonus of momentarily silencing them as well if they are capable of spellcasting. While the silencing effect only scales minimally in duration with level, the duration of the two Transfer components of the enchantment do scale well and provide higher level characters with some bonuses to using this artifact. That being said, the actual magnitudes of the health transfer and fatigue transfer effects do not scale with level. Despite what its description states, the Ebony Blade's enchantment is a targeted ranged spell that must be cast - it is not a touch-based enchantment that activates whenever physically striking an enemy with the blade.

The Ebony Blade is also notable for the extremely high casting cost of its enchantment, far higher than even other weapon artifacts, and even at higher levels its enchantment can only be used a handful of times before the artifact is exhausted. If you intend to use and keep this artifact, you will need to be judicious in your use of its enchantment and monitor its condition in your inventory - lest you find it disappearing on you halfway through a dungeon - and be mindful of keeping up with repairing it whenever you reach a settlement.

Quest DialogueEdit

Quest-starting Rumors

• "The moral climate of the [Settlement] is plunging, I tell you. I was just solicited in a reputable tavern [Direction] of here, the [Tavern name], by a scary-looking fellow who offered to sell me information concerning the Ebony Blade. When I asked him what the Ebony Blade is, he said it's this sword that gives the wielder the victim's strength, sort of like a vampire! Can you imagine? [Provincial exclamation]!"
• "Well, do you want to hear a sign of the times? There's a gentleman over at the [Tavern name], that's a good-sized tavern to the [Direction], who says he knows where the map leading to the Ebony Blade is. If he really does, that's the sort of information one would only sell to the richest city-state Kings or the Emperor. But here he is in a [Settlement name] inn, practically giving it away."
• "[Provincial exclamation], I know where you need to be, [PC race]. There's a tavern a bit [Direction] by name of the [Tavern name] where you'll find a peculiar character selling information about the Ebony Blade. It is said that he who wields the Blade grows mightier each time his foe grows weaker. Might be a nice thing to have if you're anticipating a fight, eh?"

Tavern Encounters

• "Watch your tongue, foolish [PC race]," growls the man next to you, barely looking into your face. "Many have been murdered merely for mentioning the Blade, and, according to some, their souls have been forever damned. If you are willing risk [sic] the odds and become the new possessor of the Ebony Blade, I can tell you all you need to know about recovering it. The current price for information is [Amount of gold] gold. Do we have a deal?" "I think we can help each other, young [PC race]."
• A young man comes up from behind you. "I'm [NPC name], and I happen to know how to find the Ebony Blade itself, the sword that can give the wielder all the energy it sucked from its victim. Not very pretty, but perfect for frequent combatants. You can help me by giving me [Amount of gold] gold pieces. I find myself penniless here in [Settlement name] and I'm used to living better. Are we agreed, my friend?"
• "The Ebony Blade?" You are approached by a gentleman, his voice unconnected, much older than his face. He shakes your hand. "Call me [NPC name]. I know of this sword that draws your curiousity [sic]. Maybe you've heard that it [sic] called the Leech or the Vampire, for every time its wielder's enemies are hurt, he grows stronger. Perhaps that's morally wrong, perhaps not. I can tell you how to find where this wicked blade is hidden, but it will cost you [Amount of gold] gold. Do you agree to pay this?"

Negotiation

• "Yeah, I don't think so. Make me a real offer, [PC race]."
• "Forget it, pal. You're going to have to do a lot better than that."
• "That was an insulting offer, [PC name]. Make me an offer I might accept please."
• "An offer like this comes once in a lifetime. You'll be sorry. I'll give you [number of] days to get back to me here before I move on. Excuse me now."
• "Oh well. I'll probably still be at [tavern] for [number of] days with my offer standing. Fare thee well, young [PC race]."
• "I knew I was wasting my time talking to you. If you can get back to [tavern] within [number of] days with my gold, we can still do business. Meanwhile, I must leave you. Farewell."
• "You're a good haggler, [PC race]. I'm afraid I can't accept less than [Amount of gold] gold."
• "Interesting offer, but [Amount of gold] gold is the least I can accept in return for my information. Come now, [PC race], what do you think of that?"
• "Sorry, I've already turned someone down who offered that. What's your reaction to [Amount of gold] gold pieces?"

New Encounter (after rejecting the quest)

• The innkeeper lets out a whistle. "[NPC name]! The [PC race] is back to talk with you!" [NPC name] emerges from across the room. "You've reconsidered," he says. "Marvelous. Now if you have the [Amount of gold] pieces of gold I requested, I'll tell you exactly how one might find the Ebony Blade. Agreed?"
• "Hello again, [PC race], "[NPC name] joins you at the bar. "Good to see it didn't take you long to change your mind about the Ebony Blade. I assume you're ready to pay the [Amount of gold] gold I mentioned before?"
• "I wasn't sure I'd see you again, [PC race], "says [NPC name], coming to the bar at the sound of your voice. "I haven't had any other takers yet, but my offer for showing you the way to the Ebony Blade stands at [Amount of gold] gold. Are you prepared to pay that much?"

Location

• "You seek a dire weapon indeed, [PC race]. The Ebony Blade sucks the very soul from a person, transfering [sic] that lifeforce to you. I think you will be consigning your everlasting soul to oblivion. It is your choice however. The map to the Ebony Blade can be found in a place called the [Dungeon name]. I have inscribed its location onto your map of the continent. I wish you well on your quest. If you find this map, it will lead you the [sic] Ebony Blade. Good luck, [PC race]. You'll need it..."