Sword of Nul

The Sword of Nul is a powerful magical short sword made of bronze. An artifact created by the vile demon Drakonskyr.

History

“

In the unbroken darkness of the tomb, Drakonskyr dreams fitfully inside Tiamat. It beckons to its old blade, the sword of Nul, ordering the blade to bring those who can free Dragonskyr from its millennium-old prison. Throughout the ages, the sword has passed from one owner to another, for its power brings death to its user. It destroys all it touches, as befits a weapon forged by a demon.

”

It was originally created in ancient Sumer, sometime in the third millenium BCE by the demon Drakonskyr, at the time possessing a vampire called Lantla. Drakonskyr used it as part of a bargain it made with Lantla, to be used in defense of the city of Ur against invading forces of the warlord Urlon of Uruk.

In reality the demon was merely looking for ways to be freed upon the mortal world. Possessing Lantla, Drakonskyr destroyed all the invaders with the sword, and many more citizens of Ur besides, causing a terrifying massacre. When Lantla realized what the demon wanted, she trapped the demon within herself and flung the sword of Nuln into the river Tigris. 

The sword did not vanish from memory. After Lantla had flung it into the river it rested there until 806 CE when an Islamic warrior from the Abbasid Caliphate recovered it. He put it into use that same year when a civil war broke out. Despite the wondrous blade the warrior was killed in combat and the sword was later recovered by a beggar looting dead corpses. 

The beggar then sold it to the Bayt Al-Himah, or House of Wisdom. The scholars were fascinated by it since they had little concept of archaeology, and since the sword still had an edge, they thought it had been recently made by an unknown civilization. The sword was stored in Baghdad until it was stolen by a Brujah thief who was down on his luck and looking to escape the city's Prince. The Brujah stole the sword, among other valuables, and set to travel to Europe. He managed to reach Jerusalem, where he was slain when Christian crusaders attacked the city. 

The sword traveled with the Crusaders to Europe where it was passed from father to son as a family heirloom many times, causing misfortune to each owner, until it eventually came into the possession of the Tremere in the mid-15th century. The Tremere studied it but never used it, keeping it locked in their stronghold in Vienna for several centuries. 

There it remained until the night a Malkavian anarch called Antoine managed to break into the stronghold, and came across the sword by accident. Antoine was looking for information that could be used against the Tremere when he was discovered. He seized the sword and used it against the Tremere. From there, his escape was assured. The guards either were no match for the sword or were unwilling to face it. Antoine escaped, fleeing first to England and then to United States. He named the sword "Soulrazor" for the fear it caused the Tremere.

Characteristics

It looks innocent enough. It is short, straight, and made of bronze. The entire weapon is slightly green with age. It is still sharp, extremely sharp; sharper than the finest steel. In fact, the sword is sharper than is theoretically possible for a weapon made of bronze. It has no ornamentation save for a crude skull carved in middle of the hilt. The handle was once wrapped in leather or cloth, which has since rotted away, leaving only bare metal. 

The weapon has a difficulty of 5 to hit and does Strength + 5 damage in aggravated wounds. Furthermore, the weapon adds one automatic success to all attack rolls. The blade may have many other powers, though it would take time and magic to unlock these powers.

Other Names

The Sword of Nul was renamed (or misspelled) the Sword of Nuln in Vampire: The Eternal Struggle.

V20 Appearances

Beckett's Jyhad Diary describes Beckett acquiring the sword at one of Albertus Magnus' auctions, at Martyr's Square in Tripoli Libya. He is the only bidder on the auction and quickly regrets his purchase once Aisling Sturbridge informs him that the sword is being hunted by the Red Lister, Dylan Bruce. Aisling suggests that Beckett make frequent claim that he "dropped the sword in the Mediterranean" and he proceeds to do so throughout the chapter, even in inappropriate situations. 

Gallery

The Sword of Nul. Art by Jeff Holt

References

• VTM: Bloody Hearts: Diablerie Britain, p. 27-30
• VTM: Beckett's Jyhad Diary, p. 510