Myths say that the first sword in existence was granted a soul by a god and carried with him through the heavens. The constellation still marks the passage of the god and his living sword as they patrol the cosmos, rooting out chaos where they find. Inspired by legend, an ingenious enchanter set out to create his own sentient sword. He nearly made it just as the myths stated, but could never create a soul for it, and each subsequent enchanter who attempted to perfect his technique fell into the same trap.
Instead of having its own soul, the Animius (as the first enchanter called it) shares a soul with its wielder. It can still act on its own, flying around a battlefield to deal with its owner’s foes, but the aetheric tethers that bind it also binds its bearer. If it is ever to be damaged, its wielder’s soul is damaged instead. And should its owner use his force of will to push the Animius to greater heights (literally or figuratively), cuts will appear across his flesh. The Animius is a wonderful ally to anyone, but there is a reason you never hear about old or retired Animius wielders.
Name: Animius
Weapon: Light Melee Weapon (but only when wielded)
Blessing: When not wielded, the Animius counts as an additional combatant that you control in combat, generating its own Player Initiative Slot. It can fly (as fast as you can run). It uses your Intuition Skill for all offensive Combat Checks, and your Perception Skill for defensive Checks. You may spend Sigils on the Animius’s Skill Checks.
Curse:Whenever the Animius is hit and would receive a Wound, you instead receive a Mental Wound of equal severity. Whenever you spend a Sigil on the Animius, you must first take a Physical Wound on a random hit Location. The first Sigil in each encounter/scene costs a Minor Wound; the second a Significant Wound; the third and all following Sigils cost a Grievous Wound. You may take a Physical Wound of a lower severity (minimum Minor) but then you must take double the number of Wounds.